Dewatering induced subsidence during excavation in a Shanghai soft deposit

Foundation dewatering has become a major cause of land subsidence in Shanghai. The burial depth of foundations in relation to geotechnical construction works is less than 75 m, and the corresponding groundwater includes phreatic, low-pressure artesian, and the first confined aquifers. Based on the geological and hydrogeological conditions beneath Shanghai, methods of dewatering may be divided into three modes and further five patterns according to the insertion depth of the dewatering-retaining system. The most common dewatering mode aims to reduce the water pressure in the confined aquifer by setting the dewatering wells inside the pit, whilst the retaining walls are buried in the confined aquifer and partially cut off the confined aquifer layer. To predict the settlement due to foundation dewatering, numerical models are generally adopted, which are similar to those used to predict land subsidence induced by regional groundwater withdrawal; however, since foundation dewatering is conducted along with the setting of retaining walls and foundation pit excavation, which differs from regional groundwater withdrawal, interactions between the retaining wall-dewatering well, the dewatering-excavation, and dewatering-recharge are important factors affecting the analytical model. Since the grading of the shallow soil layers is different, stratified settlement characteristics of the shallow soil strata and seepage erosion, which results in additional deformation, need to be given particular consideration.     

Geological and hydrogeological environment in Shanghai with geohazards to construction and maintenance of infrastructures

Shanghai Administrative Region (SAR) is located on the deltaic deposit of the Yangtze River. The bed rock under SAR is generally buried in the depth of 200 m to 300 m except for several massifs, where the bed rock is exposed to the ground surface. The Quaternary deposit in Shanghai is soft sediment. The variation of palaeoclimate influenced the sea level and resulted in a very complicated sedimentary environment. The Quaternary deposit in SAR is composed of an alternated multi-aquifer-aquitard system (MAAS). The groundwater system is composed of one artesian aquifer and five confined aquifer layers with very high groundwater pressure head. The MAAS was formed mainly within the warm geological era updated to 2.6 million years ago. Between two aquifers, there is an aquitard which is composed of soft clayey soil formed mainly within the cold era. The aquitards are composed of very soft clayey silt with very high compressibility and humus content. The humus material was transformed into methane gas under a long-term geological process. With the development of economy, the infrastructures were (or are being) constructed in the top shallow soft clayey deposit, aquifer I and aquifer II. In SAR, the following geohazards occurred or possibly occur during the construction and maintenance of infrastructures: i) quicksand and piping hazards; ii) pumping-induced hazards and recharge-cutoff hazards; iii) long-term settlement due to the seasonal fluctuation of groundwater level; and iv) geohazards of methane gas.     

Restoring groundwater levels after tunneling: a numerical simulation approach to tunnel sealing decision-making

Tunneling is often unpopular with local residents and environmentalists, and can cause aquifer damage. Tunnel sealing is sometimes used to avoid groundwater leakage into the tunnel, thereby mitigating the damage. Due to the high cost of sealing operations, a detailed hydrogeological investigation should be conducted as part of the tunneling project to determine the impact of sealing, and groundwater modeling is an accurate method that can aid decision-making. Groundwater-level drawdown induced by the construction of the Headrace water-conveyance tunnel in Sri Lanka dried up 456 wells. Due to resulting socio-environmental problems, tunnel sealing was decided as a remedy solution. However, due to the expectation of significant delays and high costs of sealing, and because the water pressure in the tunnel may prevent groundwater seepage into the tunnel during operation, there was another (counter) decision that the tunnel could remain unsealed. This paper describes groundwater modeling carried out using MODFLOW to determine which option—sealed or unsealed tunnel—is more effective in groundwater level recovery. The Horizontal Flow Barrier and River packages of MODFLOW were used to simulate sealed and unsealed tunnels, respectively. The simulation results showed that only through tunnel sealing can the groundwater level be raised to preexisting levels after 18 years throughout the study area. If the tunnel remains unsealed, about 1 million m³/year of water conveyed by the tunnel will seep into the aquifer, reducing the operational capacity of the tunnel as a transport scheme. In conclusion, partial tunnel sealing in high-impact sections is recommended.

