What is the purpose of a retaining wall in relation to bearing capacity?
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the purpose of a retaining wall in relation to bearing capacity?
To support vertical loads
To prevent soil erosion
To resist lateral earth pressures
To increase soil permeability
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the purpose of a retaining wall in relation to bearing capacity?
Step 1: Understand what a retaining wall is. It is a structure built to hold back soil or rock from a building, structure, or area.
Step 2: Learn about lateral earth pressure. This is the pressure that soil exerts sideways against the wall due to its weight and gravity.
Step 3: Recognize that the retaining wall must be strong enough to resist this lateral pressure to prevent soil from collapsing.
Step 4: Know that if the wall fails, it can lead to soil movement, which can affect the stability of nearby structures.
Step 5: Understand that maintaining the bearing capacity means ensuring the ground can support the weight of structures above it without sinking or collapsing.
Step 6: Conclude that the purpose of a retaining wall is to keep the soil in place, which helps maintain the ground's bearing capacity.
