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2001 02 0054 PDF
2001 02 0054 PDF
https://www.issmge.org/publications/online-library
ABSTRACT: A circular reinforced concrete diaphragm wall of 20.8m diameter and 0.6m wall thickness was constructed in order to
perform a 9.0m deep excavation in sandy soil with ground water table at -2.0m. The wall was instrumented with specially designed
strain gauges, which were welded on reinforcement bars and allowed measurement of the tangential compressive forces and the longi
tudinal bending moments produced by the excavation. In addition the radial movement of the top of the wall was measured during the
excavation. Field measurements compare well to the results of a finite element analysis performed using axisymmetry and a soil hard
ening plasticity model. In addition, a simple hollow cylinder analysis, in which different at-rest earth pressures and pore-water pres
sures were applied on each side of the circular diaphragm wall, provided very satisfactory predictions o f the variation of the compres
sive forces with depth. Both measured and predicted bending moments and radial movements proved to be very small.
RÉSUMÉ: Affin de réaliser une excavation de profondeur de 9.0 m au sol sablais, la nappe phréatique étant au niveau de -2 .0 m, il a
était construit un parois mulées circulaire de diamètre de 20.8 m. Le parois a été instrumenté par ’strain gauges’ qui ont été adhérés
sur les armatures donnant la possibilité de mesurer les forces compressives tangentielles aussi bien que les moments fléchissants
provoques par l’excavation. Une analyse numérique par la méthode des éléments finis a été réalisée, en considérant une lois
élastoplastique avec écrouissage dont les résultats obtenus se trouvent en correspondance avec ceux mesures en place. En plus, une
analyse simplificatrice pour simuler le problème par un cylindre creux auquel s’exercent de pression des terres au repos aussi bien que
de pression interstitielles a chaque coté du parois a été effectuée, donnant une prédiction satisfaisante de variation de forces
compressives avec la profondeur. Les moments fléchissants aussi bien que les déplacements radiaux ont été trouvés très petits.
1 INTRODUCTION
2 INSTRUMENTATION
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Figure 2. Diaphragm wall and monitoring equipment
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4 MEASURED DIAPHRAGM WALL BEHAVIOUR Compressiveforce (kN)
Monitored tangential strains at different depths were multiplied 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
by the elastic modulus of the reinforced concrete and the thick
ness of the panels (t = 0.6m) to determine the compressive forces
(per unit depth) that developed in the diaphragm wall. Compres
sive forces corresponding to the six depths where strain gauges
were installed, are presented in Figures 4 and 5 for excavation
depths of 6m and 9m, respectively. In both cases the maximum
compressive force developed close to excavation level. For the
final 9m deep excavation the measured maximum compressive
hoop force was on the order of 1000 kN per meter length, corre
sponding to stresses which can be easily accommodated by the
0.6m thick concrete panel.
Measured axial strains at the six depths were used to deter
mine the bending moments developed along the panel lengths for
both 6m and 9m excavations. The maximum bending moment
determined for the final 9m deep excavation proved to be very
small, on the order of 70 kN-m per meter of panel width. This
value is very small compared to the capacity of the wall and
demonstrates that, in contrast to plane rectangular diaphragm
walls, bending moments are not essential in the design of circu
lar diaphragm walls.
The radial movement of the diaphragm wall was measured at
the top of two pairs of opposite to each other concrete panels.
Measurements showed that even for the final 9m deep excava
tion, the movements of the four wall panels were very small, on
the order o f ±lm m and within the measurement accuracy limits.
5 NUMERICAL PREDICTIONS
The behaviour of the circular diaphragm wall was analysed nu Figure 4. Compressive hoop forces for 6m deep excavation
merically using the finite element code PLAXIS (Vermeer,
1996).
The soil was modelled with an axisymmetric mesh consisted
of 15-noded triangular elements. Special beam elements were Compressiveforce (kN)
used to model the sheet pile wall. A hardening plasticity soil
model was employed, described by the angle of internal friction, 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
the angle of dilatancy and the stress depended loading and
unloading stiffnesses. Interface elements were placed between
the soil elements and the wall, simulating a thin zone of reduced
shearing strength.
The flow net caused by the pumping inside the diaphragm
wall was calculated and the pore water pressures were taken into
account in the analysis.