     

Geological and hydrogeological environment in Tianjin with potential geohazards and groundwater control during excavation

This paper discusses the geological and hydrogeological features of Quaternary deposits in Tianjin as well as the geohazards related to groundwater hydrology in this region. The soft soil deposits, comprising silt, sand, silty clay and clay, are composed of four aquifer groups. In the first aquifer group, one phreatic aquifer and two confined aquifers have relationships with underground construction in the urban area. These three aquifers are separated by two aquitards and collectively form a multi-aquifer system. During geotechnical construction, potential geohazards present are related to the groundwater, which include water-in-rushing, quicksand and piping hazards. To prevent the aforementioned geohazards, dewatering is conducted; however, groundwater pumping may result in large settlements of the surrounding ground. To reduce pumping-induced settlement, the dewatering–waterproofing system has been adopted. According to the characteristics of the subsoil, excavation depth and the surrounding environment, the dewatering system can be divided into five patterns. In the first four patterns, when pumping is conducted in the excavation pit, the groundwater head in the adjacent aquifers outside the pit decreases due to the leakage effect of the aquitards located between the aquifers. In the fifth pattern, waterproof curtain has cut off the aquifers completely and dewatering in the pit cannot result in settlement around excavation pit. To avoid geohazards related to groundwater hydrology, countermeasures recommended include construction of an effective waterproof curtain, selection of a reasonable excavation dewatering pattern and withdrawal of required groundwater.     

软土地区地铁道床沉降特征及其诱发因素分析

以上海4条地铁线路道床长期沉降监测资料为基础,分析了地铁隧道的纵向沉降特征;结合该地区地质环境调查资料,深入分析地铁隧道沉降与下卧层地层结构、浅部地下水位变化以及区域地面沉降三个地质环境因素之间的相互作用关系。结果表明,地铁隧道下卧地层结构差异是地铁隧道沉降差异性的重要地质环境因素,深基坑降排水引起降水目的含水层地下水位下降,使得降水目的层以及相邻软黏性土层发生较大的压缩变形,导致以降水目的层上覆软黏性土层为承载体的地铁隧道也随之发生沉降,区域地面沉降也是地铁隧道沉降的重要影响因素。     

A unified hydrogeological conceptual model of the Milk River transboundary aquifer,traversing Alberta (Canada) and Montana (USA)

A conceptual model of the transboundary Milk River Aquifer (MRA), extending across the Canada–USA border, was developed based on literature, focused fieldwork and a three-dimensional geological model. The MRA corresponds to the Virgelle Member of the Milk River Formation (Eagle Formation in Montana, USA) and it is an important groundwater resource over a large area (25,000 km²). The Virgelle outcrops near the international border and along the Sweet Grass Arch in Montana. The down-gradient limit of the MRA is the unconformity separating the Virgelle from the gas-bearing sandy shale of the Alderson Member. The MRA is confined above by the Pakowki/Claggett Formations aquitards and below by the Colorado Group aquitard. The MRA contains higher transmissivity areas resulting in preferential flowpaths, confirmed by natural geochemical tracers. Tritium and ¹⁴C delineate restricted recharge areas along the outcrops on both sides of the international border. Drastic decreases in horizontal hydraulic gradients indicate that the Milk River intercepts a large proportion of groundwater flowing to the north from the recharge area. Downgradient of the Milk River, groundwater movement is slow, as shown by ³⁶Cl residence times exceeding 1 Ma. These slow velocities imply that groundwater discharge downgradient of the Milk River is via vertical leakage through the Colorado Group and upward along buried valleys, which act as drains and correspond to artesian areas. When confined, the MRA contains a fossil groundwater resource, not significantly renewed by modern recharge. Groundwater exploitation thus far exceeds recharge, a situation requiring properly managed MRA groundwater depletion.     

