Coefficient of Earth Pressure at Rest

The widely used Jaky coefficient of earth pressure at rest, K0, is revisited. It is demonstrated that this coefficient was derived from an analysis of the stress state in a sand prism that yields an unrealistic stress field. It is also surprising that the at rest stress state is represented as a function of the limit state parameter (internal friction angle). Consequently, one arrives at the conclusion that reasonable predictions made by classical K0 are somewhat coincidental. Jaky’s solution to K0 is discussed in view of more recent research on the stress fields in prismatic mounds of sand.