SBurlon - Colombie - 2 - v1

Accounting for water in the design of deep excavations
Accounting for water in the design of

deep excavations (undrained
behaviour, swelling, etc.)
Sébastien Burlon, Terrasol-Setec

sebastien.burlon@setec.com
III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 1

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Main issues
Drained and undrained calculations

(Theory, numerical analysis, examples)
Hydraulic verifications
Accounting for swelling effects

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Main issues
Soil mechanics is based on the use of two approaches:
• Calculation in undrained conditions:

The pore pressure field u is not known.
Strength parameters are cU.
This approach is usally performed for short term analysis.
• Calculation in drained conditions using Terzaghi’s prinicple: s’=s-u

The pore pressure field u has to be known.
Strength parameters are c’ and j’.
This approach is usally performed for long term analysis.

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Simple example: an embankment

h0
Pore pressures increase

Step 0 : the stability is checked by considering cU0.
According to the time, the pore pressures decrease
and consolidation happens
Calculations with total stressses

are performed by updating the
value of the undrained cohesion.
h1
h0
The pore pressures increase again

Step 1 : the stability is checked using:
cu1=cu0+lcu(grh0)/2.Uv
………
Calculations in effective stresses could be done but pore pressure fiel should be known: undrained
calculations are performed after consolidation

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Simple example: a slope
Initial step
Just after the excavation, pore pressures strongly

decrease into the ground. Slope stability can be ??
checked in undrained conditions.
Pore pressures reach a steady state according to the

boundary conditions.
Calculations in drained conditions can be
performed for this final step.

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Drained and un drained conditions for excavation
How to take into account the

behaviour of these soils:
undrained at short term and
drained at long term ?

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Numerical analysis
Drained calculations are performed by considering the steady state groundwater flow
that is calculated separately.
These calculations will give results at long term that may be considered as too
conservative if the phase is transient (some hours, some days)
It will give:
• a limit superior of the displacements and the structural forces;
• a limit inferior of the safety factor.

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Numerical analysis
Undrained calculations with effective stresses +
consolidation analysis
These undrained calculations will give results at short term that may be too optimistic if the
phase is persistent (greater than 10 or days depending on the ground permeability).
It will give:
• a limit inferior of the displacements and the structural forces;
• a limit superior of the safety factor.
Consolidations analysis will provide the results of draine dcalculations if the time is sufficient.
Fully coupled calculations will give similar results as undrained calculations + consolidation
analysis
The sequence calculation is fully coupled without any undrained calculations.
 The shear strength can vary very strongly betweeen drained

behaviour and undrained behaviour due to the dilatancy.

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Drained and undrained behaviour

300 300
250 250
200 200
q q(kPa)
q q(kPa)
(kPa)
(kPa)
150 150
Numerical modelling of
drained triaxial tests 100 100
50 50
In drained conditions, 0 0
the shear strength is 0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25
déformation axiale
very slowly influenced Axial strain déformation axiale
Axial strain
by dilatancy. 0 0.03
-0.002 0.025
Differences in terms of
Volumetric strain
-0.004
déformation volumique
0.02
déformation volumique
strain
volumetric strains may -0.006

0.015
-0.008
have an effect on the
Volumetric
0.01
-0.01
displacements. -0.012 0.005 High dilatancy
Low dilatancy
-0.014 0
Be careful to the flow -0.016 -0.005
rule (Mohr-Coulomb – -0.018

0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25
-0.01
y angle)
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25
déformation axiale
Axial strain déformation axiale
Axial strain

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019

250
200
Numerical modelling of 150
q (kPa)
q (kPa)
undrained triaxial tests
100
50
0
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16
Experimental data p' (kPa)
Axial strain
Numerical data
80
pressure (kPa)
70
60
pression interstitielle (kPa)
50
40
 The calibration is 30
pretty good
Pore
20
10
0
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16
déformation axiale
Axial strain

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019

Increase of the
250 400
mobilized shear
Experimental data 350
strength
200
300
Numerical data 150 250
q (kPa)
q (kPa)
q (kPa)
q (kPa)
200
100
A slight 150
variation in the 50
100
dilatancy can 50
strongly modify 0 0
the mobilized 0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08
p' (kPa)
0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16 0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16
p' (kPa)
shear strength Axial strain Axial strain
80 80
70 60
The mobilized
pressure (kPa)
40
60
shear strength

20
50
can become 0
40
-20
infinite. High dilatancy
30 -40
20 -60
Pore
The 10 -80
constituttive law 0
-100
has to include a 0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16 -120
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16
déformation axiale
contractive part. Axial strain déformation axiale
Axial strain

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
A well known case study: Nicoll highway collapse

