scholarly journals Observed Performance and FEM-Based Parametric Analysis of a Top-Down Deep Excavation in Soil-Rock Composite Stratum

Geofluids ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Gang Lei ◽  
Panpan Guo ◽  
Fucai Hua ◽  
Xiaonan Gong ◽  
Lina Luo

This paper investigates the performance of a top-down deep excavation in soil-rock composite stratum. The behavior of the excavation bracing system, consisting of ground anchors and end-suspended piles, has not been well understood due to the lack of relevant research. Based on the observed data of a typical deep excavation case history for the May Fourth Square Station in Tsingtao, China, the characteristics of the horizontal and vertical pile displacements, ground surface settlements, building settlements, axial forces in ground anchors, earth pressure, and pore water pressure during excavation were analysed. Two-dimensional finite element simulations were carried out to further explore the deformation and internal force responses of end-suspended piles and to capture the effects of pile diameter, embedded depth, and rock-socketed depth on the horizontal displacement and bending moment distributions along the pile shaft. It was found that the pattern of the vertical pile displacements could be categorized into three types: rapid settlement, slow settlement, and rapid heave. The magnitudes of the ground and building responses can be well controlled within allowable limits by combining the top-down method with the adopted bracing system. Among the investigated parameters, pile diameter is dominant in affecting the horizontal pile displacement. The primary influence zone for pile bending moment varies, depending on the parameters. It is recommended that a combination of top-down method, ground anchors, and end-suspended piles be adopted for restraining excavation deformation and lowering construction costs of similar deep excavations in soil-rock composite stratum.

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Wirz ◽  
S. Gruber ◽  
R. S. Purves ◽  
J. Beutel ◽  
I. Gärtner-Roer ◽  
...  

Abstract. In recent years, strong variations in the speed of rock glaciers have been detected, raising questions about their stability under changing climatic conditions. In this study, we present continuous time series of surface velocities over 3 years of six GPS stations located on three rock glaciers in Switzerland. Intra-annual velocity variations are analysed in relation to local meteorological factors, such as precipitation, snow(melt), and air and ground surface temperatures. The main focus of this study lies on the abrupt velocity peaks, which have been detected at two steep and fast-moving rock glacier tongues ( ≥  5 m a−1), and relationships to external meteorological forcing are statistically tested.The continuous measurements with high temporal resolution allowed us to detect short-term velocity peaks, which occur outside cold winter conditions, at these two rock glacier tongues. Our measurements further revealed that all rock glaciers experience clear intra-annual variations in movement in which the timing and the amplitude is reasonably similar in individual years. The seasonal decrease in velocity was typically smooth, starting 1–3 months after the seasonal decrease in temperatures, and was stronger in years with colder temperatures in mid winter. Seasonal acceleration was mostly abrupt and rapid compared to the winter deceleration, always starting during the zero curtain period. We found a statistically significant relationship between the occurrence of short-term velocity peaks and water input from heavy precipitation or snowmelt, while no velocity peak could be attributed solely to high temperatures. The findings of this study further suggest that, in addition to the short-term velocity peaks, the seasonal acceleration is also influenced by water infiltration, causing thermal advection and an increase in pore water pressure. In contrast, the amount of deceleration in winter seems to be mainly controlled by winter temperatures.


1993 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 464-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.D. Eigenbrod

Slow, shallow ground movements in a slope near Yellowknife caused excessive tilting of timber piles that supported an engineering structure. To avoid damage to the structure, the pile foundations had to be replaced by rigid concrete piers that were designed to resist the forces of the moving soil mass. Downhill movements were rather slow and, during an initial inspection, were indicated only by soil that was pushed up against a series of piles on their uphill sides, while gaps had formed on their downhill sides. No open cracks or bulging was observed on the slope. A stability analysis indicated that the slope was not in a state of limit equilibrium. To obtain a better understanding of the creep movements in the slope and their effect on the rigid concrete piers, extensive instrumentation was carried out after the construction of the piers. This included slope indicators, piezometers, thermistors, and total-pressure cells against one of the concrete piers. In addition, a triaxial testing program was undertaken in which the effect of cyclic pore-water pressure changes on the long-term deformations of the shallow clay layer was investigated. From the data collected in the field and laboratory, it could be concluded that (i) tilting of the original timber piles was caused by downslope movements related to cyclic pore-water increases; (ii) the lateral soil movements increased almost linearly with depth from 2 m below the ground surface, with no indication of a slip surface; and (iii) the pressures exerted by the moving soil mass against the rigid concrete piers within the soil mass were equal to the passive resistance activated within the moving soil mass. Key words : soil creep, slope movements, soil pressures, pore-water pressures, freezing pressures, permafrost, cyclic loading.


