Preliminary numerical analysis of controllable prestressed wale system for deep excavation

The main purpose of retaining wall methods for deep excavation is to keep the construction site safe from the earth pressure acting on the backfill during the construction period. Currently used retaining wall methods include the common strut method, anchor method, slurry wall method, and raker method. However, these methods have drawbacks such as reduced workspace and intrusion into private property, and thus, efforts are being made to improve them. The most advanced retaining wall method is the prestressed wale system, so far, in which a load corresponding to the earth pressure is applied to the wale by using the tension of a prestressed (PS) strand wire. This system affords advantages such as providing sufficient workspace by lengthening the strut interval and minimizing intrusion into private properties adjacent to the site. However, this system cannot control the tension of the PS strand wire, and thus, it cannot actively cope with changes in the earth pressure due to excavation. This study conducts a preliminary numerical analysis of the field applicability of the controllable prestressed wale system (CPWS) which can adjust the tension of the PS strand wire. For the analysis, back analysis was conducted through two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) numerical analyses based on the field measurement data of the typical strut method, and then, the field applicability of CPWS was examined by comparing the lateral deflection of the wall and adjacent ground surface settlements under the same conditions. In addition, the displacement and settlement of the wall were predicted through numerical analysis while the prestress force of CPWS was varied, and the structural stability was analysed through load tests on model specimens.