Nicoll Highway Incident

Lessons Learned from The

Nicoll Highway Incident
20th April 2004

1
Nicoll Highway

Nicoll Highway 2

WONG Kai Sin 1

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Site Plan

Collapsed
section of NCH

The Concourse

Station Area
Plaza Hotel
Golden Mile
Merdeka
Golden Mile
Tower Complex
Bridge
X-over Box
Collapse
Area I Area K Area
Area H Area J
Tunnel Box

Nicoll Highway 3

Picture of the affected site

Before Collapse on 20 April 2004

Nicoll Highway 4

WONG Kai Sin 2

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Picture of the affected site

After Collapse on 20 April 2004

Nicoll Highway 5

Picture of the collapse

Around 3:30 p.m. on 20 April 2004

Nicoll Highway 6

WONG Kai Sin 3

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Picture of the collapse

Around 3:30 p.m. on 20 April 2004

Nicoll Highway 7

Nicoll Highway 8

WONG Kai Sin 4

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Nicoll Highway 9

Nicoll Highway 10

WONG Kai Sin 5

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Layout Plan
66 KV Cable

TSA

Nicoll Highway 11

Soil Conditions
RL (m)
103.0
Fill Sand Fill
100.0
E Soft Clay
98.0

UMC Upper
Marine Clay
85.5
F2 upper Stiff Clay
82.5

Lower
LMC Marine Clay
JGP1

69.4
JGP2
F2 lower Stiff Clay
63.7
OA Dense
Silty Sand
Nicoll Highway 12

WONG Kai Sin 6

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Construction of Jet Grout Slab

13

Construction Sequence
Ground Level Ground Level
1ST STRUT
FILL 2ND STRUT FILL

3RD STRUT

4TH STRUT
MARINE MARINE
CLAY CLAY
5TH STRUT

6TH STRUT
FLUVIAL FLUVIAL
7TH STRUT
CLAY CLAY
8TH STRUT

9TH STRUT
MARINE Sacrificial JGP MARINE
CLAY 10TH STRUT CLAY

JGP

D/WALL D/WALL

PILES
PILES

Nicoll Highway OLD ALLUVIUM

14

WONG Kai Sin 7

 Nicoll Highway Incident

9:30 a.m. April 20th 2004

Nicoll Highway 15

Photo taken at S338 Level 9 between 10 to 10:30 a.m.

waler
swayed
downward

Nicoll Highway 16

WONG Kai Sin 8

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Strut Forces of S335

at Level 9

17

Strut Forces
5000

Strut S335 - Level 8

4000
Strut Force (kN)

3000

2000

1000

8th 20/4, 10 a.m.

9th
5000

Strut S335 - Level 9

4000
Strut Force (kN)

3000

2000

1000

Nicoll Highway 18

WONG Kai Sin 9

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Strut Forces

6000
Strut S335 - Level 6
5000

Strut Force (kN)

4000

3000

2000

1000

6th 0

7th 20/4

5000

Strut S335 - Level 7

4000

Strut Force (kN)

3000

2000

1000

20/4

Nicoll Highway 19

Deflection of South Wall (Seaside)

Wall Deflection at I104

105

100 Preload Strut 9

95 17 April 04
90
20 April 04
Reduced Level (m)

85

80
Level 9 Strut
75

70

65

60

55

50
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
Wall Deflection (mm)

Nicoll Highway 20

WONG Kai Sin 10

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Warnings prior to Collapse

• Wall deflections
• Strut forces
• Pore pressures
• Ground settlements
• Field observations

Nicoll Highway 21

Wall deflections
Inclinometer I104 – sea side Inclinometer I65 – highway side

Nicoll Highway 22

WONG Kai Sin 11

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Wall Deflections

23

Maximum Wall Deflections at S335

Nicoll Highway 24

WONG Kai Sin 12

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Changing Goal Posts!

