Analysis of sheet pile walls under surcharge loading at different distances using FLAC2D

Akshay Pratap Singh1 and K. Chatterjee2

1 Ph.D. Research Scholar, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Roorkee, Roorkee 247667, India.
2Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Roorkee, Roorkee 247667, India.

ABSTRACT

Cantilever sheet pile walls, which are generally used to retain a certain height of excavation, experiences the surcharge
load in the field. In the present study, a numerical analysis is carried out based on the finite difference based approach
to analyze the influence of uniform surcharge load located at varying distances from the top of the wall in cohesionless
medium sand using pseudo static approach. From the results, it is observed that increase in seismic inertia forces
increases the bending moment and earth pressures along the depth. Also, shifting of uniform surcharge load away from
the top of the wall decreases the influence of surcharge on the cantilever sheet pile walls significantly and beyond a
certain distance, no influence is observed. Numerical model is also validated to available literature having no surcharge.

Keywords: bending moment; FLAC2D; uniform surcharge; earth pressure; sheet pile wall; pseudo-static approach

1 INTRODUCTION properties tabulated in Table 1 and Table 2 respectively.

Standard boundary conditions are used for analysis. The
Failure of retaining walls due to sliding, overturning
sufficient domain size i.e. width of backfill = 8(H+D)
or bearing capacity have been observed during various
and depth below dredge level 5(H+D) with mesh size of
past earthquakes. Although, failure mechanisms of rigid
dimension 0.5m x 0.5m is used. Normal stiffness and
retaining walls have been analyzed significantly (Fang et
shear stiffness are used to represent the interaction of soil
al. 2003; Koseki et al. 2012), however due to complex
and wall having magnitude 2000 MPa/m.
nature of dynamic soil-structure interaction an accurate
study on flexible cantilever sheet pile wall is still lacking
in literature. Flexible cantilever sheet pile walls are
generally used to support moderate height of excavation
in both cohesive as well as cohesionless soil as a
temporary or permanent structure. It derives its stability
mainly from the passive resistance of soil near its toe.
Though, in practice, surcharges are present on the
backfill, instead literatures containing cantilever sheet
pile walls with surcharge are limited. Georgiadis and
Anagnostopoulos (1998) and Steenfelt and Hansen
(1984) have analyzed cantilever sheet pile walls with
surcharge having finite widths. Therefore, in the present
study, the cantilever sheet pile walls are analyzed with
uniform surcharge placed at different distances on
backfill using Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua in 2
Dimensions, a numerical software, through pseudo static
approach. Fig. 1. Numerical model used in present study

2 NUMERICAL MODELLING
2.1 Validation of the present model
Finite difference based computer program FLAC2D The present numerical model without surcharge has
is used to study the influence of uniform surcharge on been validated with the centrifuge results of King (1995)
cantilever sheet pile walls by considering plain strain and numerical analysis results of Conte et al. (2017). A
problems. The mesh size, domain and boundary 11m long cantilever sheet pile walls (H=6m, D=5m) is
condition of the model are as shown in Fig. 1. The installed in a loose sand soil stratum having
cohesionless soil and sheet pile walls are modelled using γ=14.2kN/m3, ф=400, δ=15.80 [King (1995)]. The
Mohr Coulomb model and beam elements having variation of bending moment in the sheet pile walls along
depth is plotted and the present numerical results are
compared with King (1995) and Conte et al. (2017). It is
Bending Moment (kNm/m)
observed from Fig. 2 that a good conformity exists
-25 0 25 50 75 100 125 150
among the numerical results obtained from the present 0
study with that of King (1995) and Conte at al. (2017).

Table 1. Properties of Cohesionless soil. King (1995)

2
Properties Values Conte et al. (2017)
Density (kg/m3) 1.8
Young’s Modulus (MPa) 65 4 Present Study
Angle of internal friction 34º

Depth (m)
Poisson’s ratio 0.34
Bulk Modulus 67.7 6
Shear Modulus 24.3

Table 2. Properties of Sheet pile walls.

