Copyright: ©1992-1999 Geocentrix Ltd.
Citation: All rights reserved


[MRU] section in REACTIV.INI

REACTIV.INI

Description

The [MRU] section of REACTIV.INI contains the names of the four most recently used files, as detailed below.

Keyword	Contains the number/name of the...	Possible values	Default value
Count	Number of files displayed on the most recently used list	0-10	4
MRU0	Most recently used file	Any DOS filename	Blank
MRU1	Second most recently used file	Any DOS filename	Blank
MRU2	Third most recently used file	Any DOS filename	Blank
MRU3	Fourth most recently used file	Any DOS filename	Blank
Notes

ReActiv automatically updates the MRU file list whenever you save a file. You should not edit the values given in this section of REACTIV.INI.


[Section] in INI file
[Section]

A unique text string that identifies a general area or characteristic of the program.


About ReActiv box

Help | About ReActiv

Description

The About ReActiv dialogue box displays ReActiv's version and copyright information.

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

See Also

Obtaining your registration details

Technical support


Advice Note HA68
Advice Note HA 68/94

Department of Transport Design manual for roads and bridges

Volume 4 Geotechnics and drainage

Section 1 Earthworks

Part 4 Design methods for the reinforcement of highway slopes by reinforced soil and soil nailing techniques


Apply Now button

Click on the Apply Now button to record the information displayed on the current page of the property sheet, without closing the dialogue box. Information contained on other pages of the property sheet are not recorded. To record the information stored on other pages, you need to either click on the OK button or display each page in turn an click on the Apply Now button.

Prior to performing this command, ReActiv checks that the information entered in the current page is valid. If it is, the program saves the data in memory, updates or clears any calculations that might be affected, and marks the document as "dirty" (i.e. needs saving). You cannot reverse this action by choosing the Cancel button: once the changes have been applied they cannot be undone.

If the information is invalid, ReActiv displays a warning or error message, so that you can correct the data or (in the case of a warning) override the program.


Arranging icons

Window | Arrange icons

Description

The Arrange Icons command on the Window menu arranges all iconized windows into rows along the bottom of the application's main window.


Automatic grid

Select this option if you want ReActiv to automatically calculate the best grid for you.


Background theory and assumptions

The Department of Transport's (DOT's) Advice Note Design methods for the reinforcement of highway slopes by reinforced soil and soil nailing techniques (hereinafter called the Advice Note) describes a simple design method for the preliminary assessment of reinforcement requirements for highway slopes, using either reinforced soil or soil nailing techniques.

ReActiv follows this design method step-by-step, and is intended to fully compliment the Advice Note. However, ReActiv's Help system is also designed as a stand-alone document, so that it is not necessary to refer to the Advice Note to use the program. The theory behind ReActiv is, in some places, more advanced than that in the Advice Note.

ReActiv's Help system gives a brief résumé of the basic theory and assumptions behind the design method used by ReActiv. The design is carried out in terms of effective stresses and applies to the long-term condition of permanent works. In some cases the notation adopted in this Help system differs from that used in the Advice Note. A translation table of the terms that are different is given here.

Two-part wedge mechanism with horizontal reinforcement

Two-part wedge mechanism with inclined reinforcement

Minimizing soil nail pullout lengths

Special considerations for Two-part slopes

Surcharges

Compatibility with the Advice Note

Further information


Baseline tolerance

The tolerance used to determine when a baseline Tmax mechanism has been found (by default 1%).


Bishop's pore pressure parameter

A representative value of the pore pressures acting in the slope, expressed as a proportion of the vertical stress acting on the base of the failure mechanism. Must be greater than or equal to zero and less than or equal to γw/γ, where γw is the unit weight of water and γ is the unit weight of the selected soil.


Calculate button

Click on the calculate button to perform the calculation specified in the dialogue box.


Calculate menu

The Calculate menu appears on all the menu bars and provides commands for mechanisms and the required reinforcement. The available choices are:

Command	Purpose
Single Mechanism	Displays a dialogue box from which you can calculate the out-of-balance force for a single mechnism
Grid Mechanisms	Displays a dialogue box from which you can find the critical mechanisms at the nodes of the search grid
Tmax Mechanism	Finds the most critical mechanism with the largest out-of-balance force anywhere in the slope
Tob Mechanism	Finds the critical mechanism along the slope's base line that has zero out-of-balance force
Reinforcement	Calculates the required reinforcement
Calculate All	Calculates all the items listed above
Clear Results	Clears the results from the Mechanisms and Reinforcement Views
See Also

Menu bars


Cancel button

Click on the Cancel button to discard the information entered and close the dialogue box. ReActiv will not make any changes to the information stored in memory.


Cancel button in Create dialogues
Cancel button

Click on the Cancel button to cancel the creation of a new object.


Cascading windows

Window | Cascade

Description

The Cascade command on the Window menu arranges all document windows from the top-left position of the application's main window so that the title bar of each is visible.


Chalk

Soils | Chalk

Description

A chalk is a soil....

Properties

Name

Class (Unclassified, Grade I - hard & brittle, Grade II - medium hard, Grade III - rubbly to blocky, Grade IV - friable to rubbly, Grade V - Structureles melange, or Grade VI - putty chalk)

State (Unspecified)

Bulk density/unit weight

Angle of friction

Effective cohesion

Failure state (Peak or Critical State)

Factor of safety on friction (Ff)

Factor of safety on effective cohesion (Fc)

Factor of safety on friction (Ff)

Factor of safety on effective cohesion (Fc)

See Also

Property sheet


Changing printers and print options
To change printers and print options

1.	On the File menu, choose Print Setup.

2.	Select a printer from the list provided in the Specific Printer box (or select the default printer).

3.	Select the orientation of the page.

3.	Select the paper size and source.

4.	Choose OK

Tips

To set further print options, choose the Options button.


Changing the properties of a reinforcement
To change the properties of a reinforcement

1.	Choose the Edit command from the Job View's Reinforcement menu.

2.	If a dialogue box appears, click on the reinforcement you want to change from those listed in that box and choose OK.

3.	A box appears showing the properties of the selected object. Different boxes appear for different reinforcements: Geotextile, Geogrid, Soil Nail, or Custom Reinforcement

4.	Change the object's properties and choose OK.

Tips

You can also change the properties of a reinforcement by clicking on the Toolbar or double-clicking on it in the Reinforcement Manager.


Changing the properties of a soil
To change the properties of a soil

1.	Choose the Edit command from the Job View's Soil menu.

2.	If a dialogue box appears, click on the soil you want to change from those listed in that box and choose OK.

3.	A property sheet appears showing the properties of the selected soil.

4.	Change the object's properties and choose OK.

Tips

You can also change the properties of a soil by clicking on the Toolbar or by double-clicking on it in the Soil Manager.


Changing the properties of a surcharge
To change the properties of the surcharge

1.	Choose the Surcharge command from the Job View's Ground menu.

2.	A property sheet appears showing the properties of the surcharge.

3.	Change the surcharge's properties and choose OK.

Tips

You can also display an object's property sheet by double-clicking on the object in the Job View's Objects pane.


Changing the properties of the slope
To change the properties of the slope

1.	Choose the Edit command from the Job View's Slope menu.

2.	A box appears showing the properties of the slope. Different boxes appear for different slopes: One-part, Two-part, or Infinite.

3.	Change the slope's properties and choose OK.

Tips

You can also click on the Toolbar to change the properties of the slope.


Changing the properties of the water regime
To change the properties of the water regime

1.	Choose the Water Regime command from the Job View's Slope menu.

2.	A box appears showing the properties of the water regime. Different boxes appear for different water regimes: Horizontal, Parabolic, Parallel, or Custom.

3.	Change the water regime's properties and choose OK.

Tips

You can also click on the Toolbar to change the properties of the water regime.


Choose reinforcement box
Edit/delete reinforcement box

[Job View] Reinforcement | Edit/Delete

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

See Also

Reinforcement types


Choose soil box
Edit/delete soil box

[Job View] Soil | Edit/Delete

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

See also

Soil types


Clay

Soils | Clay

Description

A clay is a cohesive soil with particles whose size are less than 0.002mm.

Properties

Name

Class (Unclassified, gravelly, sandy, low-plasticity, intermediate-plasticity, high-plasticity, or laminated)

State (Unspecified, very soft, soft, firm, stiff, very stiff, or hard)

Fissured flag

Bulk density/unit weight

Angle of friction

Effective cohesion

Failure state (Peak or Critical State)

Factor of safety on friction (Ff)

Factor of safety on effective cohesion (Fc)

See Also

Property sheet


Close button

Click on the close button to close the dialogue box.


Closing a document
To close a document

1.	On the File menu, choose Close.

2.	If you are prompted to save the document before closing, choose Yes to close it after saving; No to close it without saving; or Cancel to keep the document open.

Tip

To save an existing document with a new name, choose the Save As command on the File menu before closing it.


Closing all windows

Window | Close All

Description

The Close All command on the Window menu closes all document windows open in the application.


Company Name box

Enter your company's name (or that of your client, if you prefer) in the Company Name box. To start a new line, press ENTER. ReActiv prints the company name on every page of its print-out.


Compatibility with the Advice Note
Background theory and assumptions

Compatibility with the Advice Note

A number of symbols are used by ReActiv that are different from those used in the Advice Note. The following table provides a "translation" between the two.

Symbol used in...
ReActiv	Advice Note
φ	φ'des
c'	c'des
Tmax	Tmax, Tmaxδ
Tob	Tob, Toδ
fds	α
fb	α'
n	N + 1


Construction diagram


Contents
Welcome to ReActiv Help

To find out more about ReActiv, choose from the following items. To search for information and to move through Help, use the buttons along the top of the Help window.

Choose	For information about...
How do I?	performing tasks
Background theory and assumptions	the engineering principles on which ReActiv's calculations are based
Menus	features accessible via the menus
Toolbar	features accessible via the toolbar
Keystrokes	keyboard shortcuts
What's new?	what's new in versions 1.5 and 1.6
Supplied examples	worked examples that come with the program
Using Help	how to use Help


Create a new document

Creates a new document by executing the File | New command.


Creating a new document
To create a new document

On the File menu, choose New.

Tips

You can also click on the Toolbar to create a new document.

To name the new document, choose the Save As command on the File menu.


Creating a new reinforcement
To create a new reinforcement

1.	Activate the Job View.

2.	Choose New from the Reinforcement menu.

3.	A dialogue box appears.

4.	Select the type of reinforcement you want to create from those listed and choose OK.

5.	ReActiv displays the appropriate property sheet for the newly created reinforcement.

6.	Enter the properties of the new reinforcement and choose OK.

Tips

You can also create a new reinforcement by clicking on the Toolbar or from the Reinforcement Manager.


Creating a new soil
To create a new soil

1.	Activate the Job View.

2.	Choose New from the Soil menu.

3.	A dialogue box appears.

4.	Select the type of soil you want to create from those listed and choose OK.

5.	ReActiv displays the appropriate property sheet for the newly created soil.

6.	Enter the properties of the new soil and choose OK.

Tips

You can also create a new soil by clicking on the Toolbar or from the Soil Manager.


Crest angle
Crest angle (degrees)

The angle of the crest of the slope, measured from the horizontal. Must be in the range 5-70 degrees and be less than the lower slope angle.


Critical mechanism

The critical mechanism at any one point in the slope is the mechanism that requires the greatest reinforcement force to establish its equilibrium. The critical mechanism is found by varying the angle of the upper wedge (θ1) while keeping the mechanism's heel (X, Y) in the same place.


Critical state soil parameters button
Critical state button

Click on this button if you are entering critical state values in the Angle of friction and Effective cohesion boxes.


Cursor Movement Keys

Key(s)	Function

Arrow key	Moves the cursor left, right, up, or down in a field.

End or Ctrl+Right Arrow	Moves to the end of a field.

Home or Ctrl+Left Arrow	Moves to the beginning of a field.

Pape Up or Page Down	Moves up or down in a field, one screen at a time.


Custom reinforcement

Reinforcements | Custom reinforcement

Description

Custom reinforcement is any type of soil reinforcement not covered by the pre-defined categories geotextile, geogrid, and soil nails.

Properties

Name

Design strength

Inclination

Direct shear factor

See Also

Property sheet


Custom reinforcement property sheet

[Job View | Reinforcement | Edit (with a Custom Reinforcement selected)

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

See Also

Reinforcement types


Custom soil

Soils | Custom soil

Description

A custom soil is a soil whose properties are user-defined.

