Design of Sheet Pile Wall

•Connected or semi-connected sheet piles

are often used to build continuous walls to
retain the lateral pressure caused by soil or
external load.

•In contrast to the construction of other

types of retaining wall, the building of sheet
pile walls do not usually require dewatering
the site.

•Sheet piles are also used for some

temporary structures, such as braced cut.
Type of steel Allowable stress Allowable stress
(MN/m2) (psi)
ASTM A328 170 25,000
ASTM A572 210 30,000
ASTM A690 210 30,000
Method of Construction
Design Consideration

Cantilever sheet piles up to 20 ft. height

The wall rotates at O

No hydrostatic pressure they cancel out.

Make pressure distribution diagram

Designing

calculation of embedment depth

pile section

design of anchor block (anchored sheet pile)

Design of Cantilever Sheet Pile
Penetrating Sandy Soil
 φ' φ'
K a = tan 2 (45 0 − ) K p = tan 2 ( 45 0 + )
2 2

σ '1 = γ L1 K a σ ' 2 = (γ L1 + γ ' L2 ) K a

Up to the point of rotation “O”

Active Earth Pressure from right:

σ ' a = (γ L1 + γ ' L2 + γ ' ( z − L1 − L2 )) K a

Passive Earth Pressure from left σ ' p = γ ' ( z − L1 − L2 ) K p

σ ' = σ ' a −σ ' p = (γ L1 + γ ' L2 + γ ' ( z − L1 − L2 )) K a − γ ' ( z − L1 − L2 ) K p = 0

(γ L1 + γ ' L2 ) K a = γ ' ( z − L1 − L2 ) K p − γ ' ( z − L1 − L2 ) K a

σ '2 = γ ' ( z − L)( K p − K a ) σ '2

( z − L) = L3 =
γ ' (K p − K a )
At the bottom of sheet pile
Active Earth Pressure from left:
σ ' a = γ ' DK a
Passive Earth Pressure from right
σ ' p = (γL1 + γ ' L2 + γ ' D) K p

Net lateral pressure at the bottom of sheet pile

σ ' p − σ ' a = σ ' 4 = (γL1 + γ ' L2 + γ ' D) K p − γ ' DK a
= (γL1 + γ ' L2 ) K p + γ ' ( L3 + L4 )( K p − K a )

= σ 5 '+γ ' L4 ( K p − K a )

σ ' 5 = (γL1 + γ ' L2 ) K p + γ ' L3 ( K p − K a )

 ΣPH = 0 P = Area of pressure diagram ACDE

P − 0.5 × σ '3 L4 + 0.5 × L5 (σ '3 +σ ' 4 ) = 0

ΣM @ B = 0
L4 L
P( L4 + z ) − (0.5 × σ '3 L4 )( ) + 0.5 × L5 (σ '3 +σ ' 4 )( 5 ) = 0
3 3
σ ' 3 L4 − 2 P
L5 =
σ '3 +σ ' 4

σ ' 3 = γ ' ( K p − K a ) L4
Combining both equations will give a quadratic equation in terms of L4.
4 3 2
L4 + A1 L4 − A2 L4 − A3 L4 − A4 = 0

σ '5 8P 6 P(2 zγ ' ( K p − K a ) + σ '5 )

A1 = A2 = A3 =
P(6 zσ '5 +4 P)
γ ' (K p − K a ) γ ' (K p − K a ) γ '2 (K p − K a ) 2
A4 =
γ '2 (K p − K a ) 2
Stepwise Procedure to get
pressure diagram
 φ' φ'

Calculate Ka and Kp K a = tan (45 − 2 0
) K p = tan 2 (45 0 + )
2 2

Calculate σ1’ and σ2’ with given L1 and L2 σ '1 = γ L1 K a σ ' 2 = (γ L1 + γ ' L2 ) K a

Calculate L3 σ '2
L3 =
γ ' (K p − K a )