8
Properties Values
Type SKZ 38
Cross-section area (m2/m) 0.023442 10
Section Modulus (m3/m) 3.35 x 10-3
Moment of Inertia (m4/m) 0.00076588
12

3 RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS Fig. 2. Comparison of bending moment along depth obtained
After validation of numerical model under no in the present study with that of King (1995) and Conte et al.
(2017).
surcharge loading conditions, the present study
investigates the seismic response of a cantilever sheet
pile walls under the influence of surcharge loading and
at varying distance from the top of the wall using finite M/γH3 (%)
difference program FLAC2D. For all parametric studies, 0 20 40 60
0
the width of excavation is kept constant as 15m. The
ground water table is considered at a depth of 2m from 0 kh=0 0.05
kh=0.05
ground surface and the same is simulated in the
numerical model. The magnitude of surcharge load 20 kh=0.1
0.1 kh=0.15
0.15
considered in the present study is q=50kPa and the total
length of cantilever sheet pile wall is d=12m. The 0.2
kh=0.2 kh=0.25
0.25
excavation height (H) is 4m. The distance between
cantilever sheet pile wall and uniform surcharge (b) 40
considered in the present study are 1m, 2m, 3m, 4m, 5m,
z/d (%)

6m, 8m and 12m. The results obtained from the study are
represented in terms of normalized bending moment
(M/γH3), earth pressure (p/γH), distance (λ=b/H) and 60
depth (z/d).
Fig. 3 shows the normalized bending moment
variation along the normalized depth of the wall for
80
different kh=0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2 and 0.25 in medium
sand when uniform surcharge (q=50kPa) is placed at the
top of the wall (λ=0). It is observed that the variation of
bending moment for all seismic conditions are same. 100
However, there is an increase in the normalized
Fig. 3. Normalized bending moment variation of cantilever
maximum bending moment with increase in seismic
sheet pile walls along the depth for kh=0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15 at
action of inertia forces. The maximum normalized λ=0.
bending moment for static condition is 32.1 % and as the The influence of location of surcharge on the backfill
kh increases to 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2 and 0.25, the increase of cantilever sheet pile walls at a uniform surcharge
in maximum normalized bending moment are 16.4%, q=50kPa is highlighted in Fig. 4 for different coefficient
18.87%, 27.7%, 44.8% and 54.2% respectively. The of horizontal seismic acceleration. The maximum
increase in maximum bending moment observed are due normalized bending moments are observed when the
to increase in lateral stresses due to inertia forces.
uniform surcharge is placed at the top of the wall and as bending moment.
the distance of uniform surcharge shifts away from the
p/γH (%)
50 -600 -400 -200 0 200 400 600
0 kh=0 0.05
kh=0.05
0
45
0.1
kh=0.1 0.15
kh=0.15
40 10
kh=0.2
0.2
35 0Rkh=0

z/d (%)
20
30
M/γH3 (%)

0.05R
kh=0.05
25 30 0.1R
kh=0.1
20
0.15R
kh=0.15
15 40
0.2R
kh=0.2
10
50
5
0 60
0 1 2 3
λ 70
Fig. 4. Variation of maximum normalized bending moment
with respect to λ for kh=0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15 and 0.2. 80