Evaluation of land subsidence by considering underground structures that penetrate the aquifers of Shanghai, China

Underground structures that penetrate into aquifers can cause groundwater-level drawdown and land subsidence. Numerical analyses, based on a three-dimensional (3-D) groundwater flow model incorporated with a 1-D consolidation model, have been conducted to assess the behaviour of seepage and effect on subsidence by considering underground structures in the multi-aquifer?Caquitard system of Shanghai, China. Two extreme scenarios were examined: (1) distributed underground structures, and (2) concentrated underground structures around the heavily urbanized area. In the first scenario, the aquifer with underground structures was substituted with another material that possessed a lower hydraulic conductivity, established using the effective-medium theory; when the ratio of the volume of the underground structures to that of selected aquifer layers??(1) low-pressure partially-confined aquifer (Aq02), (2) the first confined aquifer (AqI), and (3) the second confined aquifer (AqII)??increases by 10?%, subsidence increases by about 3, 3 and 32?%, respectively. In the second scenario, part of the aquifer material was directly replaced by the structure material (very low hydraulic conductivity). In this situation, when the ratio of the volume of the underground structure to the volume of aquifers Aq02, AqI or AqII increases by 10?%, subsidence increases by about 5, 8 or 20?%, respectively.     

A study of234U/238U ratios in groundwaters of Taiyuan area,Shanxi Province

Uranium contents and²³⁴U/²³⁸U ratios have been determined on 29 water samples from the Taiyuan area, Shanxi Province. The results show that the same artesian aquifer has similar uranium contents and²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratios, and the deeper aquifers have higher A. R. values but lower uranium contents. The A. R. values increase slightly towards groundwater flow in the artesian aquifers dominated by oxidizing ground waters. The Lancun Spring and the famous Jinci Spring belong to two different karst groundwater systems, i.e., the east and west karst groundwater systems. The recharge area of the Lancun Spring should cover the wide limestone outcrops of middle Ordovician in the northeast. The Ordovician fissure-karst ground water to the Jinci Spring is extensively mixed with fissure water in Carboniferous-Jurassic formations and seepage water from the Fenhe River.     

Multi-tracer investigation of groundwater residence time in a karstic aquifer: Bitter Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, USA

Several natural and anthropogenic tracers have been used to evaluate groundwater residence time within a karstic limestone aquifer in southeastern New Mexico, USA. Natural groundwater discharge occurs in the lower Pecos Valley from a region of karst springs, wetlands and sinkhole lakes at Bitter Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, on the northeast margin of the Roswell Artesian Basin. The springs and sinkholes are formed in gypsum bedrock that serves as a leaky confining unit for an artesian aquifer in the underlying San Andres limestone. Because wetlands on the Refuge provide habitat for threatened and endangered species, there is concern about the potential for contamination by anthropogenic activity in the aquifer recharge area. Estimates of the time required for groundwater to travel through the artesian aquifer vary widely because of uncertainties regarding karst conduit flow. A better understanding of groundwater residence time is required to make informed decisions about management of water resources and wildlife habitat at Bitter Lakes. Results indicate that the artesian aquifer contains a significant component of water recharged within the last 10–50 years, combined with pre-modern groundwater originating from deeper underlying aquifers, some of which may be indirectly sourced from the high Sacramento Mountains to the west.     

Combined electrical resistivity tomography and magnetic resonance sounding investigation of the surface-water/groundwater interaction in the Urema Graben,Mozambique

This study focusses on the hydrogeology of Urema Graben, especially possible interactions between surface water and groundwater around Lake Urema, in Gorongosa National Park (GNP). Lake Urema is the only permanent water source for wildlife inside GNP, and there are concerns that it will disappear due to interferences in surface-water/groundwater interactions as a result of changes in the hydraulic environment. As the lake is the only permanent water source, this would be a disaster for the ecosystem of the park. The sub-surface geology in Urema Graben was investigated by 20 km of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and three magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) surveys. The average depth penetration was 60 and 100 m, respectively. The location of the ERT lines was decided based on general rift morphology and therefore orientated perpendicular to Urema Graben, from the transitional areas of the margins of the Barue platform in the west to the Cheringoma plateau escarpments in the east. ERT and MRS both indicate a second aquifer, where Urema Lake is a window of the first upper semi-confined aquifer, while the lower aquifer is confined by a clay layer 30–40 m thick. The location and depth of this aquifer suggest that it is probably linked to the Pungwe River which could be a main source of recharge during the dry season. If a dam or any other infra-structure is constructed in Pungwe River upstream of GNP, the groundwater level will decrease which could lead to drying out of Urema Lake.     

