Impact of slopes on the lateral resistance of steel piles

A soldier pile and lagging wall is one of the most common types of retaining wall. Solider pile walls develop lateral resistance through the stiffness of the piles and the passive resistance of the soil acting upon the embedded portion of the piles. Ground anchors can also be used when additional lateral resistance is required. Using Broms’ methods, a parametric study was completed to investigate the performance of laterally loaded short and long steel piles installed in a variety of cohesive and cohesionless soils. The results were compared to those generated using RocScience finite element software. RocScience software was then used to evaluate the lateral resistance of piles installed at various distances from the crest of a 2:1 slope. Finally, two soldier pile walls, to be installed within a sloping railway embankment, were designed.