Creative approaches for enhancing excavation shoring efficiency through diaphragm wall prestressing techniques
Creative approaches for enhancing excavation shoring efficiency through diaphragm wall prestressing techniques
Diaphragm walls are essential in geotechnical engineering for both retaining structures and deep foundations. However, modern projects encounter challenges in designing cross-sectional profiles precisely due to technical complexity. The growing demand for sustainable building materials further increases the difficulty of implementation. This paper proposes integrating prestressing technology to enhance diaphragm walls construction efficiency. Prestressed tendons are incorporated nonlinearly into the reinforcement structure, reducing bending moments, minimizing steel usage, and improving structural integrity. This unconventional concept, previously unexplored in scientific literature, represents a significant advancement. A dynamic numerical model is central to this research, enabling precise delineation of diaphragm wall cross-sections and meticulous analysis of displacements and forces under various scenarios. Advanced computational tools like the Sofistik application are utilized, with validation done using the Plaxis software. This unconventional approach has profound implications in geotechnical engineering, offering opportunities for optimization such as reduced material consumption, accelerated project completion, and cost savings. An exemplary application involves using diaphragm walls as cantilever structures spanning two underground floors, eliminating the need for additional support or ground anchorage. The presented approach can help the construction sector optimize costs while maintaining a sustainable approach.
M. C. Frydrych
18th European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ECSMGE2024)
A - New developments on structural design
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