Sponsored by ASCE Continuing Education and ASCE’S Geo-Institute (G-I).

"ASCE webinars are great for us. We are in a remote location and it is difficult to get quality training for our staff without much expense."—Anonymous Attendee

Purpose and Background

In January 2009, ASCE initiated a new series of webinars that address the practical implementation of Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) for geotechnical features. The series is broadly divided into two major areas: LRFD Fundamentals and LRFD Applications. The LRFD fundamentals are taught in a two-part webinar that includes discussion on basics of LRFD, loads, load combinations and limit states. The LRFD applications address a number of topics ranging from shallow foundations, deep foundations (drilled shafts, driven piles, and micropiles) and earth retaining structures (fill walls, cut walls, mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls, and ground anchors). Also included among the applications topic is a 90-minute stand-alone webinar covering subsurface explorations and the testing and application of soil and rock tests. The subsurface exploration material presented in this webinar has application to all other application topics which address a specific type of geotechnical feature.

It is assumed that participants enrolling in any of the application focused webinars have a fundamental understanding of the design and construction of geotechnical features. Ideally, the participants should also have taken the initial two-part webinar on LRFD fundamentals.

This webinar offering concentrates on fill walls. Fill walls have a wide range of applications and range in configuration from the basic gravity and cast-in-place (CIP) semi-gravity walls to complex mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls. The LRFD platform offers a rational framework for consideration of different types of fill walls. The webinar will use the 6th Edition (2012) American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) LRFD Bridge Design Specifications as a basis for the technical content. Applicable articles in Sections 11, 10 and 3 of the AASHTO LRFD Specifications will be used as a basis of discussion.

The webinar will assume that the participant has a basic working knowledge of design and construction of fill retaining walls including fundamental aspects of earth pressure theories. The webinar will include discussion on the terminology and types of fill walls, lateral earth pressure theories for fill walls, permanent and transient surcharge loads, applicable load factors, use of minimum and maximum load factors for permanent loads, identification of limit states and resistance factors, pressure surfaces for geotechnical and structural analysis, and consideration of extreme event limit states such as seismic events.

The webinar will concentrate on external stability of CIP and MSE walls. Introductory information on internal stability of MSE walls in the context of limit states and general concepts will also be presented. A standalone webinar on MSE walls addresses MSE walls in more detail.

Learning Outcomes

This webinar will help participants perform external stability analysis to size fill retaining walls using the LRFD approach.

Seminar Benefits

• Learn basics of LRFD based analysis of fill retaining walls
• Continue building on the knowledge gained from previous LRFD webinars
• Examine the possibilities and benefits of improved communications between geotechnical and structural specialists for fill wall design

Intended Audience

This webinar will benefit professionals with 0-25 years of practical experience in analysis/design and construction of earth retaining structures.  Basic knowledge of geoetechnical principles, LRFD, shallow foundations, and earth pressure theories is a prerequisite.

• Geotechnical and structural specialists
• General civil engineering designers involved in the analysis and design of earth retaining structures and in particular fill walls
• General and specialty wall contractors

• Terminology and types of fill walls
• Lateral earth pressures
• Consideration of surcharges
• Loads and load factors
• Limit states and resistance factors
• External stability analysis for CIP and MSE walls
• Introduction to limit states for internal stability of MSE walls
• Extreme events

About Webinars