Estimation method for the deformation behavior of deep excavation in under-consolidated soft ground

The under-consolidated state affects the deformation behavior of deep excavation in soft soil and poses potential risk to the safety of adjacent facilities. However, the deformation model of deep excavation in under-consolidated ground has not been well investigated yet. This study presents a series of numerical analyses on the deformation characteristics of deep excavations in under-consolidated and normally-consolidated ground, each of which is retained by diaphragm walls with rigid struts and a bottom improvement layer. Under-consolidated cases without excavation activities (i.e., simplified as “Consolidate” cases) were also included for comparison. The modelling results showed that, with the lateral constraint of inner rigid support system, the under-consolidated ground resulted in only a slight increase of lateral wall deformation but a significant increase in ground settlement as compared to normally-consolidated ground. The under-consolidated ground with lower initial average consolidation ratio, thicker surface fill, higher permeability, and longer construction period produced greater wall deformation and ground settlement during excavation. Besides, this study proposed an empirical method to estimate the settlement envelope for deep excavation in under-consolidated ground as the superposition of two parts: settlement induced by excavation activities, and settlement induced by residual consolidation with consideration of average consolidation ratios before and after excavation.