Numerical Model for Rectangular Pedestrian Underpass Excavations with Pipe-Roof Preconstruction Method: A Case Study

Abstract

Under weak geological conditions, soil deformation and surface settlement are the key factors affecting the success of shallow-buried rectangular excavation. To investigate this issue, an underpass of Zhongxiao East Road in Taipei City was used as a case study. The surface settlement and lateral deformation of an underground diaphragm wall caused by the excavation of a rectangular pedestrian underpass using the pipe-roof preconstruction method (PPM) were investigated by 3D finite element analysis. The numerical analysis results showed that the constructed numerical analysis model had considerable accuracy. The use of PPM combined with a box culvert structure to form a pedestrian underpass could effectively control the surface displacement above the box culvert. Under the condition of the same sectional area, the smaller the width of the pipe-roof structure, the more the impact on the ground surface was reduced. The maximum positive bending moment and maximum negative bending moment on the pipe roof produced by excavation at each stage were roughly inversely related to the height per the width of the cross-section of the pipe diaphragm structure. The results showed that the pipe-roof structure was suitable for underground excavation with shallow-buried depth in the soft soil of the Taipei Basin. Moreover, the shallow-buried box culvert was more sensitive to the subsidence caused by construction than the deep-buried box culvert.

Numerical Study on the Effect and Mechanism of Supporting Pile Equivalent Calculation Methods in Pile–Anchor Support System

“…Hence, it is widely used in foundation pit projects [1][2][3]. Recently, with the continuous development of computer technology, numerical simulation methods have become an important tool to deal with the problem of foundation pits, and they are widely used in foundation pit design and engineering [4][5][6][7][8][9]. Compared with the traditional empirical formula method [10] and physical model method [11], the numerical simulation method can not only establish a complex three-dimensional model and invert the real pit to a certain degree but also carry out the design optimization work, which saves a large amount of money and time.…”