Earth Pressure (E-Book) von Achim Hettler

1 Introduction1

References 2

2 The history of earth pressure theory3

2.1 Retaining walls for fortifications 5

2.2 Earth pressure theory as an object of military engineering 9

2.2.1 In the beginning there was the inclined plane 10

2.2.2 From inclined plane to wedge theory 20

2.2.3 Charles Augustin Coulomb 23

2.2.4 A magazine for engineering officers 34

2.3 Modifications to Coulomb earth pressure theory 36

2.3.1 The trigonometrisation of earth pressure theory 36

2.3.2 The geometric way 44

2.4 The contribution of continuum mechanics 54

2.4.1 The hydrostatic earth pressure model 56

2.4.2 The new earth pressure theory 58

2.5 Earth pressure theory from 1875 to 1900 67

2.5.1 Coulomb or Rankine? 68

2.5.2 Earth pressure theory in the form of masonry arch theory 69

2.5.3 Earth pressure theory à la française 71

2.5.4 Kötters mathematical earth pressure theory 75

2.6 Experimental earth pressure research 78

2.6.1 The precursors of experimental earth pressure research 78

2.6.2 Earth pressure tests at the testing institute for the statics of structures at Berlin Technical University 81

2.6.3 The merry-go-round of discussions of errors 85

2.6.4 The emergence of soil mechanics 87

2.7 Earth pressure theory in the discipline-formation period of geotechnical engineering 93

2.7.1 Terzaghi 96

2.7.2 Rendulic 99

2.7.3 Ohde 100

2.7.4 Errors and confusion 101

2.7.5 A hasty reaction in print 103

2.7.6 Foundations + soil mechanics = geotechnical engineering 103

2.8 Earth pressure theory in the consolidation period of geotechnical engineering 109

2.8.1 New subdisciplines in geotechnical engineering 110

2.8.2 Determining earth pressure in practical theory of structures 111

2.9 Earth pressure theory in the integration period of geotechnical engineering 116

2.9.1 Computer-assisted earth pressure calculations 118

2.9.2 Geotechnical continuum models 119

2.9.3 The art of estimating 124

2.9.4 The history of geotechnical engineering as an object of construction history 125

References 128

3 Methods for the determination of earth pressure145

3.1 Overview and bound methods 145

3.1.1 Overview of the methods 145

3.1.2 Upper and lower bounds 146

3.2 Kinematic mechanism methods for active earth pressure 147

3.3 Kinematic mechanism methods for passive earth pressure 150

3.4 Static stress field methods 154

3.4.1 Fundamentals 154

3.4.2 Rankines solution 155

3.4.3 Theory of Boussinesq/Résal/Caquot 156

3.4.4 Solution by Pregl/Sokolowski 157

3.4.5 Analysis of Goldscheider 157

3.4.6 Approach of Patki/Mandal/Dewaikar 158

3.5 Tests and measurements 159

3.5.1 Fundamentals and scaling laws 159

3.5.2 Evaluation of test results and application of scaling laws 163

3.5.3 Example: active earth pressure under plane strain conditions from soil self-weight 164

3.5.4 Example: passive earth pressure under plane strain conditions from soil self-weight 165

3.5.5 Example: spatial earth resistance in front of soldier piles 169

3.5.6 Example: spatial earth resistance in front of square anchor slabs 169

3.5.7 Further examples 170

3.6 Finite Element Method 172

3.6.1 General 172

3.6.2 Examples 174

References 189

4 Active earth pressure under plane strain conditions195

4.1 Fundamental considerations 195

4.2 Soil self-weight, infinite uniformly distributed surcharges and cohesion 197

4.2.1 Vertical wall, level ground, horizontal earth pressure 198

4.2.2 Vertical wall, level ground, inclined earth pressure 198

4.2.3 General case 199

4.3 Cohesion, calculated tension and minimum earth pressure 199

4.3.1 Determination of the classic earth pressure 200

4.3.2 Minimum earth pressure in comparison with the resultant of earth pressure 201

4.3.3 Minimum earth pressure in comparison with the earth pressure ordinate 201

4.3.4 Minimum earth pressure and surcharges 202

4.4 Vertical line loads and strip loads 203

4.4.1 Introduction 203

4.4.2 Standard slip surface from soil self-weight 204

4.4.3 Analysis of any slip surface angle 206

4.5 Horizontal line and strip loads 208

4.6 Layered soil 209

4.7 Discontinuous ground level 210

4.8 Discontinuous wall surfaces 212

4.9 Distribution of active earth pressure 212

References 213

5 At-rest earth pressure215

5.1 Soil self-weight and infinite uniformly distributed surcharges 215

5.1.1 Horizontal ground 215

5.1.2 Inclined ground 217

5.2 Concentrated loads, line loads and strip loads 219

References 223

6 Passive earth pressure under plane strain conditions225

6.1 Fundamental considerations 225

6.2 Soil self-weight, infinite uniformly distributed surcharges and cohesion with parallel movement 227

6.2.1 Straight slip surfaces 227

6.2.2 Pregl/Sokolowski 229

6.2.3 Comparison 230

6.3 Rotation about the top or the toe 231

6.4 Distribution of passive earth pressure 232

References 233

7 Spatial active earth pressure235

7.1 Fundamental considerations 235

7.2 Cylindrical surfaces 237

