Based on finite element analysis,we research the active earth pressure and soil arching on the retaining wall under non-limit state.The results show that there is a relative displacement region shaped as trapezoid behind the retaining wall and it increases as the displacements of the retaining wall increases under the non-limit state.The active earth pressure behind the wall presents a convex curve distribution.As increasing of the displacement of the wall,the integrity of active earth pressure increases and the distance from the action point of the integrity of the active earth pressure to the wall heel is about 0.28 to 0.34 times high of the wall.The curve of the soil arching behind the wall under the non-limit state is an exponential function：the base and the curvature decreases with the increase of the wall’s displacement.