• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.513-530
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• 2015

Commonly, the base stability of sheeted excavation pits against seepage failure by heave is evaluated by using two-dimensional groundwater flow models and Terzaghi's failure criterion. The objective of the present study is to investigate the effect of three-dimensional groundwater flow on the heave for sheeted excavation pits with various dimensions. For this purpose, the steady-state groundwater flow analyses are performed by using the finite element program ABAQUS 6.12. It has been shown that, in homogeneous soils depending on the ratio of half of excavation width to embedment depth b/D, the ratio of safety factor obtained from 3D analyses to that obtained from 2D analyses $FS_{(3D)}/FS_{(2D)}$ can reach up to 1.56 and 1.34 for square and circular shaped excavations, respectively. As failure body, both an infinitesimal soil column adjacent to the wall (Baumgart & Davidenkoff's criterion) and a three-dimensional failure body with the width suggested by Terzaghi for two-dimensional cases are used. It has been shown that the ratio of $FS_{(Terzaghi)}/FS_{(Davidenkoff)}$ varies between 0.75 and 0.94 depending on the ratio of b/D. Additionally, the effects of model size, the shape of excavation pit and anisotropic permeability on the heave are studied. Finally, the problem is investigated for excavation pits in stratified soils, and important points are emphasized.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.689-707
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• 2015

Progressive increase in population causing land scarcity, which is forcing construction industry to build multistory buildings having underground basements. Normally, basements are constructed for parking facility. This research work evaluates important factors which have caused the collapse of pile-anchor system at under construction five star hotel. 21 m deep excavation is carried out, to have five basements, after installation of 600 mm diameter cast in-situ contiguous concrete piles at plot periphery. To retain piles and backfill, soil anchors are installed as pit excavation is proceeded. Before collapse, anchors are designed by federal highway administration procedure and four anchor rows are installed with three strands per anchor in first row and four in remaining. However, after collapse, system is modeled and analyzed in plaxis using mohr-coulomb method. It is investigated that in-appropriate evaluation of soil properties, additional surcharge loads, lesser number of strands per anchor, shorter grouted body length and shorter pile embedment depth caused large deformations to occur which governed the collapse of east side pile wall. To resume work, old anchors are assumed to be standing at one factor of safety and then system is analyzed using finite element approach. Finally, it is concluded to use four strands per anchor in first new row and five strands in remaining three with increase in grouted and un-grouted body lengths.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.171-187
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• 1991

In the present study, an analytical solution method is proposed for the seismic design of cantilever sheet pile walls and anchored sheet pile walls used in harbor construction. Seepage pressures, together with a change in magnitudes of effective horizontal soil pressures, are included in the proposed solution method. Also, the Mononobe-Okabe analysis as well as the Westergaard and Matsuo-Ohara theory of hydrodynamic pressures is used in the proposed method. Further, the choice of values for safety factors is examined for the seismic design of anchored sheet pile walls, and the effects of various parameters(dredge line slope, differential in water levels, anchor position, and wall friction angle) on embedment depth, anchor force, and maximum bending moment are analyzed for anchored walls in dense sand deposits. In addition. the tables that could be used for preliminary seismic design of anchored walls in dense sands are presented. The proposed method deals with the sheet pile walls with free earth support.