To investigate the variation pattern of non-limit state earth pressure in unsaturated limited soils under the parallel translation mode (T-mode) of rigid retaining walls, and to address the inadequacies in existing calculation methods regarding the coupled effects of wall displacement, horizontal shear stress, and soil strength parameters, an analytical solution for non-limit state earth pressure is developed based on the principle of soil arching effect and the framework of the differential element method. The proposed method comprehensively considers the effects of unsaturated soil strength parameters, wall displacement, interlayer horizontal shear stress, and wall-soil interface friction characteristics. Its rationality and accuracy are validated through comparison with existing experimental results. Additionally, an orthogonal experimental design is employed to analyze the significance of key influencing parameters. The results reveal that the non-limit earth pressure in unsaturated limited soils exhibits a nonlinear distribution with depth. It decreases with increasing effective internal friction angle, effective cohesion, displacement ratio, and reduction factor, while it increases with greater soil width-to-height ratio and surface surcharge. Although the interlayer horizontal shear stress does not affect the magnitude of the resultant earth pressure, it lowers the point of application of this force; neglecting its influence would lead to an underestimation of the wall’s overturning stability. The proposed method provides theoretical guidance for the economical design of retaining structures in practical engineering applications.
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