Impact of the Boreholes on the Surrounding Ground

Abstract

The infrastructures that were constructed decades ago do not meet the present structural benchmark, and they need to be demolished. In order to reclaim these lands, the existing pile foundations must be removed; otherwise, the land will lose its value. Since the piles are pulled out, vacant spaces are created in the ground. This causes the surrounding ground to experience settlement, jeopardizing its stability. The degree of influence depends upon the number of boreholes, the saturated condition of the ground, the time period of the vacant condition, the presence of loading, etc. It is important to understand the scope of the probable settlement under various situations. This study focused on determining the amount of displacement and its range for three different saturated soil types under loaded and unloaded conditions using the finite element method (FEM) analysis. It was observed that stiff ground underwent maximum deformation, while soft ground experienced the maximum influence from external factors. Moreover, the presence of loading not only increased the displacement amount and range, but it also caused a change in the location of the maximum displacement.