ABSTRACT
The pressure against the back of a retaining structure caused by backfill and surcharge on the ground surface is a classical problem of soil mechanics. It is influenced by retaining structure types, movement mode, stiffness and contact conditions between soil and structure (Fang & Ishibashi, 1986; Harrop-Willrams,1989; Zhou,1990; Fang et al., 1994; Wang, 2000; Pal & Salgado, 2003). In addition, the distortion of soil mass has a certain effect on the earth pressure. Before the soil achieves breakage, the magnitude of earth pressure cannot be determined. Even if it reaches limit state, the earth pressure cannot also be calculated because inner soil mass cannot synchronously arrive at limit equilibrium state. So the reliable parameter of soil cannot be acquired. Thus, to apply in practice expediently, it is usually assumed the soil is on ideal failure state.
