Damage Approximation Method for Excavation-Induced Damage to Adjacent Buildings

A new damage approximation method is proposed that directly relates ground distortions resulting from deep excavations to building damage. Several factors were considered for the method to accurately predict building damage in varying situations including; horizontal strains, critical strain criteria, wall dimensions, and wall flexibility. Previous methods of damage approximation have related ground distortions to varying degrees of general building damage by using simplified beam bending theory. A new damage approximation method is proposed that attempts to improve upon current methods relating ground distortions to specific building damage in terms of previously defined damage criteria. The proposed method quantifies building damages in terms of strain capacities and crack widths. The proposed damage approximation method was compared to measured crack gauge data and was shown to perform quite well.