500

450

400
3rd Goal Post
Wall Deflection (mm)

350

300 2nd Goal Post

250

200

150 1st Goal Post

100

50

0
1/4/04 1/19/04 2/3/04 2/18/04 3/4/04 3/19/04 4/3/04 4/18/04

Maximum Wall Deflections at S335

Nicoll Highway 25

Ground Settlement at L111

50.0

0.0
5/24/02 9/1/02 12/10/02 3/20/03 6/28/03 10/6/03 1/14/04 4/23/04
-50.0
Settlement (mm)

-100.0

-150.0

-200.0

-250.0

-300.0

WONG Kai Sin 13

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Pore Pressure at GW(V)25

GW(V)25

Pore Pressure Measurements

GW(V)-25 at 17.5 m in Upper Marine Clay

29/1/04

WONG Kai Sin 14

 Nicoll Highway Incident

What caused the failure?

Nicoll Highway 29

What caused the failure?

1. Basal heave instability
2. Uplift instability
3. Removal of JGP slab
4. Inadequacy of JGP
5. Shifting of JGP slabs
6. Wall kick-in – insufficient wall penetration
7. Wall failure – formation of plastic hinges
8. Curvature of tunnel alignment
9. Presence of the utility gaps
10. Short Waler & Eccentric Strut Loading
11. Settlement of diaphragm wall
12. Strut failure
13. Waler/stiffener failure 30
Nicoll Highway

WONG Kai Sin 15

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Basal Heave Stability

Nicoll Highway 31

Uplift Failure
Ground Level Ground Level
1ST STRUT
Ground Ground
Water Table 2ND STRUT Water Table
FILL FILL
3RD STRUT

4TH STRUT
MARINE MARINE
CLAY CLAY
5TH STRUT

W<U
6TH STRUT
FLUVIAL FLUVIAL
7TH STRUT
CLAY CLAY
8TH STRUT

9TH STRUT
MARINE MARINE
10TH STRUT
CLAY CLAY

JGP

W
D/WALL D/WALL

U
Nicoll Highway OLD 32
ALLUVIUM
Slide 32

WONG Kai Sin 16

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Uplift Failure
Ground Level Ground Level

FILL FILL

MARINE MARINE
CLAY CLAY

FLUVIAL
CLAY
FLUVIAL
CLAY W<U
MARINE MARINE
CLAY CLAY

D/WALL D/WALL

Nicoll Highway 33
OLD ALLUVIUM

Is Old Alluvium a Sand or Clay?

 Predominantly classified as sand but behaves like clay

 High fines content (typically 20 to 30%)
 Low permeability k ~ 10-6 to 10-8 m/s based on field measurements
Nicoll Highway 34

WONG Kai Sin 17

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Clean Sand Pockets and Lenses in OA

RL (m) RL (m)
102.9 102.9
Fill Fill
98.2 98.2
96.4 E E 96.4
UMC UMC
85.6 85.6
83.4 F2 F2 83.4

LMC LMC

68.3 68.3
JGP
E / F2 E / F2

61.6 61.6

Old Alluvium

Sand pocket

Nicoll Highway 35

Removal of JGP
Ground Level Ground Level
1ST STRUT
FILL 2ND STRUT FILL

3RD STRUT

4TH STRUT
MARINE MARINE
CLAY CLAY
5TH STRUT

6TH STRUT
FLUVIAL FLUVIAL
7TH STRUT
CLAY CLAY
8TH STRUT

9TH STRUT
MARINE Removal of this JGP layer MARINE
CLAY 10TH STRUT CLAY

JGP
D/WALL D/WALL

PILES
PILES

Nicoll
OLDHighway
ALLUVIUM 36

WONG Kai Sin 18

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Inadequacy of JGP Slab

RL (m)
Fill Fill
E E

UMC UMC

85.4
F2 upper F2 upper
16 rigs
LMC 24 hrs / day
LMC
JGP1
LMC 72.1
F2 F2 lower
69.4
JGP2 JGP3 OA N = 20
F2 lower 66.8
OA N = 30
64.7
63.7 OA N = 70
OA N = 20
61.2 60.0
OA N = 30
59.2 OA N = 100
OA N = 70
55.0
37
Nicoll Highway