7.3 Retaining wall across the slope 239

References 242

8 Spatial passive earth pressure245

8.1 Overview 245

8.2 Passive earth pressure in front of soldier piles according to Weißenbach 245

8.3 Procedure according to DIN 4085 for limited wall sections 248

References 249

9 Influence of groundwater on earth pressure251

9.1 Groundwater at rest 251

9.2 Flowing groundwater 251

9.3 Water pressure in tension crack 253

References 254

10 Compaction effects on earth pressure255

References 257

11 L- and T-cantilever retaining walls259

References 261

12 Silo pressure263

References 264

13 Dynamic loading265

References 266

14 Particular cases267

14.1 Repeated quasi-static loading 267

14.2 Pipelines 269

14.3 Lateral pressure on piles 269

14.4 Creep pressure 270

14.5 Swelling pressure 270

14.6 Heavily fissured rock 270

14.7 Active earth pressure within dams 272

References 272

15 Mobilisation of earth pressure275

15.1 Overview 275

15.2 Limit values of displacement on reaching the active earth pressure 275

15.3 Limit values of displacement on reaching the passive earth pressure 276

15.4 Mobilisation functions 276

15.4.1 Mobilised active earth pressure 276

15.4.2 Mobilised passive earth pressure 279

15.4.3 Spatial mobilised passive earth pressure 282

References 283

16 Application rules285

16.1 Earth pressure inclination and angle of wall friction 285

16.2 Magnitude of earth pressure depending on the wall displacement 287

16.3 Earth pressure redistribution 289

16.4 Earth pressure as a favourable action 291

References 292

17 Commentary on DIN 4085:2017-08293

17.1 Overview 293

17.2 Active earth pressure 293

17.3 Passive earth pressure 295

17.4 Earth pressure due to compaction 295

17.5 Spatial earth pressure 296

17.6 Advices on supplement DIN 4085:2018-12 296

References 297

18 Forty selected brief biographies299

References 355

Appendix A Terms, symbols, indices383

A1: Terms 383

A2: Symbols 384

A3: Indices 385

Appendix B Earth pressure tables387

References 387

The subject of earth pressure is one of the oldest and most extensive chapters in soil mechanics and foundation engineering and is one of the pillars of structural engineering. First the development of earth pressure theory is comprehensively described. The descriptions range from the first approaches to the determination of earth pressure through continuum mechanical earth pressure models to the integration of earth pressure research into the disciplinary structure of geotechnics.
The main part of the book comprises a selection of current calculation basics. The aim is to provide a collection of working instructions for foundation and structural engineers in construction companies, consultants and in building supervision as well as students. In order to further theoretical understanding, the essential basics of the determination of earth pressure are first presented. Then the most important processes for active and passive earth pressure and at-rest earth pressure for practical application are dealt with, with spatial effects also being taken into account. The book sets out to provide brief information about rarely encountered questions with references to further literature. In recent years, the dependency of earth pressure on displacement has been paid ever more attention. This applies not just to the passive but also to the active case.
Questions are repeatedly passed to the DIN committee "calculation processes". A selection of these is dealt with in the commentary to DIN 4085, which came out in September 2018.
The history of earth pressure theory is supplemented by 40 selected short biographies of scientists and practical engineers, who have taken up the subject and further developed it over the years. The book also has two appendices with terms, formula symbols and indices as well as earth pressure tables.

Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Achim Hettler was until 2018 head of the chair of soil mechanics and foundation engineering at the TU Dortmund. He is a member of standards committees and functions as the chairman of DIN 4085 ?Subsoil ? Calculation of earthpressure? and chairman of the working group ?Excavations?. Addionally, he is the author of the books ?Gründung von Hochbauten? (foundations of buildings) and ?Baugruben? (excavations), 2nd and 3rd editions.

Dr.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. E.h. Karl-Eugen Kurrer was editor in chief of the journals ?Stahlbau? (1996-2018) and ?Steel Construction ? Design and Research? (2008-2018). Since 1996, Kurrer has chaired the working group on the history of technology at the VDI (Association of German Engineers) in Berlin. For more than 40 years, he has carried out research on the subject of history of civil engineering and in 2018 published the book ?The History of the Theory of Structures. Searching for Equilibrium?, a standard work of the construction history.