Field experiment on earth pressure behind retaining wall in mountainous area

Based on the monitoring data of earth pressure of several retaining walls in mountainous area, the distributing rules of earth pressure of retaining wall were studied in detail. The tests results show that: (1) The increase speed of earth pressure. in different depth was different. (2) The value of earth pressure is intervenient between the still earth pressure and vertical earth pressure. It is closer to the still earth pressure below the depth of three-quarter retaining wall, and is closer to the vertical earth pressure above the depth of one-half retaining wall. (3) The earth pressure behind retaining wall is nonlinearly following the depth of retaining wall. The curves can be considered as double line. The resultant earth pressure is about 2.5 times of resultant Coulomb active earth pressure and 0.3 times of resultant Coulomb passive earth pressure. The height of action point of resultant earth pressure is 0.38 times of the retaining wall. The earth pressure changes with time, and its rule is: the earth pressure increases first, and then decreases with time; furthermore, the change range is rather large.