Earth Retention Design Assistant
Analyze soil conditions and generate compliant earth retention wall designs with pressure calcula...
What You Can Do
You can input site investigation data, soil parameters, and project constraints to receive complete earth pressure distributions, structural design requirements, and load case verification documentation. The skill handles pressure coefficient selection, external stability checks (overturning, sliding, bearing capacity, global stability), internal capacity verification, and constructability review for gravity walls, cantilever walls, sheet pile systems, soldier pile walls, and tieback configurations. This accelerates preliminary and detailed design phases while maintaining engineering judgment on load combinations and deformation criteria.
Features
automatically selects active, at-rest, or passive pressure regimes based on soil type and wall movement
systematizes multiple design conditions (permanent loads, surcharge, water, seismic, construction phasing) into structured pressure diagrams
checks overturning, sliding, bearing capacity, and global slope stability with code-aligned safety factors
calculates bending moments, shear forces, and reinforcement requirements for concrete walls or section capacity for steel systems
evaluates impact of soil parameter uncertainty on wall dimensions and design feasibility before final selection
identifies access constraints, embedment feasibility, adjacent structure impacts, and phasing considerations
organizes calculations, diagrams, and verification summaries in engineer-ready format for compliance review
Example Output
Input: 35-foot cantilever wall retaining 25-foot fill on medium dense sand (φ=36°, γ=120 pcf), with surcharge traffic load and water table at base.
Generated Output:
- Active earth pressure diagram: 1,240 psf at base, triangular distribution, with dynamic increment for seismic conditions
- Critical load cases organized: Permanent loads (gravity + surcharge) → maximum moment at 12 ft depth = 1,850 kip-ft/ft
- External stability summary: Overturning ratio = 2.1 ✓ | Sliding ratio = 1.6 ✓ | Base bearing = 4,200 psf (allowable 5,500) ✓
- Reinforcement design: #8 @ 8" vertical, #6 @ 12" horizontal (based on 50 ksi yield, 3,500 psi concrete)
- Constructability notes: 4-ft embedment adequate; groundwater control required during excavation; adjacent 12-ft easement confirms tie-back feasibility
What's Included
- SKILL.md: full earth retention design methodology
- Soil Parameter Worksheet: template for organizing site investigation data, stratification, and lab test results
- Pressure Calculation Framework: step-by-step guidance for active/passive/at-rest coefficient selection and load case development
- Stability Check Matrix: organized verification table for external (overturning, sliding, bearing, global) and internal (section capacity) checks
- Design Sensitivity Template: structured format for testing soil parameter assumptions and wall configuration variations
Who It's For
- Geotechnical engineers designing and verifying earth retention structures
- Civil engineers developing structural solutions for excavation support and slope stabilization
- Project engineers coordinating constructability and phasing with retention design
- Junior engineers building systematic design documentation under senior review
- Design review consultants organizing calculations and verification for compliance audit
Best For
- Preliminary design phase exploring wall height, batter, embedment, and configuration trade-offs
- Pressure calculation and load case organization for walls 8–40 feet in defined soil stratification
- External and internal stability verification against code-aligned safety factors
- Sensitivity analysis testing impact of soil parameter uncertainty on design feasibility
- Design documentation compilation and cross-check before compliance submission
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