Cantilever Contiguous Pile Wall for Supporting Excavation in Clay

Abstract

In urban areas, there are many situations where basement of new constructions or underground utilities are proposed to be constructed adjacent to old buildings. Of greatest concern are buildings with shallow foundations that do not extend below the zone of influence of the adjacent excavation. For deep excavation, the presence of a cantilever stage at the beginning of a construction sequence can often lead to excessive movements. Therefore over-excavation can also be a primary cause of excessive movements. In the present study, shallow excavation was considered. Three Dimensional Finite Element (3D FE) study was carried out in the present study. A cantilever contiguous pile wall was selected because it is common and relatively economic to be used in cohesive soil. Parametric study were performed considering excavation depth, pile embedded depth, and wall stiffness. Some design recommendations were given to provide a safe supporting system in clay.