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
(From Whittle et al., 2006)

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019

The calculation was performed in undrained conditions with effective stresses.
Constitutive law: Mohr-Coulomb with dilatancy angle y=0.
The contractive behaviour of the clay was completely ignored and the mobilized shear strength
was too large in comparison to the real undrained cohesion.
Option B
Option A

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Option A Option B

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Option A Option B

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Option A
Back analysis
Option B
Rupture

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Choice of the constitutive law

To deal with the problem of dilatancy, Plaxis software introduces two options:
Option A: the mobilized shear strength in undrained conditions is deduced from the integration of
the constitutive law. The choice of the flow rule is very important
Option B: the mobilized shear strength in undrained conditions is imposed by the user by defining
the undrained cohesion.
Experimental data
Numerical data
q (kPa)
q (kPa)
cU (Option A) cU
Numerical data
(Option B)
p’ (kPa) ea

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
A simple case study

Diaphragm walls: width=1 m
+ 2 levels of anchors
40 m
Silt
35 m
34 m
29 m
26 m
Stiff clay
16 m
FS(uplift equilibrium)=1.05=(10x19)/[(34-16)x10]
Chalk
0m
0m 80 m

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
A simple case study - Results
Undrained
Drained Consolidation
Analysis
Analysis (after 35 days)
Lateral displacement (cm) 7.7 3.2 7.1

Bending Moment
730 292 682
(kNm/ml)
Axial force – Anchor 1
323 202 302
(kN/ml)
Axial force – Anchor 2
380 180 465
(kN/ml)
Safety Factor 1.26 1.7 1.26

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
A simple case study – Stress paths (passive pressures)

Drained path
Undrained path + Consolidation
Failure criterion
Additional strength due to

undrained behaviour
q (kPa)
p’=cste due to elastic

behaviour
p’ (kPa)

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
A simple case study – Stress paths (active pressures)

Drained path
Failure criterion Undrained path + Consolidation
Additional strength due to

undrained behaviour
q (kPa)
p’=cste due to elastic

behaviour
p’ (kPa)
Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Effect of groundwater flow
Strut Strut Strut
Sand Sand Sand
Silty clay Silty clay Silty clay
Sand
Stiff clay

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Case 1: Hydrostatic Case 2: the Case 3: the groundwater

conditions groundwater flow flow mainly takes place
mainly takes place into silty clay in front of
into silty clay the retaining wall

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Effective stresses and pore pressure field
Case 1 Case 2 Case 3

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Displacement

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Bending moment

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019

 Excavation with dewatering system
8m
Sand
Width 1 m
Silty clay
k1 ≤ k0
Sand k0

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019

 Steady state conditions
h = -2.00
k1 = k0
Ou i = 0,28
v=k.i
h = -5.50
k0
Hydraulic head: without any difference of

permeability

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019

h = -2.00
i = 0,60 k1 = 0,2 k0
h = -3.80
k0
Hydraulic head: with low difference of

permeability

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019

h = -2.00
k1 = 0,1 k0
i = 0,85
h = -2.00
k0
Hydraulic head: with high difference of

permeability

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019

 Excavation with dewatering system: hydro-mechanical coupling
i=0
Displacement 3.5 cm
Reference case without any groundwater flow

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019

i = 0,28 k1 = k0
Displacement 4.0 cm k0
Hydraulic head: without any difference of

permeability

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019

i = 0,60 k1 = 0,2 k0
i~0
Displacement 8.0 cm k0
Hydraulic head: with low difference of

permeability

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019

i = 0,85 k1 = 0,1 k0
i~0
Displacement > 30 cm k0
Hydraulic head: with high difference of

permeability

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019

 Excavation with dewatering system: sensitivity analysis
Lateral Bending
Type of Hydraulic Factor of
Permeabilities displacement Moment
calculation gradient safety
(cm) (kNm/ml)
Hydrostatic -- i=0 3,5 700 2,2
k1 = k 0 i = 0,28 4,0 800 1,8

Groundwater
k1 = 0,2 x k0 i = 0,60 8,5 1000 1,3
flow
k1 = 0,1 x k0 i = 0,85 > 30 >1300 <1

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Other aspects:
Piping - i
These two issues (effective

stresses and hydraulic
gradient) are linked but
Effective they act in opposite ways
stresses > 0 for the stability of the
retaining wall.
Internal
erosion - i

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019

Vertical effective stresses (kPa)
With flow
Without flow
Case 1:
Depth (m)
d=0
i=0.528
h=12 m
d=2 m
With flow
h=9 m
Without flow
Depth (m)
Case 2:
d=2 m
i=0.732
The hydraulic gradient is greater but the
stability of the retaining wall is much more
ensured.

