Active Earth Pressure against Cantilever Retaining Walls with a Long Relief Shelf in Rotation about the Top

A cantilever retaining wall with a long relief shelf (CRW-LRS) is a particular type of retaining wall, but no studies have yet reported on rotation about the top of this type of retaining wall. This work studied failure mechanisms in semi-infinite non-cohesive soils in rotation about the top using the finite element elastoplastic analysis method (FEEA). By considering the influence of both the relief shelf and rotational stress from the soil, a formula for calculating the active earth pressure (E-a) was developed using the horizontal differential layer limit analysis method. Four different parameters were studied, i.e., unloading plate's geometric conditions, heel length and the internal friction angle of the backfill, in terms of their influence on the E-a distribution, resultant force etc. The lowest E-a was found when the relief shelf' relative position m = 0.4.