Overall Stability of Anchored Retaining Walls

Abstract

Methods of checking the overall stability of anchored retaining walls are reviewed. Series of laboratory scale tests were carried out in which field construction of anchored rigid retaining walls was simulated. For each of four different anchor arrangements four methods which are used in practice to check overall stability, were used for the anchorage design. Considerable instrumen tation was incorporated in the test equipment so that wall and sand move ments, anchor forces and earth pressure acting on the wall could be monitored at all stages of the construction process. After completion of the excavation in front of the wall, the backfill was subjected to a uniform surcharge loading to increase stress levels above those used in design. All four design methods resulted in stable systems both at the end of construction and after backfill loading. However, wall movements when surcharge loading was applied to the backfill were considerable, and may not be acceptable in practice. Modifications to the design methods are suggested.