Retaining Walls with Inclined Earth Slopes:

Sometimes the earth retained behind a retaining wall is not horizontal but sloping at an angle α with it (Figure) . It has been proved that in such cases the pressure on the retaining wall at a depth x is given by

where w = Density of the soil, and

φ = Angle of internal friction (or angle of repose) of soil.

Figure

It acts at an angle α with the horizontal (i.e. parallel to the earth slope). The total pressure P acting on the surface BC of the wall will be

P acts at a height h/3  from the base DC of the retaining wall.