Analytical calculation of active thrust due to partially submerged backfill

The method of Coulomb (1773) is certainly one of the most widespread tools for calculating active thrusts on retaining walls. It combines simplicity of formulation, ease of application and versatility in solving problems with a large variety of geometrical and load conditions. This method is based on the hypothesis that the backfill behind the wall fails along a surface BC, in contact with the wall, and along an internal surface AC, which Coulomb assumed to be a plane inclined at an angle α with respect to the horizontal (Fig. 1). The value to be assigned to α is...