Abstract
Abstract. In this study, the performance of pile foundation is assessed for the 30 km long viaduct bridge structure seating in the ground subsidence area in the central part of Taiwan. The focus of this paper is placed on the settlement behaviour of a continuous 3-span R. C. viaduct bridge supported on piles adjacent to highway embankment. Monitoring data accumulated over the last 12 years indicate that the observed pace of the settlement of the viaduct structure in other sections matches that of the ground. However, the bridge piers adjacent to the embankment have been suffering an additional approximately 1 cm settlement every year since the completion of the embankment construction. It was believed that the piers may suffer from enormous negative skin friction owing to the surcharge from the embankment and groundwater depression. This paper first summarizes the settlement analysis results to quantify the settlement of pile due to regional ground subsidence and the combined effects from ground water fluctuation and embankment surcharge loading. Accordingly, a loading path on P'-q stress space is formulated to illustrate the loading variation subject to the combined loading effects that can explain why the combined effect becoming significant on settlement control for civil infrastructure in ground subsidence area.
Highlights
Taiwan, like many other countries, has been suffering from land subsidence problems resulting from the over-extraction of groundwater over the last four decades
This study aims to quantify the pile settlement behaviours subject to dead load from the viaduct structure, surcharge from the adjacent embankment, seasonal fluctuation of groundwater level, and regional ground subsidence
The regional ground subsidence occurred below the pile tip has changed the vertical alignment and elevation of the viaduct structure
Summary
Like many other countries, has been suffering from land subsidence problems resulting from the over-extraction of groundwater over the last four decades. Excluding the regional ground subsidence effect, one continuous 3-span viaduct bridge crossing over a highway embankment has been suffering at least an additional 1 cm annual settlement since the completion of its embankment construction in 2003. The bridge in question is a continuous 3-span R.C. viaduct bridge supported on reverse circulation drilled (RCD) piles. It was built in 2002, and shortly after its completion, another earth-filled embankment for a highway was placed underneath its main span. This study aims to quantify the pile settlement behaviours subject to dead load from the viaduct structure, surcharge from the adjacent embankment, seasonal fluctuation of groundwater level, and regional ground subsidence
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