Passive earth pressure is the lateral pressure exerted by soil against a retaining wall or other structure that restrains the movement of the soil. It is the resistance offered by the soil against any external force applied to it. In simple terms, it is the pressure exerted by soil on the retaining wall when the wall moves away from the soil. Passive earth pressure is relevant in geotechnical engineering and is important in the design of retaining walls, sheet pile walls, and other soil structure interactions.
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