Earth pressures on unyielding retaining walls of narrow backfill width

Abstract

Arching theory predicts a significant reduction in earth pressures behind retaining walls of narrow backfill width. An extensive series of centrifuge tests has been performed to evaluate the use of flexible subminiature pressure cells in the centrifuge environment and their subsequent use to measure lateral earth pressures behind retaining walls of narrow backfill width. Although the flexible earth pressure cells exhibit hysteresis and nonlinear calibration behaviour, the extensive calibration studies indicate that stiff diaphragm type earth pressure cells may be used with replicate models to measure earth pressures. Measurements of lateral pressures acting on the unyielding model retaining walls show good agreement with Janssen's arching theory. Tests on backfills bounded by vertical planes of dissimilar frictional characteristics indicate arching theory with an average interface friction angle provides a reasonable estimate of lateral earth pressures.Key words: fascia retaining walls, silos, earth pressures, pressure cells, centrifuge modelling.

Influence of Water Pressure on the Stress State in Stopes with Cohesionless Backfill

“…Terzaghi (1943) later used a somewhat similar approach to assess the stress state above horizontal circular openings (e.g., Iglesia et al 1999). Subsequent applications of arching theory have also been developed for retaining walls (e.g., Take and Valsangkar 2001), dams with confined cores (Kutzner 1997), and backfilled mine stopes (Aubertin 1999;Aubertin et al 2003Aubertin et al , 2005Li et al 2005a).…”

Arching within hydraulic fill stopes

“…Arching is a well known phenomenon which has been identified in different applications, including earth pressure on retaining walls (Handy 1985, Take & Valsangkar 2001, vertical stress and support requirements above tunnels and other underground situations (Terzaghi 1943, Ladanyi & Hoyaux 1969, and Iglesia et al 1999, piled embankments (Low et al 1994), and loading on conduit (Spangler 1962, Handy 1985, and McCarthy 1988. There are currently five different methods to investigate the arching effects analytically such as (a) Free Standing Vertical Face (Grice 2001), (b) Vertical Slope (Grice 2001), (c) 3-D Sliding Wedge Failure (Mitchell et al 1982), (d) Simple Arching Theory and its Modifications (Marston 1930, Terzaghi 1943, and (e) Modified Simple Arching (Winch 1999).…”

Numerical Investigation of Stress Distributions in Stope Backfills

“…However, due to shear resistance along the interface of the yielding material and the stable zones, the yielding materials are retained in their original positions [6]. Note that arching effects occur in other structural systems such as silos and bins [7], ditches [8], and retaining walls [9].…”

“…They also analyze the influence of the filling material parameters. Take and Valsangkar [9] studied the horizontal stress distribution in a narrow stope backfill by a series of centrifugal experiments.…”