Weak joint at JGP slab along the power cable alignment

Nicoll Highway 38

WONG Kai Sin 19

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Weak joint at JGP slab along the power cable alignment

S335
AC-3

Nicoll Highway 39

Yielding of Diaphragm Wall

Ground Level Ground Level
1

FILL 2 FILL

4
MARINE MARINE
CLAY CLAY
5

6
FLUVIAL FLUVIAL
7
CLAY CLAY
8

9
MARINE JGP MARINE
CLAY CLAY

JGP

D/WALL D/WALL

Nicoll Highway
OLD ALLUVIUM 40

WONG Kai Sin 20

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Yielding of Diaphragm Wall

Ground Level Ground Level
1 Yielding of strut lead to
FILL 2 FILL yielding of wall?
3
Yielding of wall lead to
MARINE
4
MARINE
yielding of strut?
CLAY CLAY
5
Wall Deflection at I104
6 105

FLUVIAL FLUVIAL 100 Preload Strut 9

7
CLAY CLAY 95 17 April 04
8 90
20 April 04

Reduced Level (m)

85
9
80
MARINE JGP MARINE Level 9 Strut
75
CLAY CLAY
70

65
JGP 60

D/WALL D/WALL 55

50
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
Wall Deflection (mm)

OLD ALLUVIUM 41

Insufficient Wall Penetration

Ground Level Ground Level
1

FILL 2 FILL

4
MARINE MARINE
CLAY CLAY
5

6
FLUVIAL FLUVIAL
7
CLAY CLAY
8

9
MARINE JGP MARINE
CLAY CLAY

JGP Toe
kick-in?
D/WALL D/WALL

Nicoll Highway OLD ALLUVIUM 42

WONG Kai Sin 21

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Elevation Contour
of Top of OA
(Ishihara & Lee, 2008)

Before

Nicoll Highway After 43

Comparison of Top of OA Level

Nicoll Highway 44

WONG Kai Sin 22

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Toe kick-in?
I104

Nicoll Highway 45

Presence of Utility Gaps

66 kv Cable

TSA

46
Nicoll Highway

WONG Kai Sin 23

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Curvature in Tunnel Alignment

MC3007

AC3 MC3008

M2064
47

Short Walers & Eccentric Strut Loading

48
Nicoll Highway

WONG Kai Sin 24

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Settlement of D Wall
1ST STRUT
Ground Level
2ND STRUT

FILL Ground Level

3RD STRUT

4TH STRUT
MARINE
CLAY
5TH STRUT

6TH STRUT

FLUVIAL 7TH STRUT

CLAY
8TH STRUT

9TH STRUT
MARINE
CLAY

JGP

Nicoll Highway 49
OLD ALLUVIUM

Settlement of Diaphragm Wall

Ground Level Ground Level
1ST STRUT
FILL 2ND STRUT FILL

3RD STRUT

4TH STRUT
MARINE MARINE
CLAY CLAY
5TH STRUT

6TH STRUT
FLUVIAL FLUVIAL
7TH STRUT
CLAY CLAY
8TH STRUT

9TH STRUT

MARINE MARINE
JGP
CLAY 10TH STRUT CLAY

JGP

D/WALL D/WALL

PILES
PILES

Nicoll Highway OLD ALLUVIUM 50

WONG Kai Sin 25

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Buckling of Struts ?
ORIGINAL GROUND LEVEL STRUTS
INEFFECTIVE
NICOLL HIGHWAY
0m

10m

VERY SOFT
CLAY NO SUPPORT
TO NORTH WALL 20m

30m

40m
DEPTH
OLD ALLUVIUM

0 10 20m

20th APRIL 2004 SCALE

~ 3.30pm 51
Slide 51

Buckling of Struts ?

