An experimental study of the behaviour of embedded lengths of cantilever walls

Laboratory-based 1–g experiments are described which model the embedded length of cantilever walls in sand, and in which the shear and normal stresses between the soil and the wall were measured, together with wall displacements, as the load on the wall was progressively increased to failure. The results show that comparatively large earth pressures, associated with high effective angles of wall friction, are mobilized just below the soil surface in front of the wall. Earth pressures on the retained side, below the centre of rotation of the wall, were smaller than Rankine passive values, confirming Krey's original views on the downwards direction of wall friction at this location. The results fit well within the relatively small available data set for free embedded cantilever walls, and show the trend of increasing bending moment with depth of embedment, given a constant effective angle of friction.