Properties

Name

Class (Unclassified)

State (Unspecified)

Bulk density/unit weight

Angle of friction

Effective cohesion

Failure state (Peak or Critical State)

Factor of safety on friction (Ff)

Factor of safety on effective cohesion (Fc)

See Also

Property sheet


Custom water regime
Custom water regimes

Water regimes | Custom

Description

A custom water regime is one for which you must specify Bishop's pore pressure parameter Ru.

Properties

Ru

See Also

Property sheet


Custom water regime property sheet

[Job View] | Slope | Water Regime | Custom

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

See Also

Water regime types


Date box

Enter the date of the calculations in the Date box. This box accepts any numeric character (0-9) and the character "/". ReActiv prints the date on every page of its print-out.


Defaults button

If you click on the defaults button, ReActiv replaces the information entered in the dialogue box with default settings taken from Windows' Registry (32-bit version of ReActiv) or the program's initialization file, REACTIV.INI (16-bit version). If you have not previously specified a default setting for a particular parameter, ReActiv supplies a factory default instead.

If you click on the defaults button while holding down the CONTROL key, ReActiv saves the information entered in the dialogue box as your default settings in Windows' Registry (32-bit version of ReActiv) or the program's initialization file, REACTIV.INI (16-bit version).


Defaults: CustomReinf
CustomReinf sub-key of Windows' Registry

[CustomReinf] section of REACTIV.INI

Windows' Registry | REACTIV.INI

Description

32-bit version. The CustomReinf sub-key stores the default properties of Custom Reinforcements under the following data items.

16-bit version. The [CustomReinf] section of REACTIV.INI contains keywords that allow you to customize the default properties of Custom Reinforcements, as detailed below.

Keyword	Sets the default...	Possible values	Default
DesignStrength	Design strength for the reinforcement (in KN/m)	1-1000	10
DirectShearFactor	Direct-shear factor	0.3-1.0	0.8
BearingFactor	Bearing factor	0.3-1.0	0.8


Defaults: Geogrid
Geogrid sub-key of Windows' Registry

[Geogrid] section of REACTIV.INI

Windows' Registry | REACTIV.INI

Description

32-bit version. The Geogrid sub-key stores the default properties of Geogrids under the following data items.

16-bit version. The [Geogrid] section of REACTIV.INI contains keywords that allow you to customize the default properties of Geogrids, as detailed below.

Keyword/data items	Sets the default...	Possible values	Default
DesignStrength	Design strength for the reinforcement (in KN/m)	1-1000	10
DirectShearFactor	Direct-shear factor	0.3-1.0	0.8
BearingFactor	Bearing factor	0.3-1.0	0.8


Defaults: Geotextile
Geotextile sub-key of Windows' Registry

[Geotextile] section of REACTIV.INI

Windows' Registry | REACTIV.INI

Description

32-bit version. The Geotextile sub-key stores the default properties of Geotextiles under the following data items.

16-bit version. The [Geotextile] section of REACTIV.INI contains keywords that allow you to customize the default properties of Geotextiles, as detailed below.

Keyword/data items	Sets the default...	Possible values	Default
DesignStrength	Design strength for the reinforcement (in KN/m)	1-1000	10
DirectShearFactor	Direct-shear factor	0.3-1.0	0.8


Defaults: Gravel etc.
Gravel etc. sub-keys of Windows' Registry

[Gravel] etc. sections of REACTIV.INI

Windows' Registry | REACTIV.INI

Description

32-bit version. The Gravel, Sand, Silt, Clay, Fill, Chalk, and CustomSoil sub-keys stores the default properties of the specified soils under the following data items.

16-bit version. The [Gravel], [Sand], [Silt], [Clay], [Fill], [Chalk], and [CustomSoil] sections of REACTIV.INI contains keywords that allow you to customize the default properties of the specified soils, as detailed below.

Keyword/data item	Sets the default...	Possible values	Default
WetWeight	Saturated unit weight (in kN/m³)	(Depends on soil's classification)	0
Friction	Angle of friction (in °)	(Depends on soil's classification)	0
32-bit version. Cohesion 16-bit version. EffCohesion	Effective cohesion (in kPa)	(Depends on soil's classification)	0
Ff	Partial factor-of-safety on soil friction	1.0-3.0	1.3
Fc	Partial factor-of-safety on effective cohesion	1.0-3.0	1.3


Defaults: InfiniteSlope
InfiniteSlope sub-key of Windows' Registry

[InfiniteSlope] section of REACTIV.INI

Windows' Registry | REACTIV.INI

Description

32-bit version. The Infinite sub-key stores the default properties of Infinite Slopes under the following data items.

16-bit version. The [Infinite] section of REACTIV.INI contains keywords that allow you to customize the default properties of Infinite Slopes, as detailed below.

Keyword/data item	Sets the default...	Possible values	Default
LowerHeight	Height of the lower part of the slope (in m)	0.5-100	5
LowerAngle	Angle of the lower part of the slope (in °)	5-70	60
CrestAngle	Angle of the crest (in °)	5-70, but must be less than the angle of the lower part of the slope	15


Defaults: OnePartSlope
OnePartSlope sub-key of Windows' Registry

[OnePartSlope] section of REACTIV.INI

Windows' Registry | REACTIV.INI

Description

32-bit version. The OnePartSlope sub-key of Windows' Registry stores the default properties of One-part Slopes under the following data items.

16-bit version. The [OnePartSlope] section of REACTIV.INI contains keywords that allow you to customize the default properties of One-part Slopes, as detailed below.

Keyword/data item	Sets the default...	Possible values	Default
LowerHeight	Height of the slope (in m)	0.5-100	5
LowerAngle	Angle of the slope (in °)	5-70	60


Defaults: Options
Options sub-key of Windows' Registry

[Options] section of REACTIV.INI

Windows' Registry | REACTIV.INI

Description

32-bit version. The Options sub-key stores the default calculation options under the following data items.

16-bit version. The [Options] section of REACTIV.INI contains keywords that allow you to customize the default calculation options, as detailed below.

Keyword/data item	Sets the default...	Possible values	Default
InterwedgeFrictionFactor	Interwedge friction factor	0-1.0 (> 0.5 not recommended)	0


Defaults: Project
Project sub-key of Windows' Registry

[Project] section of REACTIV.INI

Windows' Registry | REACTIV.INI

Description

32-bit version. The Project sub-key stores the default project information for new documents under the following data items.

16-bit version. The [Project] section of REACTIV.INI contains keywords that allow you to customize the default project information for new documents, as detailed below.

Keyword/data item	Sets the default...	Possible values	Default value
Company	Company name	Any alphanumeric text (\n produces a new line in the text)	(Blank)
Project	Project name	Any alphanumeric text (\n produces a new line in the text)	(Blank)
Notes	Notes	Any alphanumeric text (\n produces a new line in the text)	(Blank)
ProjectNo	Project number	Any alphanumeric text	(Blank)
Engineer	Engineer's name/initials	Any alphanumeric text	(Blank)


Defaults: SoilNail
SoilNail sub-key of Windows' Registry

[SoilNail] section of REACTIV.INI

Windows' Registry | REACTIV.INI

Description

32-bit version. The SoilNail sub-key stores the default properties of Soil Nails under the following data items.

16-bit version. The [SoilNail] section of REACTIV.INI contains keywords that allow you to customize the default properties of Soil Nails, as detailed below.

Keyword/data item	Sets the default...	Possible values	Default
DesignStrength	Design strength for the reinforcement (in KN/m)	1-1000	10
Inclination	Inclination (in °)	0-30	10
HoleDiameter	Hole diameter (in mm)	10-250	100
HorzSpacing	Horizontal spacing (in mm)	250-2000, but must be > 2 x hole diameter	1000
DirectShearFactor	Direct-shear factor	0.3-1.0	0.8


Defaults: Surcharge
Surcharge sub-key of Windows' Registry

[Surcharge] section of REACTIV.INI

Windows' Registry | REACTIV.INI

Description

32-bit version. The Surcharge sub-key stores the default properties of surcharges under the following data items.

16-bit version. The [Surcharge] section of REACTIV.INI contains keywords that allow you to customize the default properties of surcharges, as detailed below.

Keyword/data item	Sets the default...	Possible values	Default
Pressure	Surcharge pressure (in kPa)	0-25	0


Defaults: TwoPartSlope
TwoPartSlope sub-key of Windows' Registry

[TwoPartSlope] section of REACTIV.INI

Windows' Registry | REACTIV.INI

Description

32-bit version. The TwoPartSlope sub-key stores the default properties of Two-part Slopes under the following data items.

16-bit version. The [TwoPartSlope] section of REACTIV.INI contains keywords that allow you to customize the default properties of Two-part Slopes, as detailed below.

Keyword/data item	Sets the default...	Possible values	Default
LowerHeight	Height of the lower part of the slope (in m)	0.5-100	5
LowerAngle	Angle of the lower part of the slope (in °)	5-70	60
UpperHeight	Height of the upper part of the slope (in m)	0.5-100	3
UpperAngle	Angle of the upper part of the slope (in °)	5-70, but must be less than the angle of the lower part of the slope	15


Defaults: WaterRegime
WaterRegime sub-key of Windows' Registry

[WaterTbl] section of REACTIV.INI

Windows' Registry | REACTIV.INI

Description

32-bit version. The WaterRegime sub-key stores the default properties of water tables under the following data items.

16-bit version. The [WaterTbl] section of REACTIV.INI contains keywords that allow you to customize the default properties of water tables, as detailed below.

Keyword/data item	Sets the default...	Possible values	Default
Ru	Ru value for User-defined water tables (only)	0-0.5	0.25
h/H	Height of the water table as a proportion of the height of the slope, for Parabolic, Parallel, and Horizontal Water Tables (only)	0.8-1	1


Delete button

Click on the Delete button to delete the selected object.


Deleting a reinforcement
To delete a reinforcement

1.	Activate the Job View.

2.	Choose Delete from the Reinforcement menu.

3.	If a dialogue box appears, select the reinforcement you want to delete from those listed and choose OK.

4	A dialogue box appears, prompting you to confirm the command.

5	Choose Yes to delete the object or No to cancel.

Tips

You can also delete a reinforcement from the Reinforcement Manager.


Deleting a soil
To delete a soil

1.	Activate the Job View.

2.	Choose Delete from the Soil menu.

3.	If a dialogue box appears, select the soil you want to delete from those listed and choose OK.

4	A dialogue box appears, prompting you to confirm the command.

5	Choose Yes to delete the object or No to cancel.

Tips

You can also delete a reinforcement from the Soil Manager.


Demo button

Click on the Demo button to run ReActiv in demonstration mode. Certain features of the program will be disabled if you do this. (This button is disabled if you have entered text in the Licence No box.)


Depth to the first layer

The depth to the first reinforcement layer (z1) is given by:

z1 = 0.5 H / √(n - 1)

where H is the height of the (lower) slope and n the total number of reinforcement layers.


Depths of layers 2-n

The depths (zi) of layers 2 to n are given by:

The diagram below illustrates a typical arrangement of layers using this formula.


Dialog Box Keys

Key(s)	Function

Tab	Moves from field to field (left to right and top to bottom).

Shift+Tab	Moves from field to field in reverse order.

Alt+letter	Moves to the option or group whose underlined letter matches the one you type.

Arrow key	Moves from option to option within a group of options.

Enter	Executes a command button.

Or, chooses the selected item in a list box and executes the command.

Esc	Closes a dialog box without completing the command. (Same as Cancel)

Alt+Down Arrow	Opens a drop-down list box.

Alt+Up or Down Arrow	Selects item in a drop-down list box.

Spacebar	Cancels a selection in a list box.

Selects or clears a check box.

Ctrl+Slash	Selects all the items in a list box.

Ctrl+Backslash	Cancels all selections except the current selection.

Shift+ Arrow key	Extends selection in a text box.

Shift+ Home	Extends selection to first character in a text box.

Shift+ End	Extends selection to last character in a text box

depths: 1.41m, 2.83m, 4.00m, 4.90m, 5.66m, 6.32m, 6.93m, 7.48m, and 8.00m. The required length of the layers varies from 3.32m at the top to 3.39m at the bottom.ul Advice Note to give slightly different results to those obtained by ReActiv.

