Retaining Wall Question

[jjgeotech]

Does anyone out there know if you can use Slide to predict an adequate height for a retaining wall for a soil slope--The slope is only 5 foot and is highly weathered schist--not really soil, but very unconsolidated. The wall may be overkill. Thanks.

 

[jdonville]

jjgeotech,

AFAIK, Slide is a limit equilibrium slope stability software (I have limited familiarity with it as I prefer using other software for this task) which is not entirely appropriate for the complete design and/or analysis of retaining structures. Certainly you can use it for global stability, but other failure modes are likely not well addressed using this approach.

Jeff

 

[jjgeotech]

Yep-I figured. How would you suggest figuring out how high the wall has to be then? A geometric calculation of the mass of the slope beyond a slip plane? It seems difficult how to predict how the soil will pile up at the bottom..... I am just curious--I am not actually designing this wall----

Thanks-

J

 

[jdonville]

jj,

the wall height will depend on 1) the exposed height of the wall, 2) the slope geometry above the top of the wall, 3) the embedment depth required to ensure stability against global, sliding, overturning, bearing capacity and settlement (serviceability) failure modes. The method of analysis will also depend on the type of wall system.

Jeff