Seismic active thrust on cantilever walls with short heel

This note presents an analytical solution of the thrust on retaining walls with short heel, where the seismic action is simulated through the pseudo-static approach. The critical shape of the thrust wedge is assumed to be that minimizing the safety factor against wall sliding. This procedure is also congruent with the original method of Coulomb. The problem is mathematically expressed by a system of two equations, the first cubic and the second quadratic, whose solution converges quickly.