The critical mechanism that requires exactly zero reinforcement to be stable (the Tob mechanism) has the following properties: X = 22.46m, Y = 0.00m, θ1 = 55.0°, and T = 0.00kN/m.

According to ReActiv, the slope being analysed requires twelve layers of reinforcement, at the following depths: 1.06m, 2.65m, 3.96m, 4.97m, 5.82m, 6.57m, 7.25m, 7.87m, 8.45m, 9.00m, 9.51m, and 10.00m. The required length of the layers varies from 8.14m at the top to 22.46m at the bottom.


Displaying existing reinforcements
To display existing reinforcements

1.	If the Reinforcement Manager is not already showing, choose the Show Manager command from the Job View's Soil menu.

2.	If the Reinforcement Manager is showing but rolled-up, click on its maximize button.


Displaying existing soils
To display existing soils

1.	If the Soil Manager is not already showing, choose the Show Manager command from the Job View's Soil menu.

2.	If the Soil Manager is showing but rolled-up, click on its maximize button.


Edit button

Click on the Edit button to edit the selected object.


Equations with interwedge friction
Background theory and assumptions

Two-part wedge mechanism with horizontal/inclined reinforcement

Equations with interwedge friction

If it is assumed that friction acts on the interwedge boundary  (i.e. R12' ≠ 0), then the general equation for T is not determinate unless an assumption is made regarding the relative magnitudes of T1, T2, and T12.

The simplest option is to adopt one or other of the following assumptions:

All the reinforcement force acts on Wedge 1 (in which case T12 = T2)

All the reinforcement force acts on Wedge 2 (in which case T12 = T1)

In both cases, the equation for T is:

where φ12 is the angle of interwedge friction and ζ (zeta) is given below. The subscript n (= 1 or 2) denotes which wedge the reinforcement force acts on.


Equations with zero interwedge friction
Background theory and assumptions

Two-part wedge mechanism with horizontal/inclined reinforcement

Equations with zero interwedge friction

If it is assumed that there is no friction on the interwedge boundary (i.e. R12' = 0), the equation for T is given by:

The symbols in this equation are defined here.

The sliding factor (λs) depends on the properties of the reinforcement and, in particular, on how much of the sliding surface the reinforcement occupies. Formulae for λs are given <here>.


Example 1: embankment in dense sand

Example 1 comprises an 8m high slope in dense sand, which is to be reinforced by horizontal geogrids so that it may stand at 70° to the horizontal. The sand has an angle of friction of 35° and a bulk density of 20kN/m³. These are design values rather than peak values, hence they should be used with partial factors-of-safety equal to one.

The reinforcement has a characteristic strength of 20kN/m but, after applying various factors-of-safety, that strength is reduced to 14.4kN/m for design purposes. There is no surcharge at the top of the slope.

The geogrid's bearing factor is 0.95 and its direct shear factor is 0.8.

The mechanism with the largest out-of-balance force anywhere in the slope (the Tmax mechanism) has the following properties: X = 1.26m, Y = 0.00m, θ1 = 58.3°, and T = 113.52kN/m.

The critical mechanism that requires exactly zero reinforcement to be stable (the Tob mechanism) has the following properties: X = 3.39m, Y = 0.00m, θ1 = 62.5°, and T = 0.00kN/m.

According to ReActiv, the slope being analysed requires nine layers of reinforcement, as the following depths: 1.41m, 2.83m, 4.00m, 4.90m, 5.66m, 6.32m, 6.93m, 7.48m, and 8.00m. The required length of the layers varies from 3.32m at the top to 3.39m at the bottom.


Example 2: embankment in stiff clay

Example 2 comprises a 10m high slope made out of stiff clay, which is reinforced by horizontal geotextiles so that it can stand at 30° to the horizontal.

The clay has an angle of friction of 20°, effective cohesion of 1kN/m², and a bulk density of 19kN/m³. Bishop's pore pressure parameter for the slope (ru) is 0.25. There is a surcharge of 10kN/m² at the top of the slope.

The reinforcement has a design strength of 28.9kN/m (after various factors-of-safety have been applied to it). The geotextile's direct shear factor is 0.85. Since the Advice Note does not allow for interwedge friction, the interwedge friction factor is set to zero.

The mechanism with the largest out-of-balance force anywhere in the slope (the Tmax mechanism) has the following properties:.X = 13.27m, Y = 0.00m, θ1 = 46.4°, and T = 301.68kN/m. In the Advice Note, the equivalent height of the the slope (H') is rounded down from 10.53m to 10.5m. This causes the Advice Note to give slightly different results to those obtained by ReActiv.

The critical mechanism that requires exactly zero reinforcement to be stable (the Tob mechanism) has the following properties: X = 22.46m, Y = 0.00m, θ1 = 55.0°, and T = 0.00kN/m.

According to ReActiv, the slope being analysed requires twelve layers of reinforcement, at the following depths: 1.06m, 2.65m, 3.96m, 4.97m, 5.82m, 6.57m, 7.25m, 7.87m, 8.45m, 9.00m, 9.51m, and 10.00m. The required length of the layers varies from 8.14m at the top to 22.46m at the bottom.


Example 3: cutting in stiff clay

Example 3 comprises a 6m high slope made out of stiff clay, which is reinforced by inclined soil nails so that it can stand at 70° to the horizontal.

The clay has an angle of friction of 20°, effective cohesion of 0kN/m², and a bulk density of 20kN/m³. Bishop's pore pressure parameter for the slope (ru) is 0.15. There is no surcharge at the top of the slope.

The reinforcement has a design strength of 41.8kN/m (after various factors-of-safety have been applied to it). The 16mm diameter soil nails are inclined at 10° to the horizontal, and are spaced at 1m intervals horizontally. The holes into which they are installed are 150mm in diameter. The nails' direct shear factor is 0.9. Since the Advice Note does not allow for interwedge friction, the interwedge friction factor is set to zero.

By default ReActiv applies all the reinforcement force to Wedge 2 (the lower wedge), whereas in the Advice Note the reinforcement force is applied to Wedge 1 (the upper wedge). You can choose which wedge to apply the reinforcement for to by selecting the appropriate command from the Options menu.

When Options | Tension On Wedge 2 is selected, the Tmax mechanism (X = 1.62m, Y = 0.24m, θ1 = 53.1°, T = 167.44kN/m) has a smaller out-of-balance force than that obtained with the tension applied to Wedge 1. The Tob mechanism (X = 5.10m, Y = -0.90m, θ1 = 55.0°, T = 0.00kN/m) is unaffected by which wedge the reinforcement force is applied to.

When Options | Tension On Wedge 1 is selected, both the Tmax (X = 1.54m, Y = -0.27m, θ1 = 59.2°, T = 207.90kN/m) and the Tob (X = 5.10m, Y = -0.90m, θ1 = 55.0°, T = 0.00kN/m) mechanisms are in close agreement with those given in the Advice Note and the slope requires six layers of reinforcement, at the following depths: 1.34m, 2.68m, 3.79m, 4.65m, 5.37m, and 6.00m.

 If the Reduced Nail Lengths option is not selected on the Options menu (the default), the required length of the layers varies from 10.05m at the top to 5.18m at the bottom. If Reduced Nail Lengths is selected, the required length of the layers varies from 8.38m to 5.18m, but the horizontal spacing of the first row of soil nails must be reduced to 775mm.


Example 5: slip repair in stiff clay

Example 5 comprises a 7m high embankment made out of stiff clay. The embankment has suffered a surface slip which is to be repaired by replacing the slipped material with soil reinforced by geotextiles. The slope is to stand at an angle of 26.56° to the horizontal (i.e. 1:2, vertical to horizontal).

From a back analysis of the slip, the clay has an angle of friction of 20°, effective cohesion of 1.5kN/m², and a bulk density of 20kN/m³, assuming Bishop's pore pressure parameter for the slope (ru) is 0.0. For design purposes, however, the angle of friction is to be reduced to 18.3° and the effective cohesion to 0kN/m². There is no surcharge at the top of the slope.

The reinforcement has a design strength of 15.8kN/m (after various factors-of-safety have been applied to it). The geotextile's direct shear factor is 0.8. Since the Advice Note does not allow for interwedge friction, the interwedge friction factor is set to zero.

The mechanism with the largest out-of-balance force anywhere in the slope (the Tmax mechanism) has the following properties: X = 8.79m, Y = 0.00m, θ1 = 42.3°, and T = 76.96kN/m.

The critical mechanism that requires exactly zero reinforcement to be stable (the Tob mechanism) has the following properties: X = 13.90m, Y = 0.00m, θ1 = 54.1°, and T = 0.00kN/m.

According to ReActiv, the slope being analysed requires six layers of reinforcement, at the following depths: 1.57m, 3.13m, 4.43m, 5.42m, 6.26m, and 7.00m. The required length of the layers varies from 4.83m at the top to 13.90m at the bottom.


Example 6/7: cutting with "unstable" upper slope

Example 6/7 comprises a 9m high two-part slope, made out of stiff clay. The lower part of the slope is 3m high and is to stand at 60° to the horizontal. The upper part of the slope is 6m high and is to stand at 27° to the horizontal. The slope is reinforced by inclined soil nails.

The clay has an angle of friction of 22°, effective cohesion of 2kN/m², and a bulk density of 20kN/m³. Bishop's pore pressure parameter for the slope (ru) is 0.25. There is no surcharge at the top of the slope.

The reinforcement has a design strength of 41.8kN per nail (after various factors-of-safety have been applied to it). The 16mm diameter soil nails are inclined at 10° to the horizontal, and are spaced at 1m intervals horizontally in the lower slope and at 2m intervals horizontally in the upper slope. The holes in which they are installed are 150mm in diameter. The nails' direct shear factor is 0.8. Since the Advice Note does not allow for interwedge friction, the interwedge friction factor is set to zero.

How to analyse Two-part slopes

When ReActiv analyses a Two-part slope, it determines the reinforcement required to stabilize the lower slope, assuming that the upper slope is stable (and therefore requires no reinforcement). If the upper slope is not stable, it is necessary to conduct a second analysis in order to determine what reinforcement should be placed in the upper slope in order to ensure its stability.

To analyze the upper slope, all you need to do is to regard the lower slope as a competent bearing foundation and to treat the upper slope as if it were a One-part slope. In the example considered here, that means treating the upper slope as a 6m high slope standing at 27° to the horizontal.

Analysing the lower slope

Analysing the upper slope


Example 6: lower slope of cutting with "unstable" upper slope

Example 6 comprises a 9m high two-part slope, made out of stiff clay. The lower part of the slope is 3m high and is to stand at 60° to the horizontal. The upper part of the slope is 6m high and is to stand at 27° to the horizontal. The slope is reinforced by inclined soil nails.

The clay has an angle of friction of 22°, effective cohesion of 2kN/m², and a bulk density of 20kN/m³. Bishop's pore pressure parameter for the slope (ru) is 0.25. There is no surcharge at the top of the slope.

The reinforcement has a design strength of 41.8kN per nail (after various factors-of-safety have been applied to it). The 16mm diameter soil nails are inclined at 10° to the horizontal, and are spaced at 1m intervals horizontally. The holes in which they are installed are 150mm in diameter. The nails' direct shear factor is 0.8. Since the Advice Note does not allow for interwedge friction, the interwedge friction factor is set to zero.

By default ReActiv applies all the reinforcement force to Wedge 2 (the lower wedge), whereas in the Advice Note the reinforcement force is applied to Wedge 1 (the upper wedge). You can choose which wedge to apply the reinforcement for to by selecting the appropriate command from the Options menu.

When Options | Tension On Wedge 2 is selected, the Tmax mechanism (X = 9.54m, Y = 2.00m, θ1 = 46.4°, T = 140.13kN/m) has a smaller out-of-balance force than that obtained with the tension applied to Wedge 1. The Tob mechanism (X = 10.93m, Y = -1.93m, q1 = 53.8°, T = 0.00kN/m) is unaffected by which wedge the reinforcement force is applied to.

When Options | Tension On Wedge 1 is selected, both the Tmax (X = 8.92m, Y = 1.44m, θ1 = 47.1°, T = 159.4kN/m) and the Tob (X = 10.93m, Y = -1.93m, θ1 = 53.8°, T = 0.00kN/m) mechanisms are in close agreement with those given in the Advice Note and the slope requires five layers of reinforcement, at the following depths: 0.75m, 1.50m, 2.12m, 2.60m, and 3.00m. With Options | Reduced Nail Lengths not selected (the default), the required length of the layers varies from 10.39m at the top to 11.0m at the bottom.