Geochemical and isotopic investigation of the aquifer system in the Djerid-Nefzaoua basin, southern Tunisia

In the Djerid-Nefzaoua region, southern Tunisia, about 80% of agricultural and domestic water supply is provided by the complex terminal (CT) aquifer. However, 20% of this demand is provided by other hydraulically connected aquifers, namely the continental intercalaire (CI) and the Plio-Quaternary (PQ). Overexploitation of the CT aquifer for agricultural practices has contributed to the loss of the artesian condition and the decline of groundwater level which largely increased the downward leakage from the shallow PQ aquifer. Excess irrigation water concentrates at different rates in the irrigation channels and in the PQ aquifer itself. Then, it returns to the CT aquifer and mixes with water from the regional flow system, which contributes to the salinization of the CT groundwater. A geochemical and isotopic study had been undertaken over a 2-years period in order to investigate the origin of waters pumped from the CT aquifer with an emphasis on its hydraulic relationships with the underlying and the overlying CI and PQ aquifers. Geochemistry indicates that groundwater samples collected from different wells show an evolution of the water types from Na-Cl to Ca-SO₄-Cl. Dissolution of halite, gypsum and anhydrite-bearing rocks is the main mechanism that leads to the salinization of the groundwater. Isotopic data indicate the old origin of all groundwater in the aquifer system. Mixing and evaporation effects characterizing the CT and the PQ aquifers were identified using δ²H and δ¹⁸O relationship and confirmed by the conjunction of δ²H with chloride concentration.     

A spatio-temporal three-dimensional conceptualization and simulation of Dera Ismail Khan alluvial aquifer in visual MODFLOW: a case study from Pakistan

Dera Ismail Khan (DIK) is situated in the Lower Indus Basin of Pakistan. The land use has been changed in the canal command area due to irrigation activities near the Indus River. To check the current status and predict the groundwater levels in the area, the unconfined aquifer has been simulated in Visual MODFLOW for a period of 35 years, i.e., from 1985 to 2020. The 2900-km² area has been modeled with a grid of 500 by 500 m and the depth set to 100 m. The aquifer in the study area has been divided vertically and laterally into three and ten zones, respectively, for the characterization. Water wells and streams were used as the sinks and hydrologic boundaries, respectively. The model was successfully calibrated in steady and the non-steady state. The simulation revealed that the whole simulation can be divided into two phases, i.e., before and after the construction of the Chashma Right Bank Canal (CRBC), whereas the results were summarized in the form of water table depth maps and groundwater budget calculations. To determine the groundwater sustainability, a conjunctive use scenario has been employed to simulate the aquifer dynamics till 2020. The simulation revealed incremental drawdowns till the end.     

上海市城市化进程引起的地面沉降因素分析

20世纪90年代上海中心城区的地面沉降在地下水开采量没有增加的情况下出现了新一轮的增长。与此同时,上海进行了大规模的城市化建设。通过对中心城区地面沉降量与工程建设进行相关性分析发现,近年来中心城区的地面沉降量与工程建设具有相关性。目前城市化建设引起地面沉降的现象已受到关注,但尚缺乏对城市化进程引起地面沉降机制的系统研究。针对上海市城市化进程引起地面沉降的因素进行分析探讨,城市化进程引起的沉降包括建筑物荷载及交通荷载等外荷载引起的沉降,基坑开挖、降水及隧道施工等工程施工引起的土体压缩,以及隧道渗漏,周边地区对地下水补给量的减小,地下构筑物挡水效应等引起的地下水位持续下降而诱发的沉降     

Numerical simulation of the effect of heavy groundwater abstraction on groundwater–surface water interaction in Langat Basin, Selangor, Malaysia

