Three-Dimensional Responses Observed in an Internally Braced Excavation in Soft Clay
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 133, Issue 11
Abstract
Several three-dimensional effects were observed in the performance monitoring data collected during excavation for the Ford Engineering Design Center in Evanston, Illinois. The elevations of the soil around the excavation varied and the excavator removed the soil in a nonuniform excavation process, both of which contributed to the observed three-dimensional (3D) effects. This paper describes the excavation support system and subsurface conditions at the site, summarizes the construction procedures, and presents the lateral soil movements measured by inclinometers, ground-surface movements measured by an automated total station, tilt of components of an adjacent structure, and forces in internal braces. These responses are compared with expected responses from current design methods. The 3D nature of the excavation resulted in smaller movements on the side of the excavation, where the retained soil was lowest, an unexpected pattern of axial strut loads and very slight damage to an exterior wall that paralleled one of the excavation walls.
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Acknowledgments
Financial support for this work was provided by National Science Foundation Grant No. CMS-0219123 and the Infrastructure Technology Institute (ITI) of Northwestern University. The support of Dr. Richard Fragaszy, program director at NSF, and Mr. David Schulz, ITI’s director, is greatly appreciated. Dr. Paul Mayne of Georgia Institute of Technology conducted the cone-penetration tests. Special thanks to Phil Blakeman of Turner Construction, Dr. Michael Wysockey of Thatcher Engineering, Jay Baehr of Northwestern University Facilities Management, and Robert Acker of STS Consultants for granting site access and providing data. Additional assistance was provided by current and past Northwestern University graduate and undergraduate students: Jill Roboski, Terence Holman, Cecelia Rechea, Wan-Jei Cho, and Kate Sylvester.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 133 • Issue 11 • November 2007
Pages: 1364 - 1373
Copyright
© 2007 ASCE.
History
Received: Jun 12, 2006
Accepted: Mar 16, 2007
Published online: Nov 1, 2007
Published in print: Nov 2007
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