Abstract
A laboratory test method is proposed in order to determine the lateral earth pressure in soils and its subsequent reduction with the lateral soil extension that probably occurs during an excavation. It is found that the in-situ earth pressure in overconsolidated pleistocene sandy soils has a significantly small K0-value, and its reduction rate with the lateral extension tends to increase as OCR-value increases, but the developed active earth pressure depends strongly on the angle of internal friction, irrespective of OCR-value. From the experimental findings, a simplified method is suggested for the evaluation of the in-situ lateral earth pressure in pleistocene sandy soil deposits and its change during an excavation.