2012 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 651-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pérsio L.A. Barros ◽  
Petrucio J. Santos

A calculation method for the active earth pressure on the possibly inclined face of a retaining wall provided with a drainage system along the soil–structure interface is presented. The soil is cohesionless and fully saturated to the ground surface. This situation may arise during heavy rainstorms. To solve the problem, the water seepage through the soil is first analyzed using a numerical procedure based on the boundary element method. Then, the obtained pore-water pressure is used in a Coulomb-type formulation, which supposes a plane failure surface inside the backfill when the wall movement is enough to put the soil mass in the active state. The formulation provides coefficients of active pressure with seepage effect which can be used to evaluate the active earth thrust on walls of any height. A series of charts with values of the coefficients of active earth pressure with seepage calculated for selected values of the soil internal friction angle, the wall–soil friction angle, and the wall face inclination is presented.


2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Y. Fattah ◽  
Raid R. Al-Omari ◽  
Haifaa A. Ali

Abstract In this paper, a method for the treatment of the swelling of expansive soil is numerically simulated. The method is simply based on the embedment of a geogrid (or a geomesh) in the soil. The geogrid is extended continuously inside the volume of the soil where the swell is needed to be controlled and orientated towards the direction of the swell. Soils with different swelling potentials are employed: bentonite base-Na and bentonite base-Ca samples in addition to kaolinite mixed with bentonite. A numerical analysis was carried out by the finite element method to study the swelling soil's behavior and investigate the distribution of the stresses and pore water pressures around the geocells beneath the shallow footings. The ABAQUS computer program was used as a finite element tool, and the soil is represented by the modified Drucker-Prager/cap model. The geogrid surrounding the geocell is assumed to be a linear elastic material throughout the analysis. The soil properties used in the modeling were experimentally obtained. It is concluded that the degree of saturation and the matric suction (the negative pore water pressure) decrease as the angle of friction of the geocell column material increases due to the activity of the sand fill in the dissipation of the pore water pressure and the acceleration of the drainage through its function as a drain. When the plasticity index and the active depth (the active zone is considered to be equal to the overall depth of the clay model) increase, the axial movement (swelling movement) and matric suction, as a result of the increase in the axial forces, vary between this maximum value at the top of the layer and the minimum value in the last third of the active depth and then return to a consolidation at the end of the depth layer.


1994 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang-Yu Ou ◽  
Ching-Her Lai

This paper presents an application of finite-element analysis to deep excavation in layered sandy and clayey soil deposits using a combination of the hyperbolic and the Modified Cam-clay models. In the analysis, the drained behavior of cohesionless soil and the undrained behavior of cohesive soil were simulated using the hyperbolic and Modified Cam-clay models, respectively. A rational procedure for determining soil parameters for each of the models was established. A simulation of the dewatering process during excavation was proposed. The analytical procedure was confirmed through an analysis of three actual excavation cases. Finally, analyses considering pore-water pressure dissipation during the actual elapsed time for each construction phase were carried out. The results indicate that the calculated displacement of a retaining wall during excavation is smaller than that given by undrained analysis. It was thought that some degree of pore-water pressure dissipation actually occurs during the intermediate excavation stages. This results in a decrease in the final deformation of the wall and ground.-surface settlement than would be predicted by undrained analysis. Key words : finite-element analysis, deep excavation, hyperbolic model, Cam-clay model.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duaa Al-Jeznawi ◽  
ISMACAHYADI Mohamed Jais ◽  
Bushra S. Albusoda

Abstract Liquefaction of saturated soil layers is one of the most common causes of structural failure during earthquakes. Liquefaction occurs as a result of increasing pore water pressure, whereby the rise in water pressure occurs due to unexpected change in stress state under short-term loading, i.e., shaking during an earthquake. Thus, general failure occurs when the soil softens and eliminates its stiffness against the uplift pressure from the stability of the subsurface structure. In this case, the condition of soil strata is considered undrained because there is not enough time for the excess pore water pressure to dissipate when a sudden load is applied. To represent the non-linear characteristics of saturated sand under seismic motions in Kobe and Ali Algharbi earthquakes, the computational model was simulated using the UBCSAND model. The current study was carried out by adopting three-dimensional-based finite element models that were evaluated by shaking table tests of a single pile model erected in the saturated soil layers. The experimental data were utilized to estimate the liquefaction and seismicity of soil deposits. According to the results obtained from the physical models and simulations, this proposed model accurately simulates the liquefaction phenomenon and soil-pile response. However, there are some differences between the experiment and the computational analyses. Nonetheless, the results showed good agreement with the general trend in terms of deformation, acceleration, and liquefaction ratio. Moreover, the displacement of liquefied soil around the pile was captured by the directions of vectors generated by numerical analysis, which resembled a worldwide circular flow pattern. The results revealed that during the dynamic excitation, increased pore water pressure and subsequent liquefaction caused a significant reduction in pile frictional resistance. Despite this, positive frictional resistance was noticed through the loose sand layer (near the ground surface) until the soil softened completely. It is worth mentioning that the pile exhibited excessive settlement which may attribute to the considerable reduction, in the end, bearing forces which in turn mobilizing extra end resistance.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 459-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Wirz ◽  
S. Gruber ◽  
R. S. Purves ◽  
J. Beutel ◽  
I. Gärtner-Roer ◽  
...  

Abstract. In recent years, strong variations in the speed of rock glaciers have been detected, raising questions about their stability in a changed climate. In this study, we present continuous time series over three years of surface velocities of six GPS stations located on three rock glaciers in Switzerland. Intra-annual velocity variations are analyzed in relation to local meteorological factors, such as precipitation, snow(melt), as well as air and ground surface temperatures. A main focus of this study lies on the abrupt velocity peaks, which have been detected at two steep and fast moving rock glacier tongues. The continuous measurements with high temporal resolution revealed that all rock glaciers experience clear intra-annual variations in movement where the timing and the amplitude is rather similar between individual years. The seasonal decrease in velocity was typically smooth, starting one to three months after the seasonal decrease in temperatures, and was stronger in years with colder temperatures in mid winter. The seasonal acceleration always started during the zero curtain period, often was abrupt and rapid compared to the winter deceleration, and at two stations it was interrupted by short velocity peaks, occurring immediately after high water input from snowmelt or heavy precipitation. The findings of this study suggest that both, the seasonal acceleration and the short velocity peaks are strongly influenced by water infiltration, causing thermal advection and increase in pore water pressure, and that likely no velocity peak was solely caused by high temperatures. In contrast, the amount of deceleration in winter seems to be mainly controlled by winter temperatures.


2020 ◽  
Vol 143 ◽  
pp. 01015
Author(s):  
Wenjie Song ◽  
Yanyong Xiang

An analytical continuous upper bound limit analysis is developed to analyse the effects of seepage on the transverse stability of underwater shield tunnels. The approach is based on an analytical continuous upper bound limit analysis method for cohesive-frictional soils. It employs the complex variables solution of the displacement field due to tunnel deformation and movement, and the analytical solution of the pore water pressure field for steady state seepage due to pore water influx at the tunnel perimeter. The most critical slip line position and the minimum required tunnel support pressure are determined by using a particle swarm optimization scheme for various generic situations. The method is verified via finite element simulation and comparison with the solution from using rigid block upper bound limit analysis. The parametric analysis revealed among other things that both the infimum of the necessary tunnel support pressure and the most critical plastic zone increase when the hydraulic head at the ground surface increases, but decrease when the tunnel influx increases due to the fact that pore water pressure at the tunnel perimeter decreases with the tunnel influx.


2013 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 288-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhi-Feng Wang ◽  
Shui-Long Shen ◽  
Chu-Eu Ho ◽  
Yong-Hyun Kim

This paper presents a case study of an investigation into the responses of the surrounding ground to the horizontal twin-jet grouting method (HTJGM) in soft soil deposits of Shanghai. During the field test, the variation of pore-water pressure, lateral earth pressure, lateral displacements of the subsurface soils, and ground surface heave induced by the installation of five horizontal jet-grouted columns were monitored. The monitoring results indicate that the excess pore-water pressure reached 4 to 6 times the undrained shear strength of the soils, while maximum lateral displacements and ground surface heave were up to 80 and 17 mm, respectively. The influence range due to the installation of jet-grouted columns was between 15 and 20 times the nominal column radius. The development of prediction methods for lateral displacements and ground surface heave induced by the HTJGM installation process are presented and discussed. Results from the investigation suggest that the proposed prediction methods can be used to provide reasonable estimates of ground response and influence range of horizontal jet grouting.


2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 49-66
Author(s):  
Rafał F. Obrzud ◽  
Sébastien Hartmann ◽  
Krzysztof Podleś

Abstract This paper analyzes two approaches to serviceability limit state (SLS) verification for the deep excavation boundary value problem. The verification is carried out by means of the finite element (FE) method with the aid of the commercial program ZSoil v2014. In numerical simulations, deep excavation in non-cohesive soil is supported with a diaphragm wall. In the first approach, the diaphragm wall is modeled with the Hookean material assuming reduced average stiffness and possible concrete cracking. The second approach is divided into two stages. In the first stage, the wall is modeled by defining its stiffness with the highest nominal Young’s modulus. The modulus makes it possible to find design bending moments which are used to compute the minimal design cross-section reinforcement for the retaining structure. The computed reinforcement is then used in a non-linear structural analysis which is viewed as the “actual” SLS verification. In the second part, the paper examines the same boundary value problem assuming that the excavation takes place in quasi-impermeable cohesive soils, which are modeled with the Hardening Soil model. This example demonstrates the consequences of applying the steady-state type analysis for an intrinsically time-dependent problem. The results of this analysis are compared to the results from the consolidation-type analysis, which are considered as a reference. For both analysis types, the two-phase formulation for partially- saturated medium, after Aubry and Ozanam, is used to describe the interaction between the soil skeleton and pore water pressure.


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