Analysing the upper slope


Example 7: upper slope of cutting with "unstable" upper slope

Example 7 comprises a 6m high one-part slope, made out of stiff clay, standing at 27° to the horizontal. The slope is reinforced by inclined soil nails.

The clay has an angle of friction of 22°, effective cohesion of 2kN/m², and a bulk density of 20kN/m³. Bishop's pore pressure parameter for the slope (ru) is 0.25. There is no surcharge at the top of the slope.

The reinforcement has a design strength of 41.8kN per nail (after various factors-of-safety have been applied to it). The 16mm diameter soil nails are inclined at 10° to the horizontal, and are spaced at 2m intervals horizontally. The holes in which they are installed are 150mm in diameter. The nails' direct shear factor is 0.8. Since the Advice Note does not allow for interwedge friction, the interwedge friction factor is set to zero.

By default ReActiv applies all the reinforcement force to Wedge 2 (the lower wedge), whereas in the Advice Note the reinforcement force is applied to Wedge 1 (the upper wedge). You can choose which wedge to apply the reinforcement for to by selecting the appropriate command from the Options menu.

When Options | Tension On Wedge 2 is selected, the Tmax mechanism (X = 7.24m, Y = 0.10m, θ1 = 41.5°, T = 32.17kN/m) has a smaller out-of-balance force than that obtained with the tension applied to Wedge 1. The Tob mechanism (X = 8.52m, Y = -1.50m, θ1 = 49.6°, T = 0.00kN/m) is unaffected by which wedge the reinforcement force is applied to.

When Options | Tension On Wedge 1 is selected, both the Tmax (X = 5.31m, Y = -0.94m, θ1 = 37.9°, T = 36.41kN/m) and the Tob (X = 8.52m, Y = -1.50m, θ1 = 49.6°, T = 0.00kN/m) mechanisms are in close agreement with those given in the Advice Note and the slope requires three layers of reinforcement, at the following depths: 2.12m, 4.24m, and 6.00m. With Options | Reduce Nail Lengths not selected (the default), the required length of the layers varies from 9.14m at the top to 8.65m at the bottom.

Analysing the lower slope


Exiting the program
To exit the program

1.	On the File menu, choose Exit.

2.	If you are prompted to save the document before exiting, choose Yes to exit after saving; No to exit without saving; or Cancel to keep the program running.

Tip

You can also exit ReActiv by pressing ALT+F4 on your keyboard.


Factor of safety on soil effective cohesion
Factor of safety on soil effective cohesion (Fc)

A partial safety factor used to convert the characteristic effective cohesion (ck) of the soil into a design value. The design value is given by cd = ck / Fc. Fc is set to 1.0 if the soil's failure state is critical state.


Factor of safety on soil friction
Factor of safety on soil friction (Ff)

A partial safety factor used to convert the characteristic angle of friction of the soil (φk) into a design value. The design value is given by tan φd = tan φk / Ff. Ff is set to 1.0 if the soil's failure state is critical state.


Factors-of-safety

ReActiv employs partial factors-of-safety, along the lines given in the Advice Note.

The reinforcement strength that is entered into the program is assumed to be a design value (i.e. already factored).

You can enter soil strength parameters either as design values (i.e. critical state or large displacement values) or as peak values. When you specify strength parameters in terms of peak values, the program requires you to enter the partial factors-of-safety that should be applied to these peak values before using them for design.


File menu

The File menu appears on all the menu bars and provides commands for creating, opening, saving, closing, and printing files and exiting the program. The available choices are:

Command	Purpose
New	Creates a new document
Open	Opens an existing document
Save	Saves the document, if its contents have changed, under its existing name
Save As	Saves the document with a new name
Close	Closes the document
Print	Prints the document
Print Preview	Displays a preview of what can be printed
Print Setup	Sets the printer's characteristics
Project Info	Displays the properties of the project
1. <Filename>	Opens the document specified by <filename>
Exit	Exits the program and prompts to save the open document
See Also

Menu bars


Fill

Soils | Fill

Description

A fill is a man-made soil.

Properties

Name

Class (Unclassified, well-graded, uniformly-graded, gap-graded, silty, clayey, very silty, or very clayey)

State (Unspecified, very loose, loose, medium dense, dense, very dense, poorly compacted, or well-compacted)

Bulk density/unit weight

Angle of friction

Effective cohesion

Failure state (Peak or Critical State)

Factor of safety on friction (Ff)

Factor of safety on effective cohesion (Fc)

See Also

Property sheet


Fissured flag

A flag indicating whether the soil is fissured or not.


Frame Window
The Frame Window

The Frame Window is where ReActiv keeps all the views that you open on your data.

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

Frame Window menu bar

See Also

Job View

Mechanisms View

Reinforcement View


Further checks

For most practical design cases, the reinforcement layout defined in the Advice Note will adequately cover all possible intermediate two-part wedge mechanisms. ReActiv may be used to confirm this, by performing spot checks of individual mechanisms.


Further information
Background theory and assumptions

Further information

Further details and guidance on the theory forming the design methods and calculations employed by ReActiv may be found in the Department of Transport's Advice Note.


Geogrid

Reinforcements | Geogrid

Description

A geogrid is a continuous-sheet, grid reinforcement with regular apertures.

Properties

Name

Design strength

Direct shear factor

Bearing factor

See Also

Property sheet


Geogrid property sheet

[Job View | Reinforcement | Edit (with a Geogrid selected)

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears

See Also

Reinforcement types


Geotextile

Reinforcements | Geotextile

Description

A geotextile is a continuous-sheet, woven or non-woven, fabric reinforcement.

Properties

Name

Design strength

Direct shear factor

See Also

Property sheet


Geotextile property sheet

[Job View | Reinforcement | Edit (with a Geotextile selected)

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

See Also

Reinforcement types


Go button

Click on the Go button to execute the command you have chosen and close the dialogue box.


Governing equations
Background theory and assumptions

Two-part wedge mechanism with horizontal/inclined reinforcement

Governing equations

The following diagram defines the forces acting on the two-part wedge mechanism when horizontal reinforcement is used.

The various symbols on this diagram have the meanings given here.

The expression for the out-of-balance horizontal reinforcement force (T) required for equilibrium is:

T = T1 + T2

The value of T can be derived from the expressions given in Appendix A of the Advice Note.


Gravel

Engineering objects | Soils | Gravel

Description

A gravel is a granular soil with a grain size between 2 and 60mm.

Properties

Name

Class (Unclassified, well-graded, uniformly-graded, gap-graded, silty, clayey, very silty, or very clayey)

State (Unspecified, very loose, loose, medium dense, dense, very dense, poorly compacted, or well-compacted)

Bulk density/unit weight

Angle of friction

Effective cohesion

Failure state (Peak or Critical State)

Factor of safety on friction (Ff)

Factor of safety on effective cohesion (Fc)

See Also

Property sheet


Gravity
Gravity (m/s²)

The accelaration due to gravity (= 9.80665m/s²)


Grid Mechanisms box

Calculate | Grid Mechanisms

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.


HA68/94
Department of Transport (1994). Design manual for roads and bridges, Volume 4 Geotechnics and drainage, Section 1 Earthworks, Part 4 HA 68/94 Design methods for the reinforcement of highway slopes by reinforced soil and soil nailing techniques. (For brevity, this document is referred to throughout ReActiv's documentation as the Advice Note.)


Heel X position
Heel X position (m)

The horizontal position of the heel of the mechanism, measured from the toe of the slope (positive values into the slope).


Heel Y position
Heel Y position (m)

The vertical position of the heel of the mechanism, measured from the toe of the slope (positive values upwards).


Help button

Click on the Help button to display help for this dialogue box.


Help contents
Displaying the contents of ReActiv's help file

Help | Contents

Description

The Contents command on the Help menu displays the contents page of ReActiv's help file.


Help Keys

Key(s)	Function
F1	Gets Help and displays the Help Index for the application. If the Help window is already open, pressing F1 displays the "Using Windows Help" topics In some Windows applications, pressing F1 displays a Help topic on the selected command, dialog box option, or system message
Shift+F1	Changes the pointer to so you can get Help on a specific command, screen region, or key. You can then choose a command, click the screen region, or press a key or key combination you want to know more about. (This feature is not available in all Windows applications.)


Help menu

The Help menu appears on all the menu bars and provides commands for accessing ReActiv's on-line help system and the program's version, copyright, and licence information. The available choices are:

Command	Purpose
Contents	Displays the Help table of contents
How To Use Help	Displays help on using online Help
Technical Support	Displays help on getting technical support
Registration	Displays the program's registration box
About ReActiv	Displays the program's About box
See Also

Menu bars


Help not available

Sorry! Help is not available for this item.


Horizontal water regime

Engineering objects | Water regimes | Horizontal

Description

A horizontal water regime represents conditions in which the groundwater flowlines are horizontal. Bishop's pore pressure parameter (Ru) is calculated automatically from the formula given by Mitchell (1983).

Properties

Ru = (γw/γ), where γw is the unit weight of water and γ is the unit weight of the selected soil.

Height (h)

See Also

Property sheet


Horizontal water regime property sheet

[Job View] | Slope | Water Regime | Horizontal

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

See Also

Water regime types


How do I?

Basics

Work with documents

Print

Work with engineering objects

Obtain information about ReActiv

Exit the program

Working with documents

Create a new document

Open a document

Save a document

Save a document with a new name

Close a document

Printing

Print a document

See how my document will look before I print it

Change printers and print options

Working with engineering objects

Create engineering objects

Display existing engineering objects

Change the properties of engineering objects

Delete an engineering object

Creating engineering objects

Create a soil

Create a reinforcement

Displaying existing engineering objects

Display existing soils

Display existing reinforcements

Changing the properties of engineering objects

Change the properties of the slope

Change the properties of the water table

Change the properties of the surcharge

Change the properties of a soil

Change the properties of a reinforcement

Obtaining information about ReActiv...

Obtain technical support

Obtain my registration details

Obtain version and copyright information


How to use help
How to use Window's Help system

Help | How To Use Help

Description

The How To Use Help command on the Help menu displays instructions on how to use Window's Help system. Click here to display those instructions.


index_info
For information on how to use Help, press F1 or select How To Use Help from the Help menu.


Infinite slope

Engineering objects | Slopes | Infinite slope

Description

An infinite slope comprises a finite lower slope with an infinite sloping crest crest.

Properties

Crest angle

Lower slope height

Lower slope angle

See Also

Property sheet


Infinite slope property sheet

[Job View] Slope | Edit (with Infinite Slope selected)

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.


Interwedge friction
Interwedge friction factor

The proportion of the available soil friction that is mobilised along the boundary between the upper and lower wedges. Must be in the range 0.0-1.0 (but values greater than 0.5 are not recommended).


Interwedge friction angle

The value of ζn depends on what angle of friction (φ12) is assumed to act along the interwedge boundary. When φ12 = 0, ζn = 1.

Appendix A of the Advice Note describes the results of a parametric study of the effects of φ12 on the maximum out-of-balance force (Tmax) for slopes inclined at angles (β) between 40 and 70°. The figures from the Advice Note, which are reproduced <here>, indicate that the maximum safe value for the interwedge friction angle is ½φ.


Interwedge Friction box

Options | Interwedge Friction

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.


Job View
The Job View

Description

The Job View is where ReActiv displays the objects you have created for the current project.

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

Job View menu bar

See Also

Frame Window

Mechanisms View

Reinforcement View


Job View's View menu

The View menu that appears on the Job View's menu bar provides commands for selecting what is displayed in the Job View. The available choices are:

Command	Purpose
Reinforcement	Shows or hides the required reinforcement (if it has been calculated)
Tmax Mechanism	Shows or hides the Tmax mechanism
Tob Mechanism	Shows or hides the Tob mechanism
Soil Column	Shows or hides the soil column
Datum Line	Shows or hides the datum line
Grid	Shows or hides the search grid
Rulers	Shows or hides the rulers
1:50	Sets the scale to 1:50
1:100	Sets the scale to 1:100
1:250	Sets the scale to 1:250
1:500	Sets the scale to 1:500
Zoom In	Changes the scale to the next level up
Zoom Out	Changes the scale to the next level down
See Also

Mechanisms View's View menu

Reinforcement View's View menu

Menu bars


Keystrokes

Cursor Movement Keys

Dialog Box Keys

Help Keys

Menu Keys

System Keys

Text Selection Keys

Window Keys


Keyword in INI file
Keyword

A text string that identifies the parameter or property for which a default is being provided.


Licence address box
Address box

The address box gives the address of the company or person to whom a licence for this copy of ReActiv has been granted.


Licence button

Click on the licence button to display a dialogue box giving licence information for this copy of ReActiv.


Licence Conditions
Licence conditions for Geocentrix software

Order form | Payment arrangements

1. Geocentrix Ltd is under no obligation to supply items ordered by the Licensee until such time as Geocentrix Ltd accepts the order (which it may do so by dispatching the items ordered) and has received payment in full for such items. If Geocentrix Ltd accepts the Licensee’s order then, in consideration of the licence fee(s) paid by the Licensee, the Licensee shall have the right to use Geocentrix’s software products ('the Software') upon the terms set out below.

2. The Software is licensed to the Licensee and not sold. The Licensee has an indefinite non-exclusive licence to run the Software subject to the following limitations of use. The Licensee shall not permit more than the number of persons indicated overleaf to use the Software at any one time. This licence is personal to the Licensee and accordingly the Licensee may not transfer it or sub-licence the Software to any third party. As is normal with software, the Software is not guaranteed to be bug or error free.

3. This licence does not permit the Licensee to copy the Software other than to run it which includes the right to make one copy for backup purposes. The Licensee may not adapt it nor modify it in any way nor reverse engineer it except to the extent that reverse engineering may not lawfully be prevented. The Licensee may merge the Software with other software only to the extent strictly necessary to integrate it into the operating systems used on the Licensee's computers. The Licensee must promptly update its copy and any backup copy of the Software upon receipt of any updated version or modification although there is no obligation on Geocentrix to supply any updated version or modification.

4. The Licensee must not alter or remove any copyright or other notice or trade mark or name from the Software or any materials accompanying it and must ensure inclusion of all such copyright and other notices, trade marks and names on any copy of the Software which the Licensee is permitted to make under this licence.

5. The Licensee must keep all copies of the Software and any accompanying materials secure, maintain proper records of their locations at all times and ensure that no third party gains access to them. The Licensee must keep the information contained in the Software and such accompanying materials confidential, save to the extent that such information is now or subsequently becomes public knowledge (except through breach of the Licensee's obligations under this licence); or if the Licensee can show that such information was known to the Licensee prior to receiving it directly or indirectly from the Software; or such information is disclosed to the Licensee by a third party free of any restrictions on disclosure and use.

6. Geocentrix may terminate this licence forthwith by a notice in writing if the Licensee commits any material breach of its provisions and in such case the Licensee must immediately cease to use the Software and must return all copies thereof together with all accompanying materials to Geocentrix certifying that the Licensee has done so. This licence will also terminate automatically if the Licensee purports to transfer it or to sub-license the Software to any third party.

7. THE LICENSEE MUST PROMPTLY COMPLY WITH ALL RECOMMENDATIONS, INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS RELATING TO THE SOFTWARE FROM TIME TO TIME GIVEN TO THE LICENSEE BY GEOCENTRIX OR CONTAINED IN THE SOFTWARE OR THE ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION, AND HAVE DUE REGARD TO THE LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OF THE SOFTWARE SET OUT IN SUCH DOCUMENTATION. IN PARTICULAR, WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING AND AS A CONDITION OF THIS LICENCE, THE LICENSEE MUST INDEPENDENTLY CHECK ALL RESULTS PRODUCED BY THE SOFTWARE AND USE PROPER PROFESSIONAL JUDGEMENT IN ASSESSING THEM.

8. Geocentrix does not exclude or limit its liability in respect of death or injury arising from its negligence, or in respect of wilful default or other matters for which it cannot lawfully exclude or limit its liability. Subject thereto, the Software shall not be liable to the Licensee or to any other person, in contract in tort or otherwise, for any loss or damage whatsoever howsoever arising directly or indirectly from the supply, failure to supply, or use of the Software and in particular without limitation (subject as stated above) Geocentrix shall not be liable, in contract in tort or otherwise, for any consequential, special, indirect, or incidental loss including without limitation any loss of profit, business, revenue, goodwill, or anticipated savings arising as aforesaid. The Licensee shall indemnify Geocentrix accordingly.

9. The Licensee shall indemnify Geocentrix in full against all losses, costs, claims, and expenses whatsoever resulting directly or indirectly from any breach by the Licensee of any terms of this licence.

10. These Licence Conditions apply to the exclusion of all other terms and conditions whatsoever whether express or implied by law or otherwise. These Licence Conditions and every contract to which they apply shall be governed and construed in accordance with English law and the Licensee shall submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.


Licence name box
Name box

The name box gives the name of the company or person to whom a licence for this copy of ReActiv has been granted.


Licence number box

Enter your licence number in this box. The licence number you are issued with depends on which edition (Standard or Professional) of ReActiv you have bought. Leave this box empty if you want to run ReActiv in demonstration mode.


Lower slope angle
Lower slope angle (degrees)

The angle of the lower (or only) part of the slope, measured from the horizontal. Must be in the range 5-70 degrees.


Lower slope height
Lower slope height (m)

The vertical height of the lower (or only) part of the slope. Must be in the range 0.5-100m.


Mechanism View's View menu

The View menu that appears on the Mechanisms View's menu bar provides commands for selecting which properties of the calculated mechanisms are displayed. The available choices are:

Command	Purpose
Heel X	Shows or hides the column containing the X-coordinate of each mechanism's heel
Heel Y	Shows or hides the column containing the Y-coordinate of each mechanism's heel
Angle	Shows or hides the column containing the angle of each mechanism's upper wedge (Wedge 1)
Tension	Shows or hides the column containing the out-of-balance force for each mechanism
Notes	Shows or hides the column containing the notes attached to each mechanism
Type	Shows or hides the column containing the type of each mechanism
See Also

Job View's View menu

Reinforcement View's View menu

Menu bars


Mechanisms View
The Mechanisms View

Description

The Mechanisms View is where ReActiv displays the results of your engineering calculations.

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

Mechanisms View menu bar

See Also

Frame Window

Job View

Reinforcement View


Menu bars

ReActiv allows you to perform most tasks via commands on its pull-down menus. The pull-down menus that are available at any one time depend on which window you are working in, as listed below.

Frame Window

Job View

Mechanisms View

Reinforcement View

See Also

Frame Window

Job View

Mechanisms View

Reinforcement View


Menu Keys

Key(s)	Function

Alt	Selects the first menu on the menu bar.

Letter key	Chooses the menu, or menu item, whose underlined letter matches the one you type, when a menu has focus.

Alt+Letter key	Pulls down the menu whose underlined letter matches the one you type.

Left or Right Arrow	Moves among menus of the main menu bar.

Up or Down Arrow	Moves among menu items within a drop-down menu.

Enter	Chooses the selected menu item.


Minimizing soil nail pullout lengths
Background theory and assumptions

Minimizing soil nail pullout lengths

Pullout lengths for the top row of soil nails can sometimes be too long to be practical. The Advice Note describes an option whereby the pullout length of the upper layer (Le1) may be reduced to L1, as shown below, by reducing the horizontal spacing of the upper layer of nails from Sh1 to S'h1, where:

S'h1 = (L'e1 / Le1) Sh1

As the figure above shows, the zone of required reinforcement is now controlled by the pullout length of the second layer of nails (Le2) instead of that of the first (Le1).


Mitchell (1983)
Mitchell (1983), Earth structures engineering, Allen & Unwin Inc., Boston, p128.


Name

Any sequence of characters that uniquely identifies the object. The name can contain any alphanumeric character, including spaces.


New button

Click on the New button to create the selected object.


New document button

Creates a new document, by invoking the File | New command.


New reinforcement box

[Job View] Reinforcement | New

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

See Also

Reinforcement types


New Soil box

[Job View] Soil | New

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

See Also

Soil types


No help available

Sorry! No help is available for this subject.


Normal effective stress

The normal effective stress (σ'n) that acts on horizontal reinforcement, assuming it is flat, is equal to the vertical effective stress in the soil (σ'v) mid-way along the pullout length of the reinforcement.

The normal effective stress that acts on soil nails is given by:

σ'n = (3 + Ka) σ'v / 4

where Ka is the soil's coefficient of active earth pressure, given by:

Ka = (1 - sin φ) / (1 + sin φ)

where φ is the design angle of friction of the soil.

The derivation of the equation for σ'n is given in Appendix D of the Advice Note.


Notes box

Enter any notes that you want to store with this file in the Notes box. ReActiv does not print this information on its print-out.


Number of layers

The total number of reinforcement layers (n) is given by the equation:

n = (Tmax / Pdes) + 1

where Pdes (in kN per metre width of slope) is the long-term (factored) design strength of each reinforcement layer. Fractional values of n are not allowed: such values are rounded up to the next whole number.

The "+1" in the equation above ensures that a layer of reinforcement is provided at the base of the slope. As discussed in Appendix G of the Advice Note, this is not a source of over-design.

The terminology used in ReActiv differs from that given in the Advice Note, which uses the symbol N to represent the "minimum number of required layers". N is given by N = Tmax / Pdes and N + 1 layers of reinforcement are provided.

ReActiv's symbol n is related to the Advice Note's N by: n =N + 1.


Object icon

The object icon gives a visual representation of the object you are editing/inspecting. Some icons display dimensions and/or other features that assist you in understanding what values you should enter in the object's property sheet. Each object has a unique icon.


Object selection box
Selection box

Choose an object from those listed in this box.


Object type field

This field gives the name of the specific type of object you are editing/inspecting. You cannot change the type of an object once it has been created, although you can create as many objects as you want of whichever type you want.


Obtaining version and copyright information

Description

Each release of ReActiv is uniquely identified by its version number. You can display the version number for your copy of ReActiv as follows:

Steps

1	Choosing the About ReActiv command from the Help menu.

2	ReActiv's About box appears, displaying the program's version number.

Steps

Obtaining your registration details

Technical support


Obtaining your registration details

Description

Your registration details include:

Your name (or your company's name)

Your address (or your company's address)

The number of copies for which your licence is valid

Your licence number

Each copy of ReActiv has a unique licence number that you must quote to obtain technical support for the program. A typical licence number is shown below:

RAV418204887

ReActiv will not run unless you have a valid licence number.

You can display your registration details as follows:

Steps

1	Choose the Registration command from the Help menu.

2	The Registration box appears, displaying your registration details.

See Also

Obtaining version and copyright information

Technical support


OK button

Click on the OK button to close the dialogue box.


OK button in Create dialogues
OK button

Click on the OK button to create the selected object.


OK button in property sheets
OK button

Click on the OK button to record the information entered and close the dialogue box.

Prior to performing this command, ReActiv checks that the information entered in the dialogue box is valid. If it is, the program saves the data in memory, updates or clears any calculations that might be affected, and marks the document as "dirty" (i.e. needs saving).

If the information is invalid, ReActiv displays a warning or error message, so that you can correct the data or (in the case of a warning) override the program.


One-part slope

Engineering objects | Slopes | One-part slope

Description

A one-part slope comprises a simple (linear) slope with a horizontal crest.

Properties

Lower slope height

Lower slope angle

See Also

Property sheet


One-part slope property sheet

[Job View] Slope | Edit (with One-part Slope selected)

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.


Open an existing document

Opens an existing document by executing the File | Open command.


Open document button

Opens an existing document, by invoking the File | Open command.


Opening a document
To open a document

1.	On the File menu, choose Open.

2.	Select the drive and directory containing the document/file you want to open.

3.	Select the document/file you want to open.

4.	Choose OK

Tips

You can also click on the Toolbar to open a document.

To open a document you recently saved, choose its name from the bottom of the File menu.

To save the document after you've worked with it, choose the Save command on the File menu.

To change the name of the document, choose the Save As command on the File menu.


Options menu

The Options menu that appears on all menu bars provides commands for setting options that affect the calculation of mechanisms. The available options are:

Command	Purpose
HA68/94	Calculates the required reinforcement using HA68/94
Fixed Vertical Spacing	Calculates the required reinforcement using fixed vertical spacings
Tension on Wedge 1	Applies the reinforcement force to Wedge 1 (the upper wedge)
Tension on Wedge 2	Applies the reinforcement force to Wedge 2 (the lower wedge)
Interwedge Friction	Displays a dialogue box that allows you to set the interwedge friction factor
Extra Layer At Top	Turns on or off the option to add an extra layer of reinforcement at the top of the lower (or only) part of the slope
Reduced Nail Lengths	Turns on or off the option to reduce the length of soil nails by adopting the alternative calculation method given in HA68
Reinforcement Used	Displays a dialogue box that allows you to select which reinforcement to use to stabilise the slope
Settings	Displays a dialogue box that allows you to set the internal parameters that control the calculations
See Also

Menu bars


Order Form
Order form for software products (effective 1st May 1999)

Licence Conditions | Payment arrangements

Order

Description	Price*	Quantity	Total (£)
ReWaRD v2.1 single-user site licence (+CD, dongle, & user manual)	£1950
Additional ReWaRD licence (+dongle)	£500
Additional ReWaRD user manual	£100
1-year technical support for ReWaRD	£300
ReActiv v1.6 single-user licence (+CD, dongle, & user manual)	£1000
Additional ReActiv licence (+dongle)	£250
Additional ReActiv user manual	£100
1-year technical support for ReActiv	£300
Carriage & packing	UK £10; non-UK £50
Sub-total
VAT
TOTAL
Customers for the European Community ad 17.5% VAT or (non-UK only) provide VAT no. below

Shipping Address

Name	Position
Company
Address
Town/City	County
Country	Postcode
Phone	Fax
E-mail

We hereby request that Geocentrix Ltd supplies the items indicated above subject to the Licence Conditions given here. I am duly authorized by the Licensee to sign this order

Name (print)	Position
Signed	Date

Please return when completed to: Geocentrix Ltd, Scenic House, 54 Wilmot Way, Banstead, Surrey, SM7 2PY, United Kingdom

Phone: +44-1737-373963, Fax +44-1737-373980


Parabolic water regime

Engineering objects | Water regimes | Parabolic

Description

A parabolic water regime represents conditions in which the groundwater flowlines are parabolic and outcrop at the toe of the slope. Bishop's pore pressure parameter (Ru) is calculated automatically from the formula given by Mitchell (1983).

Properties

Ru = (γw/γ) cos β, where γw is the unit weight of water, γ is the unit weight of the selected soil, and β is the angle of the slope.

Height (h)

See Also

Property sheet


Parabolic water regime property sheet

[Job View] | Slope | Water Regime | Parabolic

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

See Also

Water regime types


Parallel water regime

Engineering objects | Water regimes | Parallel

Description

A parallel water regime represents conditions in which the groundwater flowlines are parallel to the slope. Bishop's pore pressure parameter (Ru) is calculated automatically from the formula given by Mitchell (1983).

Properties

Ru = (γw/γ) cos² β, where γw is the unit weight of water, γ is the unit weight of the selected soil, and β is the angle of the slope.

Height (h)

See Also

Property sheet


Parallel water regime property sheet

[Job View] | Slope | Water Regime | Parallel

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

See Also

Water regime types


Payment arrangements

Order form | Licence Conditions

Cheques/banker's orders should should be made payable to "Geocentrix Ltd" and sent to:

Geocentrix Ltd

Scenic House

54 Wilmot Way

Banstead

Surrey

SM7 2PY

United Kingdom

www.geocentrix.co.uk

orders@geocentrix.co.uk

Tel: +44-1737-373963

Fax: +44-1737-373980

Bank transfers should be made to:

Barclays Bank, Barclays Business Centre, 43 High Street, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 1DR, United Kingdom

Account name: Geocentrix Ltd

Sort code: 20-84-17

Account no: 8009717


Peak soil parameters button
Peak button

Click on this button if you are entering peak values in the Angle of friction and Effective cohesion boxes.


Printing a document
To print a document

1.	On the File menu, choose Print.

2.	Select the pages you want to print from the Print Range box.

3.	Type the number of copies you want in the Copies box.

4.	Choose OK

Tips

You can also click on the Toolbar to print a document.

You can also print a document by pressing CTRL+P on your keyboard.

You can change the print quality by choosing one of the options in the Print Quality box.

You can print the document to a file by selecting the Print to File option.

You can collate the copies by selecting the Collate Copies option.

To change printers and print options, choose the Setup button.

To see how your document will look before you print it, choose the Print Preview command on the File menu.


Professional edition

Click this button if you have bought the Professional edition of ReActiv.


Project Description box

Enter a description of the project in the Project Description box. To start a new line, press ENTER. ReActiv prints the project description on every page of its print-out.


Project Engineer box

Enter the engineer's initials in the Engineer box. This box accepts only upper or lower case letters (A-Z or a-z). ReActiv prints the engineer's initial on every page of its print-out.


Project Information box

File | Project Info

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.


Project Number box

Enter the project number in the Project Number box. This box accepts any alphanumeric character. ReActiv prints the project number on every page of its print-out.


Pullout length of the first layer

The pullout length of the first layer of reinforcement (Le1) is given by:

where λp is a pullout factor (see <here>); σn' is the normal effective stress acting on the reinforcement; and φ and c' are the soil's effective stress design parameters. The parameters φ and c' in ReActiv correspond to φdes and c'des in the Advice Note.

The value of P is taken as the lesser of:

The design strength of the reinforcement (Pdes)

Tmax


REACTIV.INI

Description

16-bit version. ReActiv stores default parameters in an initialization file called REACTIV.INI, which is located in the same directory as REACTIV.EXE.

Layout

The information stored in REACTIV.INI is laid out in the following format:

[Section]

Keyword=Value

Keyword2=Value2

[Section2]

Keyword3=Value3

Sections

REACTIV.INI contains the following sections:

[MRU]

[Project]

[Gravel]

[Sand]

[Silt]

[Fill]

[Chalk]

[CustomSoil]

[Geotextile]

[Geogrid]

[SoilNail]

[CustomReinf]

[OnePartSlope]

[TwoPartSlope]

[InfiniteSlope]

[WaterTbl]

[Surcharge]

[Options]


Register button

Click on the Register button to register your copy of ReActiv. ReActiv will write the information entered into the Registration box to Windows' Registry. (This button is diabled if either the Name or the Licence No boxes are empty.)


Registration box

Help | Registration

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

See Also

Obtaining version and copyright information

Technical support


Reinforcement bearing factor

The proportion of the soil-on-soil shearing resistance that is mobilised by the reinforcement failing in pull-out. The bearing factor must be in the range 0.3-1.0.


Reinforcement design strength
Reinforcement design strength (kN/m)

The long-term factored design strength of the reinforcement per unit width of slope. The design strength should be derived from the unfactored long-term characteristic strength of the reinforcement by dividing by a set of partial factors covering mechanical damage before and during installation, environmental (i.e. chemical and biological) effects during the reinforcement's design life, and uncertainties in material strength (including extrapolation of data). The design strength must be in the range 1-1000kN/m.


Reinforcement direct shear factor

The proportion of the soil-on-soil shearing resistance that is mobilised by soil sliding over the reinforcement. (The Advice Note uses the term interface sliding factor to represent the same thing.) The direct shear factor must be in the range 0.3-1.0.


Reinforcement inclination
Reinforcement inclination (deg)

The inclination of the reinforcement measured from the horizontal. The inclination must be in the range 0-30 degrees.


Reinforcement interwedge friction factor

The proportion of the soil-on-soil shearing resistance that is mobilised along the boundary between wedges 1 and 2 (the upper and lower wedges) of the two-part wedge mechanism. The interwedge friction factor must be in the range 0.0-1.0. Values > 0.5 are considered unsafe for design.


Reinforcement Manager

[Job View] Reinforcement | Show Manager

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

See Also

Reinforcement types


Reinforcement menu

The Reinforcement menu appears on the Job View's  menu bar and provides commands for creating, editing, and deleting reinforcements. The available choices are:

Command	Purpose
New	Displays a cascading menu that allows you to create one of the following reinforcement types: Geotextile, Geogrid, Soil Nail, or Custom Reinforcement
Edit	Displays the properties of an existing reinforcement
Delete	Delete a reinforcement and removes it from the Reinforcement Manager
Show Manager	Shows or hides the Reinforcement Manager
See Also

Menu bars


Reinforcement selector

Choose the reinforcement(s) you want to use to stabilise the slope from those listed in this box. The reinforcements that appear in this box depend on which reinforcement is selected in the Reinforcement Type box.


Reinforcement To Use box

Options | Reinforcement To Use

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.


Reinforcement type
Reinforcement type box

Choose the type of reinforcement you want to use to stabilise the slope from those listed in this box.


Reinforcement View

Description

The Reinforcement View is where ReActiv displays the reinforcement required to stabilise the slope.

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

Reinforcement View menu bar

See Also

Frame Window

Job View

Mechanisms View


Reinforcement View's View menu

The View menu that appears on the Reinforcement View's menu bar provides commands for selecting which properties of the required reinforcement is are displayed. The available choices are:

Command	Purpose
Name	Shows or hides the column containing the name of each reinforcement layer
Type	Shows or hides the column containing the type of each reinforcement layer
Strength	Shows or hides the column containing the strength of each reinforcement layer
Depth	Shows or hides the column containing the depth of each reinforcement layer
Length	Shows or hides the column containing the length of each reinforcement layer
Inclination	Shows or hides the column containing the inclination of each reinforcement layer
Notes	Shows or hides the column containing the notes attached to each reinforcement layer
See Also

Job View's View menu

Mechanisms View's View menu

Menu bars


Reinforcements

Engineering objects | Reinforcements

Description

Reinforcements represent the material used to strengthen and stabilise the slope. ReActiv implements the following reinforcements:

Geotextiles

Geogrids

Soil nails

Custom reinforcements

See Also

Creating a new reinforcement

Displaying existing reinforcements

Changing the properties of an existing reinforcement

Deleting a reinforcement


Required reinforcement
Background theory and assumptions

Two-part wedge mechanism with horizontal/inclined reinforcement

Required reinforcement

The method of calculating the required reinforcement can be summarized as follows:

First, a search is made for the Tmax mechanism

Second, the total number of reinforcement layers (n) is calculated from Tmax and the long-term design strength of the reinforcement (Pdes)

Third, the depth to the first layer of reinforcement (z1) is calculated

Fourth, the pullout length of the first layer (Le1) is calculated - this defines point A on the following diagram

Fifth, a search is made for the Tob mechanism - this defines point B on the following diagram

Sixth, the depths of the remaining layers are calculated

Finally, the lengths of all the layers are calculated as the distance from their intersection with line AB to their intersection with the front face of the slope (if the line AB leans to the right, ReActiv sets it to vertical instead, as recommended in the Advice Note)


Revision box

Select a revision letter (A-Z or none) from the Revision drop-down listbox. ReActiv prints the revision on every page of its print-out.


Roll-down button

Click on the roll-down button to increase the size of the dialogue box so that all the dialogue box shows.


Roll-up button

Click on the roll-up button to reduce the size of the dialogue box so that just its title bar shows.


Ru value

The pore water pressure parameter ru represents the average pore pressure along the base of the slip surface divided by the average vertical total stress along that same surface. ru values must be greater than or equal to 0 and less than (approximately) 0.5.


Sand

Engineering objects | Soils | Sand

Description

A sand is a granular soil with a grain size between 0.06 and 2mm.

Properties

Name

Class (Unclassified, well-graded, uniformly-graded, gap-graded, silty, clayey, very silty, or very clayey)

State (Unspecified, very loose, loose, medium dense, dense, very dense, poorly compacted, or well-compacted)

Bulk density/unit weight

Angle of friction

Effective cohesion

Failure state (Peak or Critical State)

Factor of safety on friction (Ff)

Factor of safety on effective cohesion (Fc)

See Also

Property sheet


Save document button

Saves a document, by invoking the File | Save command.


Saving a document
To save changes to a document

On the File menu, choose Save.

Tips

You can also click on the Toolbar to save a document.

You can also save a document by pressing CTRL+S on your keyboard.

To save an existing document with a new name, choose the Save As command on the File menu.

You should save your document periodically to avoid losing your work if a power or system failure occurs.