The paper aims at evaluating the interaction between ground and surface water along the Langat River in Malaysia through the development of a numerical simulation. Malaysia has been experiencing a rapid economic growth since the last few decades, driven by many factors such as agriculture, industry, and the like. The demand for water in these sectors has increased so tremendously that surface water has been utilized in conjunction to groundwater. Approximately 18,184 m³ of water per day is obtained from the aquifer to supply to the steel factory. There are also workshops, petroleum stations, and houses in the area thus causing the water quantity and quality to degrade. In terms of quantity, the pumping activity has altered the interaction between the groundwater and surface water. Therefore, a numerical model was proposed and two aquifer layers were simulated, with the first layer being approximately >20 m in depth and the second layer >100 m. The recharge estimated from the tank model was input into the groundwater modeling. The effects of the surface water to the aquifer were included in the simulation by defining the river conductance, river bed, and river level. The calibrated model (error about 0.9 m) was achieved and applied to predict the flow pattern in its natural state without the pumping and with the pumping states. As a result, in the first scenario, the stream was in an effluent condition influenced by the groundwater from the northeast to the west. A hyporheic flow occurred and was observed from the contour map. The flow system was changed in the second scenario when the pumping activity was included in the simulation. The groundwater lost its original function but received leakage from the stream near the pumping sites. The findings of this study will help the local authorities and other researchers to understand the aquifer system in the area and assist in the preparation of a sustainable groundwater management.     

A new approach for estimating the transverse surface settlement curve for twin tunnels in shallow and soft soils

Increasing demand on infrastructures has led to increased attention to shallow soft ground tunneling methods in urbanized areas. Especially in metro tunnel excavations, it is important to control the surface settlements which are observed before and after excavation, which may cause damage to surface structures. Unlike motorway, sewage and other infrastructure tunnels, metro tunnels generally have to be excavated as twin tunnels and must have a larger diameter. Metro tunnels also have shallow depth. Due to their shallow depth, metro tunnels generally have been constructed in weak rocks or weak soils in cities. The construction of twin tunnels will generate ground movements which have the potential to cause damage to existing surface and subsurface structures. To solve this settlement problem, experts have used the Earth pressure balance machine (EPBM) and the slurry balance machine. In such excavations, especially in twin tunnels, the main challenges for constructers are estimating the maximum surface settlement, controlling the interaction of transverse surface settlement and shaping the settlement curve. Incorrect estimation of these parameters can lead to significant problems above the tunnels and in nearby structures. This paper focuses on surface settlement measurements, on the interaction of twin tunnel transverse surface settlement and on the relationship between shield parameters and transverse surface settlement for parallel tunnels using EPBM shields in clay and sand soils in shallow depth. Also, a new equation is proposed for estimating the transverse settlement curve of twin tunnels. The results from this proposed equation are compared with the results of field observations. The transverse settlement curve values obtained from the proposed equation have good agreement with the actual results for the Otogar–Kirazli metro case studies.     

Spatial characteristics of water quality,stable isotopes and tritium associated with groundwater flow in the Hutuo River alluvial fan plain of the North China Plain

The groundwater flow system and the flow velocity in the alluvial fan plain of the Hutuo River, China, have been studied, with an emphasis on relating geochemical characteristics and isotopes factors. Seven stretches of one river, six springs and 31 wells, with depths ranging from 0 m (river waters) to 150 m, were surveyed. The groundwater has a vertical two-layer structure with a boundary at about 80–100 m depth, yielding an upper and a lower groundwater layer. The δ¹⁸O and δD values range from ?10.56 to ?7.05‰ and ?81.83 to ?59‰, respectively. The groundwater has been recharged by precipitation, and has not been subjected to significant evaporation during infiltration into the aquifer in the upper layer. Using a tritium model, the groundwater flow in the alluvial fan plain showed horizontal flow velocity to be greater than vertical velocity. Groundwater in the upper layer is characterized by Ca–HCO₃ type. From the spatial distribution characteristics of the stable isotope and chemical composition of the groundwater, agricultural irrigation was considered to have an influence on the aquifer by causing excessive groundwater abstraction and irrigation return.     

