Temporary Excavation Support System — A Case Study in Virginia

Abstract

A temporary excavation support system was installed for construction of a footing along a 45 o site slope for a five-story parking garage at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. This paper evaluates the performance of the temporary excavation support system for this project. The site is located within Piedmont Physiographic Province and is underlain by undocumented fill, residual soil, and disintegrated rock. The residual soils predominantly consist of fine sandy silts and silty fine sands with mica. The computer programs “ct-Shoring” and PLAXIS were used for the analyses and design of the temporary excavation support system. An 8.5-ft tall cantilever soldier pile wall was used to support the 15-ft high 45 o site slope at the back of the wall. The maximum deflection for the cantilever wall was estimated to be less than 1.5 inches based on the analyses and design and construction considerations. The observed final wall deflection was less than 1.5 inches.