Retaining wall

External stability of a cantilever retaining wall to Eurocode 7: active earth pressure with surcharge, overturning as EQU, sliding and bearing in the design approach you choose — drawn to scale.

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INPUTper metre run · EN 1997-1

1 · Wall

Stem height H [m] above the base Stem thickness [m]

Base width B [m] Base thickness [m]

Toe length [m] in front of the stem Soil above the toe [m]

2 · Backfill level, drained

φ′_k [°] γ [kN/m³] Surcharge q [kPa] variable

3 · Foundation soil Conditions

φ′_k [°] c′_k [kPa] γ′ [kN/m³]

Design approach

Results update as you type. Overturning is always checked as EQU; sliding and bearing in the approach chosen.

WALL · EARTH PRESSURE · RESULTANT

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HOW IT'S CALCULATED · WITH YOUR NUMBERS

Step by step, with your numbers

01
Equilibrium████ ██ ███████ · ██████ = ██.██
02
Reactions████ ██ ███████ · ██████ = ██.██
03
Shear force████ ██ ███████ · ██████ = ██.██
04
Bending moment████ ██ ███████ · ██████ = ██.██
05
Deflection████ ██ ███████ · ██████ = ██.██
06
Stress████ ██ ███████ · ██████ = ██.██

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EN 1997-1: 9.5 and 9.7, Annex A (partial factors) and Annex D (bearing resistance); Rankine active pressure.

ASSUMPTIONS & LIMITS

Cantilever wall per metre run, rigid; the stem and base are not designed here (bending, shear, reinforcement).
Level, drained backfill with no water pressure behind the wall; cohesion of the backfill is ignored.
Rankine active pressure on the virtual back through the heel — the wall must be able to move enough to mobilise it.
Passive resistance in front of the toe is ignored; the soil on the toe is counted as weight and as overburden.
Compaction pressures, seismic pressure and global (slip-circle) stability are not checked.
Recommended partial factors of EN 1997-1 Annex A; a National Annex may change them and the design approach.

DISCLAIMER · For education and preliminary sizing only. Results must be reviewed by a qualified engineer before use in design.

BEYOND EXTERNAL STABILITY

Global stability, water, seismic pressure, anchored and embedded walls — we model the ground.

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