THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING: LEVEL 3 EXAMINATION
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
EARTH RETAINING SYSTEMS CIVL3031
DATE: 16'h December 2013 TIME: 9:30 - 12:30 (3 hours)
Instructions:
Answer 4 out of 5 questions from ANY section.
All questions carry equal marks.
Answer Section A in the Yellow answer book and Section Bin the Green answer book.
Additional Materials Provided:
Graph Papers
Use of Electronic Calculators:
Only approved calculators as announced by the Examinations Secretary can be used in this
examination. It is candidates' responsibility to ensure that their calculator operates
satisfactorily, and candidates must record the name and type of the calculator used on the
front page of the examination script.
Page I of?
SECTION A
QUESTION A.1
(a) Demonstrate that the active horizontal effective stress on a retaining wall built in soil of
cohesion c' and friction angle rf/ is: rr."= Ka rr,, ' - 2c' jK;, with Ka = l - s'.n sb' .
1+ sm\b'
[5 marks]
(b) Determine the depth of cracks that are likely to develop behind retaining walls built in
cohesive soil.
[5 marks]
(c) Calculate the total active force and its point of application on the retaining wall shown in
Figure A.I. The clayey retained soil has a cohesion c', an angle of friction~· and a saturated
unit weight Ysat·
[8 marks]
(d) What uniform surcharge should be placed on top of the retained ground in order to
prevent tension cracks?
[7 marks]
W.T
12m CLAY
c'=1 OkPa; ~'=28°; Y•• ,=19kN/m3
Figure A.1
Page 2 of7
QUESTION A.2
A concrete retaining wall has to be designed based on the geometry shown in Figure A.2.
The sandy retained soil has no cohesion (c'=[Link]), an angle of friction ~· and a bulk unit
weighty. The coefficient of friction wall/soil is 8'. You will assume that the water table is
beneath the foundation of the wall. The concrete has a unit weight of24kN/m3 .
(a) Determine the magnitude and point of application of the force acting on the wall.
[9 marks]
(b) Determine the width of the wall base if a factor of safety FS=2.0 1s used against
overturning.
[8 marks]
(c) Determine the width of the wall base if a factor of safety FS=l.5 is used against sliding.
Comment on your result.
[8 marks]
1.5m
I< ;..I
8m c'=OkPa; <!>'=32°;
o•=q,·12;
y=20kN/m 3
FigureA.2
Page 3 of7
QUESTION A.3.
(a) Assuming fixed earth conditions, determine the depth of embedment required for the
stability of a cantilever wall built in dry sand as shown in Figure A.3. The sand has no
cohesion (c'=OkPa), an angle of friction <!>' and a bulk unit weight y. The wall is smooth so
there is no friction between the wall and the soil.
[8 marks]
(b) Calculate the location and magnitude of the shear force in the wall.
[8 marks]
(c) Calculate the location and magnitude of the maximum bending moment in the wall.
[9 marks]
3m
SAND
c'=OkPa; <1>'=30°; y=20kN/m 3
FigureA.3
Page 4 of7
SECTIONB
For both questions in this Section, the following parameters shall apply -
Granitic soil bulk unit weight 20 kN/m3
shear strength parameters c' = 0 0' = 36°
Water unit weight 10kN/m3
QUESTION B.l
(a) Compare and contrast, with the aid of sketches where appropriate, typical systems of
single and double corrosion protection for a prestressed bar anchor.
[12 marks]
(b) Figure B 1 shows a typical cross-section of a vertical wall embedded in soil and tied back
by a row of prestressed anchors inclined at 45° to the vertical. Groundwater table is at the
same level on both sides of the wall.
Adopt Rankine' s earth pressure and free earth support models and assume the whole earth
retaining system is at limiting equilibrium, calculate -
(i) the percentage of the theoretical passive resistance of the soil that is mobilized in front
of the wall; and
(ii) the tie-back force in the anchors.
[13 marks]
surcharge 5 kPa
Im
2m
WT
2m
pre stressed
ground anchor
Fiimre B 1
Page 5 of7
QUESTION B.2
The gravity wall shown in Figure B2 is assessed to be subject to -
Horizontal sliding force = 60.6 kN/m
Horizontal resistance force = 52.9 kN/m
Overturning moment about wall toe = 62.6 kN-m/m
Stabilizing moment about wall toe = 80.5 kN-rn/m
,.... 1.0 m..,..
WT@GL
permeable
gravity 3.0 m soil
J wall
....
GL is dry
.· ... · ... ..
j
. ··•· ·.·. .. ·.. ·
,.. .., impervious massive rock
1.6 m
Figure B2
It is proposed to strengthen the wall with a layer of soil nails at 2 m below ground level (GL)
such that the factors of safety against sliding and overturning are not less than 1.25 and 1.50
respectively.
(a) Based on the current practice in Hong Kong, comment on -
(i) the degree of aggressiveness of the soil in which the nails are installed;
(ii) the appropriate class of corrosion protection system for the nails; and
(iii) the main components of this class of corrosion protection system.
[9 marks]
(b) Given the following design data and assuming the nails are horizontal -
Nominal diameter of each soil nail 25mm
Nominal length of each soil nail 18m
Characteristic strength of the nails 450 N/mm2
Nominal diameter of the associated drillholes 150 mm
Page 6 of7
Calculate-
(i) the bond length of each nail;
(ii) its allowable tensile capacity;
(iii) ultimate pull-out resistance at the soil/grout interface; and
(iv) the maximum acceptable nail spacing.
[12 marks]
(c) Comment on the implication of the assumption that nails are horizontal.
[4 marks]
-END OF PAPER-
Page 7 of7