Calculate P Sum of the area in pressure diagram

Calculate z Take moment about E for pressure diagram

Calculate σ5’ σ ' 5 = (γL1 + γ ' L2 ) K p + γ ' L3 ( K p − K a )

Calculate A1, A2, A3, and A4

σ '5 8P
A1 = A2 =
γ ' (K p − K a ) γ '(K p − K a )

6 P( 2 zγ ' ( K p − K a ) + σ '5 ) P (6 zσ '5 +4 P)

A3 = A4 =
γ '2 ( K p − K a ) 2 γ '2 ( K p − K a ) 2
4 3 2

determine L4 L4 + A1 L4 − A2 L4 − A3 L4 − A4 = 0

calculate σ4’ σ ' 4 = (γL1 + γ ' L2 + γ ' D) K p − γ ' DK a

Calculate σ3’ σ ' 3 = γ ' ( K p − K a ) L4

σ '3 L4 − 2 P

Calculate L5 L5 =
σ '3 +σ ' 4

Draw pressure distribution diagram as shown in the figure.

Calculate D D = L3 + L4

calculate Design D Ddesign = 1.3 D

Calculation of Maximum Bending Moment

Find the point of “0” shear

2P
P = 0.5 × z ' 2 ( K p − K a )γ ' z' =
( K p − K a )γ '

z'
M max = P ( z + z ' ) − (0.5 × z ' 2 ( K p − K a )γ '× )
3

Design sheet pile based on the section modulus (S)

M max
S=
σ all
Example
Calculate
•Dtheotetical, Ddesign for 30% increment,
•Length of sheet pile.
•Mmax (theoretical)
Design of Cantilever Sheet Pile
Penetrating Clays
 Active Earth Pressure from right:
Up to the point of rotation “O”
At depth z
φ'
σ a = (γ L1 + γ ' L2 + γ sat ( z − L1 − L2 ) − 2c K a = tan 2 ( 450 − ) =1
2
Passive Earth Pressure from left
At depth z
φ'
σ ' p = γ sat ( z − L1 − L2 ) K p + 2c K p = tan 2 ( 450 + ) =1
2
Net pressure
σ '6 = σ ' p −σ 'a = [(γ sat ( z − L1 − L2 ) + 2c)] − [(γ L1 + γ ' L2 + γ sat ( z − L1 − L2 ) − 2c]
= 4c − (γ L1 + γ ' L2 )
At the bottom of sheet pile
Active Earth Pressure from left: σ ' a = γ sat D − 2c
Passive Earth Pressure from right σ ' p = (γL1 + γ ' L2 + γ sat D) + 2c

Net lateral pressure at the bottom of sheet pile σ ' p − σ 'a = σ '7 = 4c + (γL1 + γ ' L2 )
ΣPH = 0
P1 − [4c − (γL1 + γ ' L2 )]D + 0.5 × L4 [4c − (γL1 + γ ' L2 ) + 4c + (γL1 + γ ' L2 )] = 0

P1 = Area of pressure diagram ACDE

D[4c − (γL1 + γ ' L2 )] − P1
L4 =
4c

ΣM @ B = 0
D2 L
P( D + z1 ) − [(4c − (γL1 + γ ' L2 )] + 0.5 × L4 (8c)( 4 ) = 0
2 3

Combining both equations,

P1 ( P1 + 12cz1 )
D 2 [4c − (γL1 + γ ' L2 )] − 2 DP1 − =0
(γL1 + γ ' L2 ) + 2c

Get D from the above equation

Stepwise Procedure to get
pressure diagram
 φ'
1. Calculate Ka for backfill K a = tan 2 (45 0 − )
2
2. Calculate σ1’ and σ2’ with given L1 and L2
σ '1 = γ L1 K a σ ' 2 = (γ L1 + γ ' L2 ) K a
3. Calculate P1 Sum of the area in pressure diagram
4. Calculate z Take moment about E for pressure diagram
5. Obtain theoretical value of D