Fill Fill
E E

MC MC

F2 F2

LMC
LMC

F2
69.4
JGP OA N=20
F2 OA N=30
63. OA N=70
7 OA N=20
61.
OA N=30 OA
2
59.2
OA N=70 N=100
55.
NLC Design > Measured
Therefore, strut failure did not
Nicoll Highway
initiate the collapse. 52

WONG Kai Sin 26

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Waler/Strut Connection
Ground Level Ground Level
1ST STRUT
Levels 1 to 6
FILL 2ND STRUT FILL

3RD STRUT

4TH STRUT
MARINE MARINE
CLAY CLAY
5TH STRUT

6TH STRUT
FLUVIAL FLUVIAL
7TH STRUT
CLAY CLAY
8TH STRUT

9TH STRUT

MARINE MARINE
JGP
CLAY 10TH STRUT CLAY

JGP

D/WALL D/WALL

PILES
PILES

OLD ALLUVIUM 53

Waler/Strut Connection
Ground Level Ground Level
1ST STRUT
Levels 1 to 6
FILL 2ND STRUT FILL

3RD STRUT

4TH STRUT
MARINE MARINE
CLAY CLAY
5TH STRUT

6TH STRUT
FLUVIAL FLUVIAL
7TH STRUT
CLAY CLAY
8TH STRUT

9TH STRUT
Levels 7 to 10
MARINE MARINE
JGP
CLAY 10TH STRUT CLAY

JGP

D/WALL D/WALL

PILES
PILES

OLD ALLUVIUM 54

WONG Kai Sin 27

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Yielding of Waler/Strut Connection with C-channel

NICOLL HIGHWAY
0m
FILL

10m
M
VERY SOFT
CLAY
F2 20m
9am 20 APRIL
WALER STARTS TO FAIL
M

30m
INCREASED WALL
MOVEMENT 17th TO 20th APRIL

40m
DEPTH
OLD ALLUVIUM

BORED PILES
0 10 20m
17th/20th APRIL SCALE
Nicoll Highway 55

Yielding of Waler with C-channel

ORIGINAL GROUND LEVEL
NICOLL HIGHWAY
COLLAPSES
0m
WALL ROTATES

10m

VERY SOFT SOIL FLOW

CLAY
20m

30m

40m
DEPTH
OLD ALLUVIUM

BORED PILES
0 10 20m
20th APRIL 2004 SCALE
~ 3.30pm
Nicoll Highway 56
Slide 56

WONG Kai Sin 28

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Capacity of Waler with C-channel

Concrete Packing

C - Channel
Strut
Waler

D/Wall

Nicoll Highway 57
Slide 57

Capacity of Waler with C-channel

ROTATION ANGLE OF
WALL

WALL
ROTATION

58
Slide 58

WONG Kai Sin 29

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Waler/stiffener Failure due to Wall Rotation

Wall Deflection at I104

105

100 Preload Strut 9

95 17 April 04
90
20 April 04
Reduced Level (m)

85
Wall Deflection at I104
80
80
Preload Strut 9
Level 9 Strut
75 17 April 04
78
20 April 04

Reduced Level (m)

70
º º
Level 9 Strut
65 76
º

60
74

55

50 72
250 300 350 400 450 500
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
Wall Deflection (mm)
Wall Deflection (mm)
59
Nicoll Highway

Effect of Wall Rotation on Waler/stiffener Capacity

Waler (H400) with C-Channels at top & bottom

4000

3500
Waler Capacity (kN)

3000

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Wall Rotation (degrees)

Nicoll Highway 60

WONG Kai Sin 30

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Stiffener Plate

Stiffener Plate

Nicoll Highway 61
Slide 61

Behaviour of Waler with Stiffener Plates

62

WONG Kai Sin 31

 Nicoll Highway Incident

C-channel as Stiffness

C - Channel

63
Nicoll Highway
Slide 63

Behaviour of Waler with C-channels

64

WONG Kai Sin 32

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Testing of Real Specimens

Nicoll Highway 65

Testing of Real Specimens

Nicoll Highway 66

WONG Kai Sin 33

 Nicoll Highway Incident

3-D Numerical Modeling

Nicoll Highway 67

Capacity of Waler/Stiffener without Wall Rotation

(Analysis with strain hardening)