Hydrogeochemical stratification of the unconfined Samobor aquifer (Zagreb,Croatia)

In the western part of the city of Zagreb, Croatia, hydrogeochemical and isotopic investigations of the Samobor aquifer were carried out with the aim of determining the differences in hydrogeochemical characteristics at increasing aquifer depths. The aquifer comprises 40-m thick gravelly–sandy deposits, with lenses and interlayers of silt and clay. The analyses have proven that with increasing aquifer depth, there are decreases in groundwater temperature and the values of electrical conductivity and increases in the sodium, iron and manganese concentrations. The δ¹³C distribution shows an evident increase in biogenic carbon concentrations with increasing aquifer depth. The measured specific ¹⁴C activities showed that the deeper part of the aquifer is characterized by slow water exchange, while the shallower part is influenced by current recharge, although the pumping wells located on the well-field downstream penetrate the aquifer fully. A direct exchange of water from the Sava River and groundwater occurs in the near vicinity of the river. This exchange weakens further away, while the difference in hydrogeochemical characteristics between the Sava River water and groundwater increases.     

近间距双线大直径泥水盾构施工相互影响研究

对上海复兴东路越江公路隧道--近间距双线盾构隧道同向施工时相互影响的现场监测进行了研究。首先简要介绍了工程背景及其概况,然后介绍了为研究近间距盾构隧道相互影响而布设的监测项目,包括深层土体水平位移、地表沉降以及深层土体沉降、北线隧道三维位移、圆周变形、接缝宽度、北线隧道所受水土压力、北线隧道衬砌内力和土体中的超孔隙水压力。对监测数据进行了详细研究,得到了后建隧道推进时对地面沉降、深层土体位移变化、超孔隙水压力产生和消散、先建隧道衬砌位移、变形、内力的影响规律。从现场监测的分析结果来看,后进隧道对周围土体和先建隧道的影响是十分明显的。研究结果可以为大直径近间距双线推进的越江盾构隧道的设计和施工提供更加科学的指导。     

The hydro geochemical characterization of ground waters in Tunisian Chott’s region.

Tunisian Chott’s region is one of the most productive artesian basins in Tunisia. It is located in the southwestern part of the country, and its groundwater resources are developed for water supply and irrigation. The chemical composition of the water is strongly influenced by the interaction with the basinal sediments and by hydrologic characteristics such as the flow pattern and time of residence. The system is composed of an upper unconfined “Plio-Quaternary” aquifer with a varying thickness of 20–200 m, an intermediate confined/unconfined “Complex Terminal” aquifer about 100 m in thickness and a deeper “Continental Intercalaire” aquifer about 150 m in thickness separated by thick clay and marl layers. The dissolution of evaporites and carbonates explains part of the contained Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, SO₄²⁻ and Cl^-, but other processes, such carbonate precipitation, also contributes to the water composition. The stable isotope composition of waters establishes that the deep groundwater (depleted as compared to present corresponding local rainfall) is ancient water recharged probably during the late Pleistocene and the early Holocene periods. The relatively recent water in the Plio-Quaternary aquifer is composed of mixed waters resulting presumably from upward leakage from the deeper groundwater.     

The driving of metro tunnels at helsinki with the aid of ground freezing

Twin 6.5 m diameter tunnels were driven through saturated soil at a depth of 25 m under a street intersection with the aid of horizontal freezing. The frozen soil section was about 30 m long. Because of groundwater pressure the horizontal freeze holes were drilled with sealed casings. A new drill bit was introduced to form a tight plug at the end of the casing. The soil around the perimeter of the tunnel bores was frozen by vaporizing freon in the freeze tubes. A 2.5 m thick ice wall in sand and moraine was developed during the freezing period of 55 days. The tunnel bores were excavated under protection of the frozen arch by cautious drilling and blasting. The advance was 1.2–1.8 m per round. Permanent tunnel linings were constructed by bolting together cast iron segments.