Retaining Wall Pressure Worksheet
Civil Geo Tools

Purpose
Use this worksheet to organize preliminary lateral earth pressure calculations for simple retaining walls, including soil pressure, surcharge, water pressure, resultant forces, and load locations.

Inputs To Record
[ ] Wall height, backfill slope, wall movement condition, and drainage condition
[ ] Backfill unit weight, friction angle, cohesion assumption, and selected Ka, K0, or Kp
[ ] Uniform surcharge, line loads, traffic loads, compaction effects, and nearby footings
[ ] Water level, weep/drain details, and whether hydrostatic pressure is relieved

Calculation Checks
[ ] Draw triangular soil pressure and rectangular surcharge pressure separately
[ ] Locate each resultant correctly before checking overturning and sliding
[ ] Keep passive resistance separate and justify when it can be relied on
[ ] Check whether global stability, bearing, or structural capacity controls outside the worksheet

Engineering notes
- Hydrostatic pressure is often the load that makes a wall behave differently than expected.
- At-rest pressure is usually more appropriate than active pressure for restrained basement walls.
- Construction compaction behind small walls can add meaningful lateral pressure.

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Engineering note: This resource is for educational and preliminary reference only. Adapt it to project requirements and obtain professional review where needed.