Retaining & slopes · Embedded walls & sheeting
Sheet pile / embedded wall calculator
Embedment depth, anchor force and maximum bending moment for cantilever or single-anchored walls in granular soil, with pressure and moment diagrams.
Standard: Cantilever (Blum fixed earth, ×1.2) · anchored free earth support · Rankine
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Inputs in the worked example
The live calculator starts with these values; change any of them and every result, check and diagram updates instantly.
| Input | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Wall type | Single anchor / prop | |
| Retained height H | 6 | m |
| Anchor depth below top | 1 | m |
| Soil γ (use γ′ below water) | 18 | kN/m³ |
| φ′ | 32 | ° |
| Surcharge q | 10 | kPa |
| Factor on Kp | 1.5 | |
| Embedment increase factor | 1.2 | |
| Sheet steel fy | 355 | MPa |
Worked example — results
| Result | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Ka / Kp (factored) | 0.307 / 2.170 | |
| Theoretical embedment D0 | 2.97 | m |
| Design embedment D = 1.2·D0 | 3.57 | m |
| Total pile length | 9.57 | m |
| Anchor / prop force T | 77.6 | kN/m |
| Maximum bending moment | 156.8 | kNm/m |
| Depth of max moment | 4.73 | m |
| Required elastic modulus Z | 491 | cm³/m |
- ✓ Embedment ratio D/H ≤ 2 (practical)
- ✓ Anchor below top and above dredge
Method, formulas and assumptions
- Rankine Ka = tan²(45 − φ/2), Kp = tan²(45 + φ/2)/Fp
- Free earth support: moments about the anchor = 0 gives D0; T = ΣPa − ΣPp
- Moments by numerical integration of net pressure; water pressures not modelled (enter γ′ and add water separately)
- Z required = M/(0.9 fy)
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For preliminary design and education. Check every result against the current standard and your own engineering judgement before use.