Multi-Scale Analysis of the Relationship between Land Subsidence and Buildings: A Case Study in an Eastern Beijing Urban Area Using the PS-InSAR Technique

Qin Yang,Mingyuan Lv,Beibei Chen,Dongyi Zhang,Xiaojuan Li,Yinghai Ke,Lin Zhu,Huili Gong

doi:10.3390/rs10071006

Qin Yang, Mingyuan Lv + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10071006

Copy DOI

Abstract

Beijing is severely affected by land subsidence, and rapid urbanisation and building construction might accelerate the land subsidence process. Based on 39 Envisat Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) images acquired between 2003–2010, 55 TerraSAR-X images acquired between 2010–2016, and urban building information, we analysed the relationship between land subsidence and buildings at the regional, block, and building scales. The results show that the surface displacement rate in the Beijing urban area ranged from −109 mm/year to +13 mm/year between 2003–2010, and from −151 mm/year to +19 mm/year between 2010–2016; two subsidence bowls were mainly distributed in the eastern part of the Chaoyang District. The displacement rate agreed well with the levelling measurements, with an average bias of less than six mm/year. At the regional scale, the spatial pattern of land subsidence was mainly controlled by groundwater extraction, compressible layer thickness, and geological faults. Subsidence centres were located in the area around ground water funnels with a compressible layer depth of 50–70 m. The block-scale analysis demonstrated a clear correlation between the block construction age and the spatial unevenness of subsidence. The blocks constructed between 1998–2005 and after 2005 showed considerably more subsidence unevenness and temporal instability than the blocks constructed before 1998 during both time periods. The examination of the new blocks showed that the spatial unevenness increased with building volume variability. For the 16 blocks with a high building volume, variability, and subsidence unevenness, the building-scale analysis showed a positive relationship between building volume and settlement in most blocks, although the R2 was lower than 0.5. The results indicate that intense building construction in urban areas could cause differential settlement at the block scale in Beijing, while the settlement of single buildings could be influenced by the integrated effects of building volume, foundation structures, and the hydrogeological background.

Highlights

Land subsidence, a phenomenon of gradual land surface settling, is a geological hazard caused mainly by anthropogenic activities such as subsurface fluid extraction, underground mining, and engineering construction
By comparing the land surface displacement time series derived from the TerraSAR-X data with the confined groundwater level changes at two observation wells between 2005–2014 [33], we found that the land subsidence trend was closely related to temporal variations in the groundwater level (Figure 11c,d)
By comparing the land surface displacement time series derived from the TerraSAR‐X data with the confined groundwater level changes at two observation wells between 2005–2014 [33], we found that tRheemloatenSdenssu. 2b0s1i8d, 1e0n, c1e00t6rend was closely related to temporal variations in the groundwater level (F1i5goufr2e0 11c,d)

Summary

Introduction

A phenomenon of gradual land surface settling, is a geological hazard caused mainly by anthropogenic activities such as subsurface fluid extraction, underground mining, and engineering construction. It is known that land subsidence on the Beijing plains is mainly caused by an excessive withdrawal of groundwater and is controlled by lithological and geological structures such as clay layer thickness, active faults, and aquifer types. Chen et al [2] investigated land subsidence processes between 2003–2010 in the Beijing plains area and reported that land subsidence in this area is greatest where the compressible layer thickness is approximately 50–70 m, and that the distribution of subsidence bowls is controlled by Quaternary faults. Chen et al [3] and Lei et al [4] reported that groundwater-level variations in the second confined aquifer had the greatest impact on the development of land subsidence, and significant differences in the deformation gradient were found on both sides of the faults. Gao et al [7] revealed that the inelastic and permanent compaction of the Beijing aquifer system was due to the continuous decline in the water level of the northern subsidence area in Beijing, and elastic deformation outside the subsidence area

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion