Strength of Temporary Earth Retaining Wall Made from Wooden Planks

Situation
A temporary earth retaining wall consists of wooden plank driven vertically into the ground. The wall is designed to resist 2.4 m height of soil.

Given the following:
Cross-sectional dimensions of the plank = 300 mm wide × 75 mm thick
Allowable bending stress of the plank = 10.4 MPa
Allowable shear stress of the plank = 0.8 MPa
Unit weight of retained soil = 17.3 kN/m3
Active earth pressure coefficient = 1/3

1.   Calculate the maximum flexural stress.

A.   12.7 MPa C.   8.6 MPa
B.   14.2 MPa D.   10.1 MPa

2.   Calculate the maximum shear stress.

A.   1.11 MPa C.   0.99 MPa
B.   0.33 MPa D.   0.77 MPa

3.   Calculate the minimum thickness of the plank to prevent failure.

A.   90 mm C.   110 mm
B.   80 mm D.   100 mm