Centrifuge Modeling of Downward Soil Arching below Excavation Base in Dry Sand
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 150, Issue 9
Abstract
Excavation-induced soil arching is a key factor influencing the responses of the ground and underlying structures. This soil arching below an excavation base is defined as downward soil arching in comparison with that above a trapdoor or tunnel, featured with the downward developing direction. To recognize and assess the downward soil arching, two centrifuge tests in the plane-strain condition were conducted in the dense and loose sand. Variations of Earth pressure, basal heave, and shear wave velocity below the excavation base were observed, and the influence of the relative density was also investigated. The test results indicated the existence of differential deformation and stress transfer below the excavation base, and the downward soil arching is confirmed. The contributions of the downward soil arching to the restriction of the excavation-induced stress release and the ground response were found. Further, the boundary of the loosened zone and the width of the arch foot were determined in the dense and loose sand, respectively. In addition, the arched-type basal heave and stress-related shear wave velocity were observed. The significant ground heave and reduction of the shear wave velocity were found within the loosened zone.
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Data Availability Statement
Data generated or analyzed during this study are provided in full within the published article.
Acknowledgments
The research is supported by funds of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 52090082, 51938005, and 52108318); High-Level Talent of Innovative Research Team of Hunan Province, China (2019RS1030); and Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (2021JJ30119). The authors also express thanks to Mr. Zi-zhuang Yan from Zhejiang University for his help with the experiments.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 150 • Issue 9 • September 2024
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© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Jun 20, 2023
Accepted: Apr 24, 2024
Published online: Jul 13, 2024
Published in print: Sep 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Dec 13, 2024
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