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Effectiveness of servo struts in controlling excavation-induced wall deflection and ground settlement

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Abstract

Deformations in deep excavations can be controlled by providing adjustable support using servo struts; however, the design of strut positions and applied forces remains to be optimized. In this study, the influences of varied forces applied by servo struts on excavation-induced wall deflection and ground settlement were analyzed through numerical simulations and a field investigation. A reference numerical model and input parameters were validated using a well-documented excavation case study. Using the validated model, three servo struts were installed on a diaphragm wall at the top, middle, and bottom levels of an excavation model, and a constant force was applied on the beam elements. Comprehensive numerical simulations were carried out with various forces applied at the upper-, middle-, and lower-level struts. Both wall deflection and ground settlement were analyzed in relation to the applied force. Additionally, a field investigation was carried out at an excavation site in Hangzhou, China, where comparative analyses of applied forces and servo strut locations were performed. Both the numerical and field results confirm the effectiveness of servo struts in controlling excavation-induced wall deflection and ground surface settlement. Their effectiveness is closely related to their applied force and installation position. Wall deformation and ground settlement decrease with increases in applied force. Middle-level servo struts showed the greatest efficiency in controlling maximum wall displacement and maximum ground surface settlement.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC Grant Nos. 41977216, 41602283, and 41727802) and the Shanghai Science and Technology Committee Rising-Star Program (No. 19QC1400800).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Ming-Guang Li, Olivier Demeijer & Jin-Jian Chen

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  1. Ming-Guang Li
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  2. Olivier Demeijer
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  3. Jin-Jian Chen
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Correspondence to Jin-Jian Chen.

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Li, MG., Demeijer, O. & Chen, JJ. Effectiveness of servo struts in controlling excavation-induced wall deflection and ground settlement. Acta Geotech. 15, 2575–2590 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-020-00941-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-020-00941-9

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