Results o f the numerical analysis are presented in Figures 4
and 5, together with the measured compressive hoop forces, for
6m and 9m deep excavations, respectively. It is noted that varia
tions within reasonable limits of the friction angle of the sandy
layers had only minor effect on the computed compressive forces
versus depth relationships. Results of the numerical analysis are
presented in Figures 4 and 5, together with the measured com
pressive hoop forces, for 6m and 9m deep excavations, respec
tively. It is noted that variations within reasonable limits of the
friction angle of the sandy layers had only minor effect on the
computed compressive forces versus depth relationships. Fur
thermore, change of the value of the shear modulus of the soil
layers had no effect on the computed diaphragm wall behaviour.
The predicted radial inward movements of the circular dia
phragm wall are presented in Figure 6 for the 9m meter deep ex
cavation. The maximum computed movement is on the order of
0.6mm and occurs at the final excavation level where the tangen
tial compressive force is also maximum.
The predicted radial inward movements of the circular dia
phragm wall are presented in Figure 6 for the 9m meter deep ex
cavation. The maximum computed movement is on the order of
0.6mm and occurs at approximately -9.0m where the tangential Figure 5. Compressive hoop forces for 9m deep excavation
compressive force is also maximum.
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6 Ko-ANALYSIS where ct 'v0 and a'*, are the effective vertical stresses outside and
inside the wall, u0 and U| are the pore-water pressures, K<,n is the
In addition to the axisymmetric finite element analysis of the cir at-rest earth pressure coefficient of the normally consolidated
cular diaphragm wall, a simple hand calculation was performed sand ( K,,,, = 1 - sin<|> ) and K*, is the at-rest earth pressure coeffi
using Ko earth pressures, to determine the variation of the tan cient of the overconsolidated, due to the excavation, soil inside
gential compressive forces and radial wall movements with the diaphragm wall. According to Schmidt (1966) and Mayne
depth. and Kulhawy (1982):
The tangential stress as and the radial movement pr o f a point
i within the mass of a hollow cylinder which is subjected to ex K 0 = K 0 n ( 0 C R ) sin<P (8)
ternal and internal pressures p0 and p^ respectively, is (Poulos
and Davis, 1974): where OCR is the overconsolidation ratio.
The variation of the pore-water pressure with depth inside
and outside the diaphragm wall was calculated using the simple
,2 b 2(p0 - P i ) P ia 2 - p 0b 2
O0 (3) procedure described by Padfield and Mair (1984), which as
(b 2 - a 2 ) r 2 sumes that the head difference is dissipated uniformly along the
flow path.
The compressive hoop forces computed using the above
analysis and Equation 5 are plotted in Figures 4 and 5, together
P r, i ± y 2b> ° : P i> _ m ì z m ì . „ _ 2v)r] with the field measurements and the numerical predictions. Both
( b 2 - a 2 )r b2 - a 2
(4) figures demonstrate that the simple K0-analysis provides very
satisfactory predictions. This K^, behaviour of the circular dia
+ v _ r [p2 + 2v(pia 2 - p b 2)
phragm is justified by the fact that the radial wall movements
E b - a are extremely small. The variation of the radial wall movement
with depth, computed using Equation 4 is presented in Figure 6
where a and b are the internal and external radii, respectively, r
together with the results of the numerical analysis. The maxi
is the radius at point i and E, v, are the elastic modulus and Pois-
mum inward movement occurs at a depth of 8.5m and is equal to
son’s ratio of the cylinder.
0.55mm, very close to the numerical prediction.
For r = (a + b)/2, Equation 5 gives the compressive hoop
force Pc per unit length.
:p 0 b - p j a (5) 7 CONCLUSIONS
The external and internal pressures p0 and pj on the dia The behaviour of a circular diaphragm wall which was con
phragm wall are considered equal to the sum of the at-rest earth structed for the purpose of a 9.0m deep excavation, was moni
pressure and the pore-water pressure: tored using strain gauge and surveying measuring techniques.
The excavation was conducted in two stages and measurements
Po = K C + u. (6 ) of the compressive hoop forces and bending moments were
taken at six elevations at the end o f each stage. In addition, the
Pi = K n + Uj (7) radial movement of the top of the diaphragm wall was measured
at four symmetrical points. Bending moments and wall move
ments were very small, while the compressive forces were sig
Radial displacement p(mm) nificant and characterised the circular diaphragm wall behaviour.
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7
The field measurements compared very well to predictions
made through both a finite element analysis and a simple hand
calculation, in which the circular diaphragm was considered as a
hollow cylinder loaded with different at-rest earth pressures and
pore-water pressures inside and outside. It is concluded that due
to the very small radial movements of the circular diaphragm
wall, the simple K„ - analysis provides very satisfactory predic
tions of the compressive hoop forces, which in the circular dia
phragm wall design are predominant.
REFERENCES
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