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For Students · Retaining Wall

Retaining Wall for a wind-turbine tower

Built for students learning it for a class or exam. See the concept move instead of memorizing formulas — and check your homework intuition. Simulate a wind-turbine tower live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.

Retaining Wall (Rankine)Live

earth pressure & stability

Controls

Presets

Wall height H (m)

Soil friction angle φ (°)

Soil unit weight γ (kN/m³)

Base width (m)

Rankine theory gives the active earth pressure behind a wall from the coefficient Ka = tan²(45−φ/2). The soil pushes with a triangular pressure resultant Pa acting at one-third the height. The wall must resist overturning and sliding with adequate factors of safety. Educational tool, not a geotechnical design.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Ka0.333

Active thrust Pa48.0 kN/m

FS overturning1.82

FS sliding0.81

Governing equation

K_{a} = tan^{2} (45 - \frac{φ}{2}) = 0.333, P_{a} = \frac{1}{2} K_{a} γ H^{2} = 48.0 kN/m

Reading this result: Sliding FS is 0.81, under the ~1.5 target — the wall could slide out. A wider base or a shear key would help.

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Frequently asked questions

Is this good for students?: Yes — this version of "Retaining Wall for a wind-turbine tower" is framed for students learning it for a class or exam. See the concept move instead of memorizing formulas — and check your homework intuition.
Do I need to install anything?: No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.