where P
p
=passive resistance per unit width of pile (lb/ft or kN/m)
g
t
=total unit weight of the soil (pcf or kN/m3
)
H=length of the pile that is laterally pushed into the uniform cohesive soil and subjects the
pile to passive pressure (ft or m). Because of restrictions on lateral deflections, typically
only the upper few feet of the pile will be subjected to passive pressure.
c=s
u
=undrained shear strength (total stress analysis), such as obtained from vane shear
strength tests or unconfined compression tests (psf or kPa)