Effectiveness of compensatory injection as a means of regulating the stresses in complex geotechnical conditions

Abstract

Deep excavations in dense urban areas often result in additional settlement of buildings that fall within the influence area of new construction. The most sensitive to such settlements, according to the normative literature, are historic buildings. One of the ways to regulate additional building settlement in the influence area of deep excavations is compensatory injection. The hydraulic fracture network created in the foundation creates additional lateral compression of the soil and changes its physical and mechanical properties. The article deals with a real example of an emergency situation at one of the objects in Tyumen, where during excavation of a pit with the designed depth of 7 meters for the construction of a five-storey building with an extended two-level underground space significant excessive settlement of the adjacent historic building and damage to its bearing structures were revealed as a consequence of the additional settlement development. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of compensatory injection using collar technology to reduce excessive additional settlement of buildings in the zone of influence of deep excavations. A comprehensive analysis of the impact of new construction on the surrounding environment has been carried out by the authors of the article by means of numerical simulation. Analyzing the results of numerical modelling, the authors of the article developed measures to eliminate the emergency situation and stabilise the foundation. Based on the results of geodetic monitoring, it was found that the installation of a geotechnical barrier by injecting soil using the collar technique not only stabilised the foundation but also brought the building into position to meet regulatory requirements.