wall, a decrease in normalized bending moment of

90
cantilever sheet pile wall is observed. The decrease in
normalized bending moment for λ=0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1,
1.25, 1.5, 2 and 3 are 26.6%, 41.4%, 52.4%, 56.6%, 100
58.2%, 58.7%, 58.2% and 58% respectively from a
condition when surcharge is placed at the top of the Fig. 5. Variation of earth pressure distribution on both sides of
cantilever sheet pile walls for kh=0.05. It is clearly seen cantilever sheet pile walls along the depth for different kh=0,
0.05, 0.1, 0.15 and 0.2 at λ=0.
that beyond λ=1, the influence of surcharge is negligible.
This is because the increase in vertical stress caused by
uniform surcharge placed beyond λ=1, does not increase
the lateral stress on cantilever sheet pile walls. Also, at
high seismic inertia forces, the variation is not smooth as
compared to low seismic inertia forces.
On the other hand, the influence of coefficient of
horizontal seismic acceleration on the earth pressures
developed around the cantilever sheet pile wall is shown
in Fig. 5. It clearly shows that the horizontal earth
pressures on both sides of cantilever sheet pile walls
increases with increase in coefficient of horizontal
seismic acceleration. On observing the behavior of earth
pressures closely, it is seen that the earth pressure curves Fig. 6. Displacement vectors observed in the numerical model
change at a lesser height for low seismic inertia forces for kh=0.1.
and at a greater depth for higher seismic inertia forces.
This type of behavior is observed due to more The mobilization of earth pressures can also be
mobilization of earth pressure at high seismic forces. understood with the help of Mohr-Coulomb strength /
The increase in lateral earth pressures can also be stress ratios shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. Fig. 7 highlights
understood by observing the displacement vectors of soil the strength / stress ratio for a uniform surcharge placed
in the numerical model. The displacement vectors of at the top of the cantilever sheet pile walls. It is observed
numerical model as shown in Fig. 6 shows that the
application of seismic inertia forces try to move the
displacement vectors towards the excavation and
downwards, thus trying to increase the lateral earth
pressure on the cantilever sheet pile walls and hence
 on the left side, as the passive earth pressure increases,
the mobilization takes place to a greater depth when
kh=0.1 than kh=0. The placement of surcharge at a
normalized distance λ=1, reduces this mobilization as
shown in Fig. 9 where on the right side of the sheet pile
wall Mohr-Coulomb strength / stress reduces near the
top of the cantilever sheet pile wall. Also, the influence
of seismic inertia force is also seen in the numerical
model near the right side boundaries of the model where
full mobilization takes place.

4 CONCLUSION
Fig. 7. Mohr-Coulomb strength / stress ratio for q=50kPa and In the present study, a numerical analysis using
kh=0. FLAC2D on finite difference based technique is
implemented to study the influence of surcharge load at
varying distances from the wall under pseudo-static
condition. Based on the results obtained, following
conclusion can be drawn:
• The seismic forces influence the behavior of
cantilever sheet pile wall significantly because
under the action of seismic forces, lateral stresses are
increased resulting in increase in the bending
moment experienced of the cantilever sheet pile
walls.
• Uniform surcharge load placed at the top of the wall
Fig. 8. Mohr-Coulomb strength/stress ratio for q=50kPa and gives maximum value of bending moment and earth
kh=0.1
pressure. The influence of surcharge gets nullified at
larger distance from the cantilever sheet pile wall.

REFERENCES
Conte, E., Troncone, A. and Vena, M. (2017). A method for the
design of embedded cantilever retaining walls under static and
seismic loading. Géotechnique, 67(12), 1081-1089.
Fang, Y. S., Yang, Y. C. and Chen, T. J. (2003). Retaining walls
damaged in the Chi-Chi earthquake. Canadian Geotechnical
Journal, 40(6), 1142–1153.
FLAC2D (2016). Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua. Version
8.0, Itasca Consulting Group, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A.
Georgiadis, M. and Anagnostopoulos, C. (1998). Lateral pressure
on sheet pile walls due to strip load. Journal of Geotechnical
Fig. 9. Mohr-Coulomb strength/stress ratio for q=50kPa, and Geoenvironmental Engineering, ASCE, 124(1), 95-98.
kh=0.1 and λ=1 King, G. J. W. (1995). Analysis of cantilever sheet-pile walls in
cohesionless soil. Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, ASCE,
that by placing the surcharge at the top of the cantilever 121(9), 629–635.
sheet pile walls, the Mohr-Coulomb strength of material Koseki, J., Koda, M., Matsuo, S., Takasaki, H. and Fujiwara, T.
is same as that of stress near the sheet pile walls. The (2012). Damage to railway earth structures and foundations
active earth pressure is mobilized fully above the dredge caused by the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake.
Soils and Foundations, 52(5), 872–889.
level in Fig. 7 and 8. The earth pressure on the right side Steenfelt, J. S., and Hansen, B. (1984). Sheet pile design earth
of the wall for kh=0 is mobilized to a greater depth than pressure for strip load. Journal of Geotechnical Engineering,
kh=0.1 due to occurrence of active earth pressure while ASCE, 110(7), 976-986.