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Karolina Gorska
Wroclaw University of Science and Technology
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ABSTRACT
Trench is connected to very narrow and deep excavation filled with bentonite suspension. This paper presents estimation of its
stability in cohesive soil. The stability is assessed by two calculation methods. The first involves the equilibrium of forces acting
on the rigid wedge. The second one includes numerical calculations conducted in Plaxis 3D Foundations. A few examples
having different dimensions (length and depth) are analyzed in uniform soil conditions. Graphs defining the dependence of
length, depth and factor of safety are presented. It is found that for long trenches (L≥6m) the soil kinematics at failure coincides
with the literature data. Short trenches are under a large influence of the arching effect and cohesive forces. The limit
equilibrium method can be used under the condition of employing a factor, which reduces the value of the earth pressure.
Keywords: retaining wall, trench, safety, stability, numerical analysis, arching, failure.
1
Wroclaw University of Technology, ul. Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 51-692 Wroclaw. karolina.gorska@pwr.wroc.pl
during the trenching process should be taken. the Coulomb method for two-dimensional
Usually, major problems are not related to the stability of a slope with an infinite length [1].
trenching process, but are connected to human The shape of the wedge is a prism with triangular
error. sides (see Figure 1a). Acting forces on the wedge
There are several theories for calculating are (see Figure 1b): the bulk weight of the wedge
trench stability that have been implemented in W, the resultant force on the slip surface R,
practice. The first group of theories concerns 2D cohesion force on the slip surface CR, the earth
cases with long trenches. The wedge is triangular pressure Ph and the hydrostatic slurry pressure
and the slip surface is inclined by the angle Ps. To simulate spatial working conditions, shear
θcr = π/4 + φ /2, as in the Coulomb criterion, forces Ss and cohesion forces C on the wedge
where φ is friction angle. Initially only sides are applied. This method provides a very
homogeneous, perfectly cohesive soil conditions quick and accurate estimation for engineering
without groundwater were analyzed by Nash and purposes.
Johns [5]. Later, other forces such as
groundwater pressure and a varying slurry level
were taken into consideration (Morgerstern and
Amir–Tahmasseb [4]). These solutions can be
assumed for shallower rather than longer
trenches (trenches with dimensions of L<2H).
If 3D working conditions are considered, the
forces acting on the sides - shear forces and
cohesion forces - must be analyzed. This
represents the simplest transition from 2D to 3D
analysis and was proposed by Prater [7]. Another Figure 1 a) 3D-view of the sliding block; b) Polygon of
modification is the inclination of the sides into acting forces in the plane of symmetry.
the interior of the wedge. The inclination angle α
= π/4+φ/2 proposed by Washbourne [11] seems In the limit-equilibrium method for this
to have a too small value according to numerical specific case the stability of cohesive soil Ph and
calculations conducted by the author. This Ps must have equal values. This statement leads
angular wedge shape is easily described, but it to the determination of the failure surface
differs from the shape observed in the numerical inclination. For the 2D case it is θcr = π/4 + φ /2.
calculations. Ph is determined from the projection of all acting
The first solution with a curved failure surface forces in the horizontal and vertical directions.
was presented by Piaskowski & Kowalewski in The equilibrium equations are as follows:
1965 [6]. This solution uses a vertical elliptic ∑ Fz = 0 Ph + 2 ⋅ S sz + 2 ⋅ C z + C Rz = R z
cylinder cut by a critical plane. The latest 3D ⇒ (1)
solutions by Tsai and Chang employ a more ∑ Fy = 0 W = R y + C Ry + 2 ⋅ S sy + 2C y
realistic smooth and convex shear surface [9].
This method uses vertical columns as a
generalization for standard 2D slices. where:
This paper presents two further methods of
analysis for trench stability. W = 0.5 ⋅ H 2 ⋅ ctgθ ⋅ L ⋅ γ
Rz = Ry ⋅ tg (θ − ϕ )
70
8
65 10
12
60 15
2D
55
50
3 5 7 9
L - length of trench
4,5
FS - limit equilibrium method
4
calculations, the factor of safety is defined as
follows: 3,5
8
3
tan φ c (2)
10
FS = = 12
tan φred cred 2,5
15
2
where: tan φred and cred are reduced values
1,5
reached in calculation step assumed as a failure. 3 4 5 6
The limit equilibrium Ph = Ps must be reached
L - length of trench
for φred. This definition does not reveal any local
areas of instability and it only has a global
Figure 5. Plots of FS vs. section length L for different depths
character. of the trench – finite element method.
The general rule that factors of safety decrease
with an increase in length for the same depth of
trench is fulfilled (Figures 3, 4 and 5). For the
limit equilibrium method a surprising
phenomenon occurs, i.e. the tendency of higher
FS values for very short trenches of the same
depth (Figure 4 and Table 2). This is not
observed for the finite element method (Figure 5
and Table 3) and is caused by the formulation of
method solutions. Very short trenches shear and
cohesion forces have a determinant influence on
the earth pressure value. This is also a result of
the arching effect. If the trench length increases,
acting forces decrease and the arching effect
disappears.
4,5
FS - limit equilibrium method
8
3,5
10
12
3
15
2,5
2
2 2,5 3 3,5 4 4,5
FS - finite element method