AN ANALYTICAL REEVALUATION OF MARSTON THEORY OF EARTH PRESSURE ON BURIED BOX STRUCTURES

Abstract

Marston (1930) theory of earth pressure on buried structures is reevaluated using a transform function first proposed by the Author, Poorooshasb (1982) and taking into consideration the relative rigidity of the buried structure. It is shown that the development of the frictional resistance along vertical planes projecting from the two sides of the box is dependent, not only, on the depth of the overburden but also a function of the relative rigidity of the structure itself. The paper is concluded by comparing the result from the present analysis with those obtained from the Marston theory.