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Statistical evaluation and simplified approach for estimating excavation induced deformations in soft soils

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Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate ground settlement and horizontal wall deformations of supported excavations constructed in soft soils. For this purpose, a finite element model that considers the stiffness of soils at small strain levels was utilized. With this model, numerous generic cases were analyzed, considering the parameters related with soil, wall, and excavation geometry as well as their variations. The important parameters are selected to be the (i) soil strength, stiffness, unit weight, and thickness of the soft soil layer; (ii) the depth and width of the excavation; and (iii) the stiffness of the support system. The parameters representing the stiffness of the soil at the small strain level were calculated using empirical approaches. Using the multiple regression analyses, a closed form solution which estimates the ground settlements and wall deflections based on these parameters is proposed as a result of this study. In order to investigate the error level of the model, in addition to the error amount of the obtained regression equation, residuals were determined for the parameters and their ranges; moreover, the importance of each parameter on deformations was investigated. It is seen that the most important parameter affecting the behavior of this supporting system is the depth of the excavation. The results obtained from numerical analyses were compared with the real cases. It is seen that the proposed equations can predict the wall deformations and settlements in an acceptable range.

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Acknowledgements

This publication is a part of doctoral dissertation work by the first author in the Academic Program of Civil Engineering, Institute of Science, Hacettepe University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Science, Hacettepe University, Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey

    Ahmet Arda Bahadır

  2. Civil Engineering Department, Hacettepe University, Beytepe, 06800, Ankara, Turkey

    Berna Unutmaz

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  1. Ahmet Arda Bahadır
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  2. Berna Unutmaz
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Correspondence to Ahmet Arda Bahadır.

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Responsible Editor: Zeynal Abiddin Erguler

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Bahadır, A.A., Unutmaz, B. Statistical evaluation and simplified approach for estimating excavation induced deformations in soft soils. Arab J Geosci 15, 918 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-10127-0

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