Assessing Risks of Construction-Induced Building Damage for Large Underground Projects

Estimating potential construction-induced building damage is critical for underground construction projects. "Angular distortion" and "deflection ratio", sometimes coupled with horizontal strain, have been used as criteria for assessing settlement-induced damage but these do not reflect the diversity of urban structures or various modes of displacement that contribute to damage. Neither do they support a rational and probabilistic approach to risk management. Choosing applicable underground construction methods necessitates an examination of risks to surface facilities. Assumptions regarding complex variables, including ground conditions, construction technologies, and construction workmanship can influence decisions of significant technical and economical consequence. By combining construction-induced ground deformation patterns, well-known damage category criteria, strain superposition and critical strain concepts, and stochastic modeling techniques, the potential effects of ground deformations on buildings and their root causes can be better understood allow for more informed decision-making.