Proposal for the simplified design of basement walls under lateral earth pressure / Vorschlag zur vereinfachten Bemessung von Kellerwänden unter horizontalem Erddruck

This paper deals with the design of basement walls subjected to lateral earth pressure. The current simplified calculation method according to DIN EN 1996-3/NA only covers active earth pressure, which is the lower limiting value of the earth pressure. Designing according to DIN EN 1996-1-1/NA, higher coefficients of earth pressure (like earth pressure at rest) can be considered, with an additional verification of the shear resistance being necessary. This paper presents a theoretical model, which forms the basis for an analytical derivation of the loadbearing capacity, and explains the required minimum values of the acting normal force to ensure sufficient resistance to cover bending and shear. Based on these results, a simplified equation is proposed for the determination of the required minimum normal force, based on the design according to DIN EN 1996-3/NA and providing identical values in case of an earth pressure coefficient of 1/3. The required minimum load resulting from this approach fulfils the described requirement to cover bending and shear. The presented solution is verified and the conditions for application are defined. Finally, the minimum required normal forces are evaluated and tabulated for common cases relevant to building practice.