Upper-bound approach for analysis of cantilever retaining walls

The proposed method for the analysis of cantilever retaining walls is based on ultimate limit states, but in contrast to other methods, which are recognized worldwide, also considers the condition of vertical force equilibrium, which includes the wall unit weight and the vertical component of the soil-structure interaction. The two-dimensional analytical model with polygonal soil pressure distribution is based on two new characteristics: the parameter a and the passive pressure coefficient at the embedment depth, K(b). The kinematic approach of limit analysis is used to examine the limit equilibrium state of the cantilever retaining wall according to soil properties and other loadings. The failure mechanism, composed of a classical determination of the passive pressure in the embedded part of the wall and a kinematically admissible velocity field at the retained side of the wall, estimates the limiting value of the passive earth pressure at the embedment depth. The advantage of the proposed method is that it enables the design of more slender cantilever retaining walls, at which the comparable level of safety for geotechnical and structural bearing capacity limit states is reached, which is the basic condition for safe design of retaining structures.