The behavior of a rectangular closed diaphragm wall when used as a bridge foundation

Abstract

The rectangular closed diaphragm (RCD) wall is a new type of bridge foundation. Compared to barrette foundation, measuring the performance of RCD walls is relatively complicated because of their incorporation of a soil core. Using the FLAC3D software, this paper investigates the deformation properties, soil resistance and skin friction of a laterally loaded RCD wall as well as the settlement, axial force and load-sharing ratio of a vertically loaded RCD wall. Special attention is given to the analysis of factors that influence the performance of the soil core. It was found that under lateral loading, the RCD wall behaves as an end-bearing friction wall during the entire loading process. The relative displacement between the wall body and the soil core primarily occurs below the rotation point, and the horizontal displacement of the soil core is greater than that of the wall body. Under vertical loading, the degree of inner skin friction around the bottom of the soil core and the proportion of the loading supported by the soil core increase with increased cross-section size. The wall depth is directly proportional to the loading supported by the outer skin friction and the tip resistance of the wall body and is inversely proportional to the loading borne by the soil core.

Keywords

diaphragm wall / soil core / bridge foundation / FLAC3D / bearing behavior

References

[1] Smoltczyk U. Geotechnical Engineering Handbook Volume 3: Elements and Structures. Berlin: Ernst&Sohn, 2003

[2] Wong I H. Experience with waterproofness of basements constructed of concrete diaphragm walls in Singapore. Tunneling and Underground Space, 1997, 12(4): 491–495

[3] Phienwej N. Characteristics of ground movements in deep excavations with concrete diaphragm walls in Bangkok soils and their prediction. Geotechnical Engineering, 2003, 34(3): 167–175

[4] Li B, Song H T, Pan S. Numerical simulation of quality inspection on concrete diaphragm wall. In: Wieland, Ren & Tan, eds., New Developments in Dam Engineering. Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Dam Engineering. Oct 18–20, 2004 Nanjing, China. London: Taylor & Francis Group, 2004, 471–476

[5] Dzeng R J, Pan N F. Learning heuristics for determining slurry wall panel lengths. Automation in Construction, 2006, 15(3): 303–313

[6] De Luca D A, Lasagna M, Morelli di Popolo e Ticineto A.Installation of a vertical slurry wall around an Italian quarry lake: Complications arising and simulation of the effects on groundwater flow. Environmental Geology, 2007, 53(1): 177–189

[7] Oblozinsky P, Ugai K, Katagiri M, Saitoh K, Ishii T, Masuda T, Kuwabara K. A design method for slurry trench wall stability in sandy ground based on the elasto-plastic FEM. Computers and Geotechnics, 2001, 28(2): 145–159

[8] Roger L Jr, Kazuro M, Kei N. Laboratory-scale saltwater behavior due to subsurface cutoff wall. Journal of Hydrology (Amsterdam), 2009, 377(3): 227–236

[9] Luo G Y, Hong C. Using zero-thickness elements to simulate suspended cut-off walls in a regional seepage field. Computers and Geotechnics, 2006, 33(6–7): 305–315

[10] Choi H. Numerical model for analyzing slug tests in vertical cutoff walls.Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 2007, 133(10): 1249–1258

[11] Nguyen T B, Lee C, Choi H. Slug test analysis in vertical cutoff walls with consideration of filter cake. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 2011, 137(8): 785–797

[12] Wen H, Cheng Q, Meng F, Chen X. Diaphragm wall-soil-cap interaction in rectangular closed diaphragm wall bridge foundations. Frontiers of Architecture and Civil Engineering in China, 2009, 3(1): 93–100

[13] Takeshi H, Toshiro N, Yuji F. Consideration on stability analysis during excavation of enclosed wall foundation. In: Proceedings of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers, 1993, 462(6): 151–160

[14] Graubner C A, Wettmann V. Diaphragm walls in bridge construction – a novel foundation unit. Beton- und Stahlbetonbau, 1993, 88(12): 323–328 (in German)

[15] Hiroyuki K, Kunio U, Syozo K, Mitsuaki I. Construction of closed wall foundation in the Sakitama Bridge. In: Proceedings of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers1989, 409(6): 169–176

[16] Verfel J. Rock Grouting and Diaphragm Wall Construction. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1989

[17] Nichol D, Wilson S A. Foundation geology of the River Dee estuary cable-stayed bridge, Flintshire, North Wales. Engineering Geology, 2002, 63(1–2): 131–139