P1 ( P1 + 12c z1 )
D 2 [4c − (γL1 + γ ' L2 )] − 2 DP1 − =0
(γL1 + γ ' L2 ) + 2c
D[4c − (γL1 + γ ' L2 )] − P1
6. Calculate L4 L4 =
4c
7. Calculate σ6 and σ7 σ 6 ' = 4c − (γL1 + γ ' L2 ) σ 7 = 4c + (γL1 + γ ' L2 )
8. Draw pressure distribution diagram as shown in the figure.
9. Calculate Design D Ddesign = 1.5 D
Calculation of Maximum Bending Moment

Find the point of “0” shear
P1 − σ 6 z ' = 0
P1
z' =
σ6
M max = P1 ( z1 + z ' ) − (0.5 × σ 6 z ' 2 )

Design sheet pile based on the section modulus (S) calculated from Mmax and
allowable stress (σall). i.e. select the right section for this section modulus.
M max
S=
σ all
Example
Calculate
•Dtheotetical, Ddesign for 40% increment,
•Length of sheet pile.
•Mmax (theoretical)
Design of Anchored Sheet Pile
Penetrating Sandy Soil
FREE EARTH SUPPORT METHOD
SAND
Active Earth Pressure from right:
At z = L1,
φ'
σ '1 = γ L1 K a K a = tan 2 (45 0 − )
2
At z = L1+L2,
σ ' 2 = (γ L1 + γ ' L2 ) K a
At the point of rotation “E”, net pressure is 0.
Exactly in the similar way as in cantilever wall,
σ '2
L3 =
γ ' (K p − K a )
At the bottom (B) net stress is calculated as
σ ' 8 = γ ' ( K p − K a ) L4
slope of net pressure increase with depth = γ '(K p − Ka )
For equilibrium,
ΣPH = 0 ΣM @ O ' = 0

ΣPH = 0
P − 0.5 × σ '8 L4 − F = 0 P = Area of pressure diagram ACDE
2
F = P − 0.5[γ ' ( K p − K a )] × L4

ΣM O ' = 0
1 2 2
− P[( L1 + L2 + L3 ) − ( z + l1 )] + [γ ' ( K p − K a )]L4 (l 2 + L2 + L3 + L4 ) = 0
2 3
3 2 3P[( L1 + L2 + L3 ) − ( z + l1 )]
Or L4 + 1.5 L4 (l 2 + L2 + L3 ) − =0
γ ' (K p − K a )
Get L4 from the above equation.
Dtheoretical = L3+L4
Ddesign = 1.4 Dtheoretical

Depth for maximum moment is calculated as,

1 1
σ 1 ' L1 − F + σ 1 ' ( z − L1 ) + K a γ ' ( z − L1 ) 2 = 0
2 2
Rowe’s Moment Reduction
for Anchored Sheet Pile
  H '4 
relativeflexibility = ρ = 10.91 × 10 −7   H in m E in MN/m2
 EI 
I in m4/ m length of wall
 H '4 
relativeflexibility = ρ =   H in ft E in psi
 EI 
I in in4/ ft length of wall
Md = design Moment
Mmax = Maximum theoretical moment
FREE EARTH SUPPORT METHOD
CLAY
Active Earth Pressure from right:
At z = L1+L2 to L1+L2+D,
σ ' 6 = 4c − (γ L1 + γ ' L2 )

For equilibrium,
ΣPH = 0 ΣM @ O ' = 0

ΣPH = 0
P1 − σ ' 6 D = F

P1 = Area of pressure diagram ACD

F = Anchor Force per unit length of sheet pile

ΣM O ' = 0
D
P1 ( L1 + L2 − l1 − z1 ) − σ ' 6 D(l 2 + L2 + )=0
2
Or σ ' 6 D 2 + 2σ ' 6 D( L1 + L2 − l1 ) − 2 P1 ( L1 + L2 − l1 − z1 ) = 0

Calculation of moment is same as in the sand.

Rowe’s Moment Reduction
for Anchored Sheet Pile