Stiffener Plate at
top and bottom

C-channel at top
and bottom

C-channel at top

68

WONG Kai Sin 34

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Major factors contributing to the failure

1. Design lacks robustness and redundancy.
2. Inadequate wall capacity.
3. Inadequate wall penetration into hard stratum.
4. Missing splays in some struts.
5. C-channel strut-waler connection was
structurally inadequate.
P = 2657 kN

strut

splay

waler
(2/3)P P/3
Nicoll Highway = 1771 kN 69

Root of the problem

Improper Design!

Nicoll Highway 70

WONG Kai Sin 35

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Original Design
Computed Measured

Level 10
325 mm

Formation = 118 mm
Final = 145 mm 71

Method adopted in Original Design

• Undrained analysis
This is
• Mohr-Coulomb soil model known as
• Effective stress parameters: Method A.

c’, f’, E’ and n’

• Phreatic surface: Z-method
• Computer program: PLAXIS

This method over-estimated the undrained

Nicoll Highway
shear strength of marine clay. 72

WONG Kai Sin 36

 Nicoll Highway Incident

“Correct” Method

• Undrained analysis
This is
• Mohr-Coulomb soil model known as
• Total/effective stress parameters: Method B.

cu, fu=0, E’ and n’

• Phreatic surface: Z-method
• Computer program: PLAXIS

Nicoll Highway 73

Nicoll Highway – Results of Undrained Analysis using Method B

Computed using Method B Measured

Nicoll Highway Why is Method B giving the correct deflection? 74

WONG Kai Sin 37

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Method A

Bending
Moment
in Wall

Method B

Nicoll Highway 75

Moving the Goal Post

500

450

400
3rd Goal Post
Wall Deflection (mm)

350

300 2nd Goal Post

250

200

150
1st Goal Post

100

50

0
1/4/04 1/19/04 2/3/04 2/18/04 3/4/04 3/19/04 4/3/04 4/18/04

Nicoll Highway 76

WONG Kai Sin 38

 Nicoll Highway Incident

Root of the problem

Inappropriate
Back-Analysis?

Nicoll Highway 77

Back-Analysis continued to use

Half Mesh & Method A

Full Mesh Half Mesh

Nicoll Highway 78

WONG Kai Sin 39

 Nicoll Highway Incident

1st Back-Analysis by NLC (5 March 2004)

Wall Stiffness
Reduced 50% from Step 11 onward

JGP Strength and Modulus

Reduced 20% from Step 3 onward

Upper Marine Clay Strength and Modulus Method “A”

Reduced 20% from Step 3 onward

Lower Marine Clay Strength and Modulus

Reduced 50% (i.e. f’ = 12° ) from Step 11
onward

Nicoll Highway 79

2nd Back-Analysis by NLC (19 April 2004)

Wall Stiffness
Reduced 55% from Step 9 to 17 and 70%
from Step 18 onward

JGP Strength and Modulus

Reduced 20% from Steps 3 to 8 and 40%
from Step 10 onward

Upper Marine Clay Strength and Modulus

Reduced 30% from Step 3 onward

Lower Marine Clay Strength and Modulus

Reduced 65% from Step 9 to 17 and 75% (i.e. f’ = 6° ) from Step 18 onward

Fluvial Clay (F2) Strength and Modulus

Reduced 30% from Step 3 to 8 and 40% from Step 9 onward

Estuarine Clay (E) Strength and Modulus

80
Reduced 45% from Step 18 onward

WONG Kai Sin 40

 Nicoll Highway Incident

What caused the failure?

Be careful of any novel ideas or unproven methods.

Nicoll Highway 81

Thank You
for your attention!

Nicoll Highway 82

WONG Kai Sin 41