Heel Block Design

[NoWittyHandle]

Does anybody have a design method for designing heel blocks? They have different names in different parts of the world, but in the New York City area a heel block is a concrete block which supports a raker which in turn supports a temporary wall.

The problem is that heel blocks seem to be able to support much greater loads than either analyzing them as passively loaded retaining walls or a footings carrying an eccentric, inclined load would indicate. I suspect that the reason that heel blocks can carry a much greater load is that the rakers may constrain the heel blocks to rotate downward into the ground towards the temporary wall, whereas assumptions mentioned above allow heel blocks to move anywhere they want to.

If you have any suggestions, I would appreciate it. Thank you for your responses.

 

[PEinc]

Try this reference.

www.PeirceEngineering.com

 

[PEinc]

You have been looking for this information since 2006. What is your problem?

http://www.PeirceEngineering.com

 

[NoWittyHandle]

I tried the website, and it doesn't seem to provide much information. I don't know if I have posted previously on this topic, since the search function on the website doesn't seem to work very well.

 

[PEinc]

What web site are you talking about? I attached a paper which you may have seen before. It is from Civil Engineering magazine.

In June 2006, you posted the same question. No one replied. Double click on you name in one of your above responses. It will take you to a list of your other posted questions. There you will see your old question in the earth retention forum. See thread255-156934.

http://www.PeirceEngineering.com