Simplified Analysis of Cantilever Sheet Pile Walls with Surcharge on Cohesive Backfill

Abstract

Effective retaining wall designs are more important than ever because of the increasing necessity for deep excavations brought on by increased urbanization. One of the most popular types of sheet pile walls for excavations up to six meters deep is cantilever walls. Even though many studies have examined the construction of cantilever sheet pile walls in cohesionless soil under static and seismic circumstances, there is still a dearth of studies of cantilever sheet pile walls penetrating clay. To bridge this gap, this work proposes a comprehensive design procedure for cantilever sheet pile walls in cohesive soils with cohesive backfill, particularly in uniform surcharge load. The main focus is to find the position of the pivot point concerning the soil properties and surcharge. The basis of this method is the rigid body rotation of the sheet pile wall in a predetermined displacement pattern around a pivot point close to the toe. This study computes earth pressures on both sides of the wall. The penetration depth of the wall is determined by simultaneously solving equilibrium equations for the horizontal force and bending moment. The outcome of the suggested method is validated by comparing it with previous studies that have been published in the literature. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Indian Geotechnical Society 2025.