Retaining wall design in California
Retaining wall design in California
(OP)
The California Building Code (the UBC97 code with the state's additional guidelines) states, retaining walls over 12 ft must be designed for earthquakes--a quake with a 500 yr recurrence interval.
The peak acceleration for the quake is 0.65 gravities. Using this acceleration in the Monobe Okabe equation results in RW's with a stability F.S. >8 under normal service conditions.
IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE EQATION THAT IS MORE CONSERVATIVE THAN THE MONOBE EQ? SHOULD THE PEAK ACCELERATION BE USED IN THE EQUATION? IS THERE ANY GUIDANCE FOR WHAT "EARTHQUAKE DESIGN FOR RETAINING WALLS" ENTAILS?
P.S. The CBC offers virtually no guidance. The walls will result in NO collateral damage if they fail. The height of the wall varies and it will have a maximum height of 30 ft. The soil is typical sandy gravel. Ground water is not an issue.
The peak acceleration for the quake is 0.65 gravities. Using this acceleration in the Monobe Okabe equation results in RW's with a stability F.S. >8 under normal service conditions.
IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE EQATION THAT IS MORE CONSERVATIVE THAN THE MONOBE EQ? SHOULD THE PEAK ACCELERATION BE USED IN THE EQUATION? IS THERE ANY GUIDANCE FOR WHAT "EARTHQUAKE DESIGN FOR RETAINING WALLS" ENTAILS?
P.S. The CBC offers virtually no guidance. The walls will result in NO collateral damage if they fail. The height of the wall varies and it will have a maximum height of 30 ft. The soil is typical sandy gravel. Ground water is not an issue.





RE: Retaining wall design in California
RE: Retaining wall design in California
I am reposting it in the "earth retention engineering forum." With the correct height of 25 feet.
RE: Retaining wall design in California