Lateral forces on retaining wall from wheel loads
Lateral forces on retaining wall from wheel loads
(OP)
I am designing a retaining wall which could potentially have HS20-44 wheel loads surcharging the earth on the back of the wall.
Using a variation of the Boussinesq equation and for a wheel load of 32 kips, I am getting a maximum pressure of 830 pounds at 1 ft below grade decreasing to zero at about 6.5 ft when the wheel load is 2 ft from the wall.
When the wheel load is 5ft from the wall, the maximum pressure is 135 pounds at around 3ft below grade decreasing to zero at around 12ft.
As the distance of the wheel load from the wall will vary, I propose to obtain a load envelope for the possible variations.
Has anyone done a similar design and do the pressures above seem reasonable?
Thanks
Using a variation of the Boussinesq equation and for a wheel load of 32 kips, I am getting a maximum pressure of 830 pounds at 1 ft below grade decreasing to zero at about 6.5 ft when the wheel load is 2 ft from the wall.
When the wheel load is 5ft from the wall, the maximum pressure is 135 pounds at around 3ft below grade decreasing to zero at around 12ft.
As the distance of the wheel load from the wall will vary, I propose to obtain a load envelope for the possible variations.
Has anyone done a similar design and do the pressures above seem reasonable?
Thanks






RE: Lateral forces on retaining wall from wheel loads
When you start placing wheels very close to a wall, you do get some very high local loads. But in real life, it is not normal for someone to pull a fully loaded 18 wheeler so close to a retaining wall.
RE: Lateral forces on retaining wall from wheel loads
csd
RE: Lateral forces on retaining wall from wheel loads
"Sheesh. Some days it just doesn't pay to get out of bed."
RE: Lateral forces on retaining wall from wheel loads