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The Retaining Wall Calculator helps structural and civil engineers analyze retaining wall stability by calculating lateral earth pressures, overturning moments, sliding forces, and bearing capacity.
Retaining walls must resist lateral soil pressure while maintaining stability against overturning, sliding, and bearing failure. This calculator performs preliminary stability checks to ensure wall dimensions and foundation design are adequate.
Enter wall dimensions, soil properties, and loading conditions to calculate active earth pressure, factor of safety against overturning and sliding, and bearing pressure. The tool helps identify potential failure modes and guides design improvements for safe, economical retaining wall solutions.
Features
Everything you need
- Lateral earth pressure calculations
- Overturning stability analysis
- Sliding resistance verification
- Bearing capacity checks
- Multiple soil type support
- Surcharge load analysis
- Factor of safety calculations
How it works
Simple workflow
- 1Enter wall height and dimensions
- 2Specify soil properties and backfill angle
- 3Add surcharge loads if applicable
- 4Review calculated lateral forces
- 5Check factors of safety for stability
Use cases
Built for real-world scenarios
Preliminary design
Quickly evaluate retaining wall stability during early design phases to size walls appropriately.
Site grading design
Design retaining walls for cut slopes and grade changes in site development projects.
Foundation design
Verify foundation dimensions and bearing capacity for retaining wall footings.
Code compliance
Ensure retaining walls meet structural code requirements for stability and safety factors.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Active earth pressure is the lateral force exerted by soil on a retaining wall when the wall moves away from the soil. It's calculated using Rankine or Coulomb theory, typically resulting in a triangular pressure distribution increasing with depth.
Typical factors of safety: 1.5-2.0 for overturning, 1.5-2.0 for sliding, and 2.0-3.0 for bearing capacity. Building codes specify minimum values—always verify with local requirements.
Ensure adequate wall thickness, proper foundation depth, adequate drainage (weep holes), and appropriate backfill material. Consider geogrid reinforcement for tall walls or poor soil conditions.
Active pressure occurs when the wall moves away from soil (typical case). Passive pressure occurs when soil pushes against a structure (like a foundation). Active pressure is lower and governs most retaining wall designs.
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