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Numerical Evaluation of Isolation Walls in Modifying Excavation-Induced Displacement Field

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Abstract

Protection of sensitive buildings from underground construction-induced displacements sometimes relies on the deployment of embedded isolation structures, separating underground projects from vulnerable properties. However, studies concerning the issue are lacking. In order to improve the understanding of isolation structures, three-dimensional finite element analyses are conducted in this work. This study first evaluates the effectiveness of isolation walls for modifying excavation-induced displacements based on a hypothetical deep excavation. Thereafter, the effects of different geometrical and mechanical properties (e.g., location, inserted depth, and stiffness) of isolation walls are studied. Finally, the interaction between the deep excavation and the adjacent building, and the role isolation walls can play in the interaction, are investigated. The results indicate that the isolation walls only influence the ground settlements significantly. Meanwhile, different properties of isolation walls influence the ground movements to various degrees. Moreover, the excavation’s diaphragm wall also performs differently depending on different loading conditions of the adjacent building.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the CSC for the funding to undertake this research. The anonymous reviewers’ comments helped improve the quality of this paper and are also acknowledged.

Funding

Funding was provided by China Scholarship Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093, China

    Zhenkun Yang & Youliang Chen

  2. Engineering General Institute of Shanghai Construction Group, Shanghai, 201114, China

    Chao Yan

  3. Chair of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, RWTH-Aachen University, Lochnerstrasse 4-20, 52056, Aachen, Germany

    Zhenkun Yang & Rafig Azzam

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  1. Zhenkun Yang
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  2. Youliang Chen
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Correspondence to Youliang Chen.

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Yang, Z., Chen, Y., Yan, C. et al. Numerical Evaluation of Isolation Walls in Modifying Excavation-Induced Displacement Field. Arab J Sci Eng 48, 12693–12708 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-022-06889-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-022-06889-0

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