Saving a document with a new name
To save a document with a new name

1.	On the File menu, choose Save As.

2.	Select the drive and directory where you want to save the document/file.

3.	Type the new name of the document/file in the File Name box.

4.	Choose OK

Tips

You do not need to add the extension ".RAV" to the document's name since ReActiv will automatically add it for you.

To save an existing document with a new name, choose the Save As command on the File menu.

You should save your document periodically to avoid losing your work if a power or system failure occurs.


Seeing how your document will look before you print it
To see how your document will look before you print it

On the File menu, choose Print Preview.

Tips

You can also click on the Toolbar to open a document.

To print a document, choose the Print command on the File menu.

To change printers and print options, choose the Print Setup command on the File menu.

To return to the previous view from Print Preview, choose the Close button.


Selected soil

The soil which exists in the body of the slope. Although you may define the properties of more than one soil, only one soil is used by the program at any one time. This soil is known as the Selected Soil.


Settings box

Options | Settings

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.


Silt

Engineering objects | Soils | Silt

Description

A silt is a soil with a grain size between 0.002 and 0.06mm.

Properties

Name

Class (Unclassified, well-graded, uniformly-graded, gap-graded, silty, clayey, very silty, or very clayey)

State (Unspecified, very loose, loose, medium dense, dense, very dense, poorly compacted, or well-compacted)

Bulk density/unit weight

Angle of friction

Effective cohesion

Failure state (Peak or Critical State)

Factor of safety on friction (Ff)

Factor of safety on effective cohesion (Fc)

See Also

Property sheet


Single Mechanism box

[Mechanisms View] Calculate | Single Mechanism

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.


Slope menu

The Slope menu appears on the Job View's menu bar and provides commands for editing the slope, water regime, and surcharge. The available choices are:

Command	Purpose
One-Part	Changes the geometry of the slope to One-Part
Two-Part	Changes the geometry of the slope to Two-Part
Infinite	Changes the geometry of the slope to Infinite
Edit	Displays the properties of the slope
Selected Soil	Displays a dialogue box allowing you to select which soil to use in the slope
Water Regime	Displays a cascading menu that allows you to change the water regime to one of the following: Horizontal, Parabolic, Parallel, or Custom; or to Edit the properties of the selected water regime
Surcharge	Displays the properties of the surcharge
See Also

Menu bars


Slopes

Engineering objects | Slopes

Description

Slopes describe the shape and properties of the slope that is to be stabilised with reinforcement. ReActiv implements the following slopes:

One-part

Two-part

Infinite

See Also

Changing the properties of the slope


Soil angle of friction
Angle of friction (degrees)

The internal angle of friction of the soil, as measured in a triaxial cell or a direct shear box. The value depends on the soil's failure state (peak or critical state) and must be between the extreme values in ReActiv's database of soil properties.


Soil bulk density
Bulk density (kg/m³)

The density of the soil in its fully saturated state. Density and unit weight are related by the equation: density = weight / gravity.


Soil bulk unit weight
Bulk unit weight (kN/m³)

The unit weight of the soil in its saturated state. Unit weight and density are related by the equation: weight = density x gravity.


Soil class
Class

A description of the fundamental nature of the soil, based on its constituent parts or plasticity.


Soil effective cohesion
Effective cohesion (kPa)

The intercept of the soil's failure envelope with the s' = 0 line. The value depends on the soil's failure state (peak or critical state) and must be between the extreme values in ReActiv's database of soil properties. The value is set to zero if the soil is unable to sustain any effective cohesion.


Soil failure state
Failure state

A flag indicating whether the soil's angle of friction and effective cohesion are peak or critical state values.


Soil Manager

[Job View] Soil | Show Manager

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

See Also

Soil types


Soil menu

The Soil menu appears on the Job View's  menu bar and provides commands for creating, editing, and deleting soils. The available choices are:

Command	Purpose
New	Displays a cascading menu that allows you to create one of the following soils: Gravel, Sand, Silt, Clay, Fill, Chalk, Custom Soil
Edit	Displays the properties of an existing soil
Delete	Delete a soil and removes it from the Soil Manager
Show Manager	Shows or hides the Soil Manager
See Also

Menu bars


Soil nail design strength
Soil nail design strength (kN)

The long-term factored design strength of the soil nail. The design strength should be derived from the unfactored long-term characteristic strength of the reinforcement by dividing by a set of partial factors covering mechanical damage before and during installation, environmental (i.e. chemical and biological) effects during the reinforcement's design life, and uncertainties in material strength (including extrapolation of data). The design strength must be in the range 1-1000kN. The design strength per unit width of slope (in kN/m) can be obtained by dividing the nail's design strength by its horizontal spacing.


Soil nail hole diameter
Soil nail hole diameter (mm)

For grouted nails, the diameter of the grout hole. For displacement nails, the diameter of the bar. The hole diameter must be in the range 10-250mm.


Soil nail horizontal spacing
Soil nail horizontal spacing (mm)

The average centre-to-centre  spacing of the nails along a horizontal plane. The spacing must be in the range 250-2000mm and be at least twice the nail's hole diameter.


Soil nail property sheet

[Job View | Reinforcement | Edit (with a Soil Nail selected)

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

See Also

Reinforcement types


Soil nails

Engineering objects | Reinforcements | Soil nails

Description

Soil nails are individual cylindrical members, spaced at regular horizontal intervals and (usually) inclined at an angle to the horizontal. They may be installed either by drilling and grouting or by diplacement methods.

Properties

Name

Design strength

Inclination

Hole diameter

Horizontal spacing

Direct shear factor

See Also

Property sheet


Soil property sheet

[Job View] Soil | Edit

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

See Also

Soil types


Soil state
State

A description of the density or consistency of the soil.


Soil state box

Select the soil's state from the descriptions given in this box.


Soils

Engineering objects | Soils

Description

Soils describe the material that exists in the ground on both sides of the wall. ReActiv implements the following soil types:

Gravel

Sand

Silt

Clay

Fill

Chalk

Custom Soil

See Also

Creating a new soil

Displaying existing soils

Changing an existing soil

Deleting a soil


Special considerations for Two-part slopes
Background theory and assumptions

Special considerations for Two-part slopes

The equation for layer depths given here assumes that all geometrically-similar but reduced-scale versions of the Tmax mechanism (see below) will automatically be stable if the Tmax mechanism is made stable. These reduced-scale mechanisms are higher in the slope than the Tmax mechanism.

The geometrical similitude required for this assumption breaks down in the case of two-part slopes, where the "mini" Tmax mechanism is more onerous than the reduced-scale Tmax mechanism (see below), owing to the extra soil shown shaded.

In such situations, it is normally sufficient to provide an extra layer of reinforcement at the level of the slope crest.


Standard edition

Click this button if you have bought the Standard edition of ReActiv.


Status bar

The status bar is the grey strip that sits at the bottom of the Frame Window. The status bar displays key information in summary form and descriptions of menu commands (when activated).

For information, click on the buttons below where [image] appears.

<Picture needed>


Supplied examples

ReActiv comes with a number of examples taken from the DOT's Advice Note  HA 68/94, Appendix J. These examples are copied onto your hard disk when you install the program. The examples have been given the names EXAMPLEn.RAV, where n is an integer between 1 and 7. The supplied examples are:

EXAMPLE1.RAV: embankment in dense sand

EXAMPLE2.RAV: embankment in stiff clay

EXAMPLE3.RAV:  cutting in stiff clay

EXAMPLE5.RAV: slip repair in stiff clay

EXAMPLE6/7.RAV: cutting with "unstable" upper slope


Surcharge magnitude
Surcharge magnitude (kPa)

The magnitude of the surcharge. Must be in the range 0-25kPa.


Surcharge property sheet

[Job View] Slope | Surcharge

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.

See Also

Surcharge types


Surcharges

Engineering objects | Surcharges

Description

Surcharges represent weights and loads that act on the ground and are transmitted through the ground onto the wall. ReActiv implements the following surcharges:

Uniform

See Also

Changing the properties of the surcharge

Property sheet


Surcharges (background)
Background theory and assumptions

Surcharges

The Advice Note allows a uniform vertical surcharge on the slope crest to be considered either explicitly or, more simply, as an equivalent additional thickness of fill. ReActiv adopts the latter approach. When a surcharge is specified, the program determines the Tmax and Tob mechanisms based on the effective height of the slope (H ):

H' = H + ΔH = H + q / γ

where H is the actual slope height (in metres); q is the surcharge (in kN/m2); and γ is the unit weight of fill (kN/m³).

This method is an approximation, and introduces small errors into the calculation of the out-of-balance force. Instead of attributing the extra weight of bcfe to Wedge 1 (see below), ReActiv uses the slightly smaller weight of acfd. ReActiv also (conservatively) overestimates the pore pressures by ruγΔH and (unconservatively) includes cohesion on the surface ac.

When a surcharge is present, ReActiv calculates layer spacings from the expressions:

z1 = 0.5 H' / √(n - 1)

and

zi = H' √[(i - 1) / (n - 1)] for i > 1

where n is the total number of layers. The depths (zi) are measured from the top of the "equivalent" slope, as shown below.


Symbols for two-part wedge

Wi is the weight of Wedge i

Ni' is the force due to effective earth pressures acting on the base of Wedge i

Ui is the force due to water pressures acting on the base of Wedge i

Ri' is the force due to friction along the base of Wedge i

Ki is the force due to effective cohesion along the base of Wedge i

N12' is the force due to effective earth pressures on the interwedge boundary

U12 is the force due to water pressures on the interwedge boundary

R12' is the force due to friction along the interwedge boundary

Ti is the reinforcement force provided through the base of Wedge i

T12 is the reinforcement force transferred through the interwedge boundary

φ is the angle of friction of the soil

θi is the angle that the base of Wedge i makes to the horizontal

λs is a sliding factor


System Keys

The following keys can be used from any window, regardless of the application you are using.

Key(s)	Function
Ctrl+Esc	Switches to the Task List
Alt+Esc	Switches to the next application window or minimized icon, including full-screen programs
Alt+Tab	Switches to the next application window, restoring applications that are running as icons
Alt+PrtSc	Copies the entire screen to Clipboard
Ctrl+F4	Closes the active window
F1	Gets Help and displays the Help Index for the application. (See Help Keys)


Tcrit tolerance

The tolerance used to determine when a critical mechanism has been found (by default 0.01%).


Technical support

Help | Technical Support

Support via World Wide Web

The most efficient way for you to get technical support for ReActiv is to visit Geocentrix's web site at http://www.geocentix.co.uk.

Telephone support

If you require assistance or advice on the use of ReActiv, please call the ReActiv Help Line on the following number: +44-1737-373963. Telephone support is available at the following UK times:

9am-1pm, Monday to Friday*

2pm-5pm, Monday to Thursday*

(*excluding bank holidays).

Please have your registration details available when you call the ReActiv Help Line.

Submitting written requests for technical support

You can submit written requests for technical support by letter, fax, or e-mail to the following addresses and numbers:

By fax: +44-1737-373963

By e-mail: support@geocentrix.co.uk

By post: ReActiv Technical Support, Geocentrix Ltd, Scenic House, 54 Wilmot Way, Banstead, Surrey, SM7 2PY, United Kingdom

Please quote your registration details on all correspondence to ReActiv Technical Support.

See Also

Obtaining your registration details

Obtaining version and copyright information


Text Selection Keys

Key(s)	Function
Shift+Left or Right Arrow	Selects text one character at a time to the left or right
Shift+Down or Up	Selects one line of text up or down
Shift+End	Selects text to the end of the line
Shift+Home	Selects text to the beginning of the line
Shift+Page Down	Selects text down one window or cancels the selection if the next window is already selected
Shift+Page Up	Selects text up one window or cancels the selection if the previous window is already selected
Ctrl+Shift+Left or Right Arrow	Selects text to the next or previous word
Ctrl+Shift+Up or Down Arrow	Selects text to the beginning (Up Arrow) or end (Down Arrow) of the paragraph
Ctrl+Shift+End	Selects text to the end of the document
Ctrl+Shift+Home	Selects text to the beginning of the document


Tiling windows

Window | Tile

Description

The Tile command on the Window menu arranges all document windows side-by-side in a non-overlapping pattern.


Tmax mechanism

The Tmax mechanism is the critical mechanism anywhere in the slope (including the baseline) that requires the greatest reinforcement force to establish its equilibrium. The Tmax mechanism is used to calculate the required number of reinforcement layers.


