Abstract: Based on the Distinct Element Method, the commercial program PFC3D was used to evaluate the earth pressures of sand acting on the cylindrical wall with various wall displacement magnitudes. The stress in the soil and the void ratio changes were studied when the soil reaches the active limit state. The results show that the earth pressures acting on the cylindrical wall decreases with a small displacement of the cylindrical wall. When the soil mass reaches the active limit state, the earth pressures remain constant. A trajectory of the minor principal stress was formed due to the principal stress rotation induced by the wallsoil friction under the active limit state. The circumferential stress increases and the void ratio decreases as a result of the forming of an arching effect near the wall for a low h. With the increase of height, the effect of arching effect decreases. The comparison between the numerical simulation results and the theoretical solutions show that the theoretical solutions are not consistent with the numerical simulation results since the arching effect is not considered in all theoretical solutions.

Key words: distinct element method, cylindrical wall, active earth pressures, arching effect