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Swelling of stiff clay
•Mechanical heave due to the

decrease of effective vertical
Sand stresses
•Swelling by imbibition/wetting
Stiff clay
Effects on the piles ?

Chalk Effects on the slab ?

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019

The main problem is to assess the strains induced by the swelling. The mechanical heave
is easily calculated by considering the variation of effective vertical stresses.
Two main tests are used to asses this swelling:
Huder Amber test Parallel swelling test (with 5 samples)
Cg
Cg 1 2
3
Swelling
Start
Swelling
Settlement
After loading C1 4
With their natural
Settlement
water content
After wetting C2 5
Wetting
sg
sg

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Vertical Parallel swelling test Huder Amber test

Initial void
Depth effective Preconsolidation Swelling Compression
ratio Swelling
[m] stress [kPa] stress s’p [kPa] index Cs index Cc Swelling Swelling pressure Swelling
e0 pressure sg
parameter Cg sg [kPa] parameter Cg
[kPa]
3.15 59 0.948 174 0.035 0.246 0.026 150 0.036 160
6.30 122 0.871 196 0.023 0.204 0.024 265 0.030 300
Parallel swelling test Huder Amber test

Vertical Initial void Swelling
Depth Preconsolidation Compression Swelling
effective stress ratio index Cs Swelling Swelling pressure Swelling
[m] stress s’p [kPa] index Cc pressure sg
[kPa] e0 parameter Cg sg [kPa] parameter Cg
[kPa]
15.7 170 0.93 230 0.021 0.197 0.021 215 0.045 88
19.5 210 0.94 270 0.019 0.191 0.029 212 0.052 180
ev=De/(1+e0)=(Cg-Cs)/(1+e0).log(s’g/s’f) if s’g > s’f

This quantity accounts for only the strain due to wetting.
It can be easily introduced as an imposed strain using a finite
element method:
Ds=C.Dee=C.(De-Dep-Deth-Dehyd)

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
Conclusions
Water effects may have very significant effects on the design of retaining wall:
Undrained and drained conditions to perform calculations shall be considered very

carefully;
Undrained calculations in effective stresses are interesting to optimise some transient

construction stages but the mobilised shear strength shall be checked precisely;
Hydraulic gradients induced by groundwater flow shall be taken into account in the
calculation. Dewatering systems can be used to reduce their effects. High but
localized hydraulic gradients are better thant low but extende hydraulic gradients.
Other aspects can be dealt with: swelling, etc.

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019
THANK YOU
FOR YOUR
ATTENTION
Terrasol
Immeuble Central Seine
42-52, quai de la Rapée
75583 Paris Cedex 12
France
Phone: +33 1.82.51.52.00 / email: info@terrasol.com
www.terrasol.com/en

Bogota, 16-17-18 May 2019

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Accounting for water in the design of deep excavations

Accounting for water in the design of

Sébastien Burlon, Terrasol-Setec

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 1

Drained and undrained calculations

Accounting for swelling effects

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 2

Soil mechanics is based on the use of two approaches:

• Calculation in undrained conditions:

• Calculation in drained conditions using Terzaghi’s prinicple: s’=s-u

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 3

Simple example: an embankment

Pore pressures increase

Calculations with total stressses

The pore pressures increase again

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 4

Simple example: a slope

Just after the excavation, pore pressures strongly

Pore pressures reach a steady state according to the

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 5

Drained and un drained conditions for excavation

How to take into account the

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 6

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 7

The sequence calculation is fully coupled without any undrained calculations.

 The shear strength can vary very strongly betweeen drained

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 8

Drained and undrained behaviour

volumetric strains may -0.006

Be careful to the flow -0.016 -0.005

rule (Mohr-Coulomb – -0.018

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 9

Drained and undrained behaviour

Numerical modelling of 150

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 10

Drained and undrained behaviour

Numerical data 150 250

pression interstitielle (kPa)

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 11

A well known case study: Nicoll highway collapse

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 12

A well known case study: Nicoll highway collapse

(From Whittle et al., 2006)

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 13

A well known case study: Nicoll highway collapse

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 14

A well known case study: Nicoll highway collapse

Constitutive law: Mohr-Coulomb with dilatancy angle y=0.

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 15

A well known case study: Nicoll highway collapse

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 16

A well known case study: Nicoll highway collapse

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 17

A well known case study: Nicoll highway collapse

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 18

Choice of the constitutive law

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 19

A simple case study

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 20

A simple case study - Results

Lateral displacement (cm) 7.7 3.2 7.1

III CURSO DE EXPLORACIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL SUBSUELO Y DISEÑO DE EXCAVACIONES Page 21