The influence of the construction process on the deformation behaviour of diaphragm walls in soft clayey ground

Conventional numerical predictions of deep excavations normally neglect the construction process of the retaining structure and choose the earth pressure at rest as initial condition at the beginning of the simulation. The presented results of simulation and measurements during the construction process of the Taipei National Enterprise Center show, that such an assumption leads to an underestimation of the horizontal wall deflection, the surface ground settlements as well as the loading of the struts in case of normally to slightly over‐consolidated clayey soil deposits. The stepwise installation process of the individual diaphragm wall panels results in a substantial modification of the lateral effective stresses in the adjacent ground. Especially the pouring process of the panel and the fresh concrete pressure causes a partial mobilization of the passive earth pressure and a distinct stress level increase in the upper half of the wall. As a consequence of the increased stresses prior to the pit excavation, up to 15% greater ground and wall movements are predicted. Moreover, the increased stress level due to the installation process of the diaphragm wall leads to substantial higher strut loadings during the excavation of the pit. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.