Tmax time-out

The maximum number of heel positions used in searching for the Tmax mechanism (by default 500).


Tmax tolerance

The tolerance used to determine when the body Tmax mechanism has been found (by default 0.01%).


Tmaxb brackets

Values used to initialise the search for the body Tmax mechanism, as a proportion of the breadth of the slope (by default, bracket 1 = 1.0 and bracket 2 = 1.2).


Tmaxb tolerance

The tolerance used to determine when the baseline Tmax mechanism has been found (by default 0.01%).


Tob mechanism

The Tob mechanism is the critical base-sliding mechanism that requires precisely zero reinforcement force to establish its equilibrium. The Tob mechanism is used to calculate the lengths of the reinforcement layers.


Tob tolerance

The tolerance used to determine when the Tob mechanism has been found (by default 0.01%).


Today button

Choose the Today button to reset the text in the Date box to today's date.


Toolbar

The Toolbar is the row of buttons that sits directly beneath the menu bar. Clicking on one of the buttons is a quick way of choosing a menu command. A button on the toolbar is enabled or disabled according to whether the command it implements in currently available.

For information, click on the buttons below where [image] appears.


Two-part slope

Engineering objects | Slopes | Two-part slope

Description

A two-part slope comprises a bi-linear slope with a horizontal crest.

Properties

Upper slope height

Upper slope angle

Lower slope height

Lower slope angle

See Also

Property sheet


Two-part slope property sheet

[Job View] Slope | Edit (with Two-part Slope selected)

For information, click on the box below where [image] appears.


Two-part wedge mechanism with horizontal reinforcement
Background theory and assumptions

Two-part wedge mechanism with horizontal reinforcement

The design method used by ReActiv is based on limiting equilibrium of a two-part wedge mechanism (as shown below).

The mechanism considered has a vertical interwedge boundary. When there is no friction on the interwedge boundary, it provides inherently conservative solutions combined with reasonable simplicity, and is particularly suitable to reinforced soil geometries.

The inherent conservatism of the method can be reduced by taking interwedge friction into account. Guidance is given on this later in this chapter. Guidance is also given on the assumptions behind the method's simplified reinforcement distribution.

The design method assumes that a competent bearing material (which is significantly stronger than the slope fill) exists beneath the retained slope. The two-part wedge mechanism is constrained to pass through the toe of the slope.

ReActiv may be used as an automatic design tool or as a calculator. When used as a design tool, the program automatically and rapidly leads you to an optimized reinforcement layout for the given slope geometry, soil parameters, water regime, reinforcement type, etc. You do not have to guess a reinforcement layout or perform trial-and-error calculations (although you may do so, if you so wish).

Factors-of-safety

Governing equations

Equations with zero interwedge friction

Equations with interwedge friction

ζ1 or ζ2?

Interwedge friction angle

Required reinforcement

Number of layers

Depth to the first layer

Pullout length of the first layer

Depths of layers 2-n

Further checks


Two-part wedge mechanism with inclined reinforcement
Background theory and assumptions

Two-part wedge mechanism with inclined reinforcement

The design method given in the Advice Note for inclined reinforcement is identical to that for horizontal reinforcement, except as described below:

The equation for the total out-of-balance force (T) is more complicated because the components T1 , T2, and T12 are inclined to the horizontal (see below)

The Tmax and Tob mechanisms are called the Tmaxδ and Toδ mechanisms to emphasize the fact that they are calculated for inclined reinforcement

The average normal effective stress that acts on soil nails is not equal to the vertical effective stress in the soil

Factors-of-safety

Governing equations

Equations with zero interwedge friction

Equations with interwedge friction

ζ1 or ζ2?

Interwedge friction angle

Required reinforcement

Number of layers

Depth to the first layer

Pullout length of the first layer

Depths of layers 2-n

Further checks


Uniform surcharge

Engineering objects | Surcharges | Uniform surcharge

Description

A uniform surcharge is a blanket load of infinite extent. It can be used (for example) to represent traffic loading, berms, etc.

Properties

Magnitude


Upper slope angle
Upper slope angle (degrees)

The angle of the upper part of the slope, measured from the horizontal. Must be in the range 5-70 degrees and be less than the lower slope angle.


Upper slope height
Upper slope height (m)

The vertical height of the upper part of the slope. Must be in the range 0.5-100m.


Upper wedge angle
Upper wedge angle (deg)

The angle of the upper part of the two-part mechanism, measured from the horizontal.


Value in INI file
Value

A text string or number assigned to the parameter identified by the Keyword.


Version number

This field gives the version number of the program.


Vertical spacing
Vertical spacing (mm)

The vertical spacing between reinforcement layers (used when the Fixed Vertical Spacing option is on). Must be in the range 100-3000mm.


View menu

The View menu appears on the Job View, Mechanisms View, and Reinforcement View  menu bars but changes according to which window is selected. Click below for the specific menu you want to know about.

Job View's View menu

Mechanisms View's View menu

Reinforcement View's View menu


Water regimes

Engineering objects | Water regimes

Description

Water regimes describe the ground water conditions that exist in the slope. ReActiv implements the following water regimes:

Parallel

Horizontal

Parabolic

Custom

See Also

Changing the properties of the water regime


Water table height
Water table height (m)

The height of the water table above the toe of the slope at a distance far from the face of the slope. Must be less than or equal to the height of the slope (H), greater than or equal to the smaller of 0.8H or H - 3m, and greater than zero.


What's new in version 1.5

Version 1.5 of ReActiv includes the following improvements over version 1.0:

Calculation options

You can now calculate reinforcement layers at a fixed vertical spacing.

You can now use different strength reinforcements in the same slope.

Reinforcement options

You can specify more than one reinforcement.

A Reinforcement Manager has been added to help you create, edit, and delete reinforcements.

Reinforcements can now be named.

User interface improvements

The Job View menubar has been redesigned to support multiple reinforcements.

The Reinforcement View now displays the reinforcement's name and type.

All dialogue boxes now have a Help button in the them, linked to ReActiv's Help system.

The user interface has been given a new look in accordance with Windows 95 conventions.

Other improvements

The on-line Help system has been greatly expanded to cover all aspects of using ReActiv.

Bug fixes

An error message is now issued when the top layer of reinforcement is above the top of the slope.

Added warning when vertical spacing between layers is > 2m.

Fixed error drawing Tmax mechanism for Two-part slopes.

Program now reads default values for soils' Ff and Fc from REACTIV.INI.


What's new in version 1.51

Version 1.51 of ReActiv includes the following improvements over version 1.5:

Bug fixes

Fixed various bugs in the Help file

Added various formulae that were missing from the Help file

Fixed error failing to clear results after slope or selected soil have been edited

Reinforcement Used box can now be displayed when only one reinforcement is defined

Reinforcement Used box now checks that the correct number of reinforcements are selected for the chosen design method

Optimized calculation of grid mechanisms by delaying screen updates until after all calculations are complete (also reduces screen flicker)

Fixed error in Calculate Grid Mechanisms box which prevented the grid properties from being specified as non-automatic

Selected Soil box now remembers which soil is currently selected in the slope

Reinforcement Used box no longer turns the Fixed Vertical Spacing option on when OK is pressed and Vertical Spacing box is now hidden when HA68 option is selected

Changed internal setting for TmaxbBracket2 to 1.5 to ensure Tmaxb mechanism is found

Changed all references to "User-defined" objects to "Custom"

Fixed error in printout of soil nail diameter and spacing (they were multiplied by 1000)

Added note to printout that ru = 0 when the water regime is undefined

Moved "Reinforcement Used..." command from the Reinforcement menu to the Options menu

Fixed general protection fault calculating Tmax for a slope with inclined reinforcement

Fixed "Help topic does not exist" problem when asking for help on technical support


What's new in version 1.6

Version 1.6 of ReActiv includes the following improvements over version 1.51:

Operating systems

ReActiv and its associated libraries are now provided as 32-bit executables, optimised for Windows 95, 98, and Windows NT

ReActiv no longer runs on the 16-bit operating system Windows 3.1

Year 2000 compliance

ReActiv has been tested for Year 2000 compliance in accordance with the British Standards Institution’s document DISC PD2000-1: A definition of Year 2000 conformity requirements (available from http://www.bsi.org.uk/bsi/disc/year2000.html), and conforms to Rules 1-3 defined below. Conformance with Rule 4 is operating system dependent:

Rule 1. No value for current date will cause any interruption in operation (the 'general integrity' rule)

Rule 2. Date-based functionality must behave consistently for dates prior to, during and after year 2000 (the 'date integrity' rule)

Rule 3. In all interfaces and data storage, the century in any date must be specified either explicitly or by unambiguous algorithms or inferencing rules (the 'explicit/implicit century' rule)

Rule 4. Year 2000 must be recognized as a leap year

Bug fixes

Fixed error message 'Invalid inclination: please enter an angle less than or equal to MAX' which occured when entering an soil nail inclination >= 30 degrees

Fixed error causing program to crash when an invalid reinforcement vertical spacing was entered into the Reinforcement Used dialog box

Fixed error in printout of soil nail spacing in the Notes column of the Required Reinforcement table

Added check that all reinforcement layers have the same angle of inclination

In the Reinforcement Used dialog box, the Vertical Spacing box is now hidden when the Fixed Spacing option is turned off

Fixed false warning that inclined reinforced layers have different inclinations

Fixed bug causing the Fissured checkbox in the Soil Classification dialog box to disappear when it should be enabled


What's new?

To discover what's new in ReActiv since its first (version 1.0) release, choose from the following options:

What's new in version 1.6

What's new in version 1.51

What's new in version 1.5


Window Keys

Key(s)	Function
Alt+Spacebar	Opens the Control menu for an application window
Alt+Hyphen	Opens the Control menu for a document window
Alt+F4	Closes a window
Alt+Esc	Switches to the next application window or minimized icon, including full-screen programs
Alt+Tab	Switches to the next application window, restoring applications that are running as icons
Alt+Enter	Switches a non-Windows application between running in a window and running full screen
Arrow key	Moves a window when you have chosen Move from the Control menu or changes the size of a window when you have chosen Size from the Control menu


Window menu

The Window menu appears on all the menu bars and provides commands for arranging and refershing the windows on the Frame Window. The available choices are:

Command	Purpose
Cascade	Resizes and positions all windows in an overlapping pattern
Tile	Resizes and positions all windows in an non overlapping pattern
Arrange Icons	Aligns all iconized windows along a grid
Close All	Closes all windows
1. <Filename>: Job View	Activates the Job View for the document specified by <Filename>
2. <Filename>: Mechanisms View	Activates the Mechanisms View for the document specified by <filename>
3. <Filename>: Reinforcement View	Activates the Reinforcement View for the document specified by <filename>
See Also

Menu bars


Windows' Registry

Description

32-bit version. ReActiv stores default parameters in Windows' Registry, under the key: \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Geocentrix\ReActiv\1.6

Sub-keys

ReActiv's default parameters are stored in the Registry under the following sub-keys:

MRU

Project

Gravel

Sand

Silt

Fill

Chalk

CustomSoil

Geotextile

Geogrid

SoilNail

CustomReinf

OnePartSlope

TwoPartSlope

InfiniteSlope

WaterRegime

Surcharge

Options


Zeta 1 or Zeta 2?
Background theory and assumptions

Two-part wedge mechanism with horizontal/inclined reinforcement

ζ1 or ζ2?

The assumption that the reinforcement force is carried solely by Wedge 1 (i.e. using ζ1) can lead to overly conservative designs for inclined reinforcement, particularly when the angle of interwedge friction (φ12) is set to zero. This is the combination of parameters that was used to produce Table 4.1 in the Advice Note and is the most conservative set of assumptions that can be made.

The equation for ζ1 is:

The derivation of this factor is given in the Advice Note.

When δ is equal to zero (i.e for horizontal reinforcement), this equation reduces to:

The alternative assumption, that the reinforcement force is carried solely by Wedge 2 (i.e. using ζ2), leads to less conservative but more reasonable designs. Comparing the results based on ζ2 with solutions obtained from Caquot and Kerisel's charts (see <here>), indicates that calculations based on ζ2 are safe for interwedge friction angles (φ12) up to ½φ (where φ is the angle of friction of the soil).

The equation for ζ2 is:

When δ is equal to zero (i.e for horizontal reinforcement), this equation reduces to: