Earth pressure

What is meant by Earth pressure?

The term "earth pressure" refers to the resulting force between a structure and the surrounding soil when the contact surface is not horizontal. In geotechnical engineering and construction, this is particularly important for the foundation of buildings and in excavations. A distinction is made between active earth pressure, passive earth pressure (earth resistance), and at-rest earth pressure.

Typical software functions in the area of "earth pressure":

1. Load case generation: Creation of various earth pressure scenarios for different soil conditions and structure geometries.
2. Earth pressure calculation: Determination of earth pressure distribution and resulting forces for active, passive, and at-rest earth pressure.
3. Visualization: Graphical representation of earth pressure distribution along the structure wall.
4. Parameter variation: Investigation of the influence of various soil parameters and geometries on earth pressure.
5. Stability analysis: Calculation of the stability of retaining structures considering earth pressure.
6. Integrated design: Automatic dimensioning of retaining structures based on calculated earth pressures.

Examples of "earth pressure":

1. Active earth pressure on a retaining wall in a slope situation.
2. Passive earth pressure in front of the toe of a sheet pile wall.
3. At-rest earth pressure on the walls of a deep basement.
4. Increased active earth pressure behind a flexible gabion wall.
5. Earth pressure on bridge abutments from adjacent soil.
6. Lateral earth pressure on tunnel walls in loose rock.