Lateral Pressure on Sheet Pile Walls due to Strip Load

Abstract

Model sheet pile wall tests were conducted in sand to investigate the effect of surcharge strip loads on wall behavior. Bending-moment graphs are presented for several values of strip load intensity and distance from the wall. Measured bending moments are compared to predictions made using lateral earth pressures for strip surface loading, defined by various methods. The Coulomb analysis and the simple “45° load distribution” approach provided the best predictions, while bending moments determined using elasticity theory were significantly overestimated. Finite-element analyses demonstrated the importance of lateral wall yielding for lateral surcharge pressures and bending moments.