Retaining Wall Design Calculator
Calculate active earth pressure, overturning moment, and sliding forces on a retaining wall using Rankine's theory.
Inputs
IBC: >4 ft requires engineering; highway walls per AASHTO LRFD; typical gravity walls 4–8 ft, cantilever 8–20 ft
ASTM D3080: compacted sand 30–35°; gravel 35–42°; use 30° conservative for unknown backfill
AASHTO: 250 psf highway live load; parking/storage 100–250 psf; no surcharge=0 psf
Results
Total Active Force
2,000 lb/ft
Overturning Moment
6,667 ft·lb/ft
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter wall height (H), soil unit weight (γ), friction angle (φ), and surcharge load.
- Review Active Pressure Coefficient (Ka), Passive Pressure Coefficient (Kp), Total Active Force, and Overturning Moment.
- Check overturning and sliding factors of safety — minimum 2.0 for overturning, 1.5 for sliding.
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