[18] Takaya K. Box-shaped rigid base for continuous underground wall. Journal of Civil Engineering, 1980, 65(4): 35–42 (in Japanese)

[19] Takaya K, Eitetsu D. Well foundation design method of diaphragm wall and in-situ horizontal load test. Civil Engineering Technology, 1980, 36(5): 48–57 (in Japanese)

[20] Katsuhiro A, Takahashi Y, Ogasawara L. Basic railway bridge design example: a wall with continuous rigid base. Foundation Work, 1982, 10(12): 70–77 (in Japanese)

[21] Sakai K, Tazaki K. Development and applications of diaphragm walling with special section steel: NS-Box. Tunneling and Underground Space, 2003, 18(2–3): 283–289

[22] Ng C W W, Rigby D B, Ng S W L, Lei G H. Field studies of well-instrumented barrette in Hong Kong. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 2000, 126(1): 60–73

[23] Powrie W, Kantartzi C. Ground response during diaphragm wall installation in clay: centrifuge model tests. Geotechnique, 1996, 46(4): 725–739

[24] Kung G T C, Hsiao E C L, Schuster M, Juang C H. A neural network approach to estimating deflection of diaphragm walls caused by excavation in clays. Computers and Geotechnics, 2007, 34(5): 385–396

[25] Ng C W W, Lei G H. Performance of long rectangular barrettes in granitic saprolites. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 2003, 129(8): 685–696

[26] Tsai J S, Jou L D, Hsieh H S. A full-scale stability experiment on a diaphragm wall trench. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 2000, 37(2): 379–392

[27] Fellenius B H, Altaee A, Kulesza R, Hayes J. O-cell testing and Fe analysis of 28-M-deep barrette in Manila, Philippines. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 1999, 125(7): 566–575

[28] Ng C W W, Yan R W M. Stress transfer and deformation mechanisms around a diaphragm wall panel. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 1998, 124(7): 638–648

[29] Potyondy J G. Skin friction between various piles and construction materials. Geotechnique, 1961, 11(4): 339–353

[30] Acer Y B, Durgunoglu H T, Yumay M T. Interface properties of sands. Geotechnical Division, 1982, 108(4): 648–654

[31] Qian J H. Ying Z Z. Geotechnic Principle and Calculation. 3rd ed. Beijing: China Waterpower Press, 2003 (in Chinese)

[32] Ministry of Construction of the People’s Republic of China. Technical Code for Building Pile Foundations (JGJ94–94). Beijing: China Architecture and Building Press, 1995 (in Chinese)

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of this work, which was provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41172260 and 51108393), the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education (No. 20110184110018) and the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2008CB425801). Technical input and support from Professors Fan-chao Meng, Xiao-dong Chen and Wei-ming Gong, and Doctor Jian-feng Cai are highly appreciated.

Nomenclature
D: wall depth;	L: length of exterior boundary;
l: side length of soil core;	T: thickness of cap;
t: wall thickness;	d: depth of wall end in bearing stratum;
Q: load on wall top in a vertical loading scheme;	H0: load on wall top in a lateral loading scheme;
Els: elastic modulus of lateral soil;	Ebs: elastic modulus of bottom soil;
Ew: elastic modulus of wall concrete;	S: settlement;
Sz: vertical settlement in the lateral loading scheme;	σz: vertical stress;
Sh: horizontal displacement;	Sv: vertical displacement in the vertical loading scheme;
ΔS: relative displacement;	ΔSh: relative horizontal displacement;
ΔSv: relative vertical displacement;	F: shear;
M: moment; N: axial force;
θ: angular displacement;	Rob: soil resistance of outside back wall;
Rib: soil resistance of inside back wall;	Rof: soil resistance of outside front wall;
Rif: soil resistance of inside front wall;	fob: outer skin friction of back wall;
fib: inner skin friction of back wall;	fof: outer skin friction of front wall;
fif: inner skin friction of front wall;	fol: outer skin friction of lateral wall;
fil: inner skin friction of lateral wall;
fo/Qi: load-sharing ratio of outer skin friction, in which fo is the outer skin friction, Qi represents the loading on wall top, subscript i represents the loading level ranging from 0 to 14 and Q is the last level;
Rt/Qi: load sharing-ratio of the tip resistance of wall, where Rt represents the tip resistance of wall;
Qfc/Qi: load sharing-ratio of the soil core, where Qfc is the total sum of the inner skin friction and the counterforce on the top

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2014 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg