Wall-Soil Interaction Effects on Ground Movements Adjacent to Excavations

Accurate prediction of ground movements is essential for assessing the potential risk of damaging structures adjacent to deep excavations. Numerous studies have previously been conducted to estimate the magnitudes and the distributions of ground movements. However, the wall-soil interaction effects have not been fully explored. Particularly, the soft toe condition, the effects of vertical loading on walls and the effects of the excavation widths have seldom been discussed. Presented herein is a parametric study conducted to quantify the influence of wall movements on vertical ground movements. A case history of the excavation in soft ground in the Taipei basin is collected for the studies. The excavation was retained by diaphragm walls of 31.5 m in length. Six cases with excavation widths of 11.2 m and 41.2 m with and without soft toes have been analyzed. The non-linear Hardening-Soil with Small Strain constitutive soil model is adopted. The stiffness parameters for the HSS soil model are validated by comparing the results of analyses with the observed ground movements.