×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Rock wall in weathered shale cut

Rock wall in weathered shale cut

Rock wall in weathered shale cut

(OP)
I am investigating the feasibility of installing a rock wall along a cut in highly weathered & fractured shale on a golf course (central/north new jersey). Wall height up to 7' in a localized area, most of the wall is approx. 4'-5'.  Question, what is the recommended method of determining active pressure on the rock wall (or any wall) in these soil conditions?  It was suggested that one method may be to analyze it as a very dense granular soil with a high phi value, approaching 40. Doesn't seem right. Any text references on the topic would be appreciated.  Thank you.

RE: Rock wall in weathered shale cut

Does this shale expand when exposed to air and/or water?  If so, conventional active pressure detrminations won't apply.   You may even exceed passive pressure comps.

What do exposed cut  slopes look like?  Can you get by without a wall?  Will a slope of 1/4 to 1 be acceptable?

RE: Rock wall in weathered shale cut

For a narrow width of backfill with a stable rock wall the active pressures are reduced by virtue of the vertical friction forces developed on both your new rock or concrete and the existing rock wall. What is your backfill width and how stable is your rock cut?? This method is rationalized similar to the ditch conduit loads by Marston or the silo equations by Janssen. Much lab testing has been done on concrete walls to verify this issue. These formulas use natural logs and the "e value" to arrive at the actual pressures. Good Luck.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources