AbstractThe trap‐door problem with dry sand is treated in a statical analysis based upon model test kinematics. Integration of the equilibrium conditions along horizontal slices and introducing the mean value for the vertical stresses yields a differential equation for the trap‐door force. Concerning the constitutive response of sand a statical model of a moving shear band is proposed as an internal boundary. Solutions for the trap‐door force for the active and passive modes and for the ultimate and residual states are disc