Construction of an ultra-deep diaphragm wall:a case study

This paper presents a case study on an ultra-deep diaphragm wall with a depth of 110 m constructed in Ningbo City. The in-situ application shows that using Bauer BC40 cutter machine in conjunction with cutter wheels specified for different strata would be qualified for constructing the 110 m diaphragm wall with high efficiency and precision given that the quality of slurry and poured concrete can be guaranteed. The ground settlement can be effectively controlled by using the overlapping construction method. Sliding failure as a whole characterized by pronounced lateral deformation is likely to occur in the upper muddy clay layer due to its high compressibility and sensitivity. In contrast, local collapse of trench walls tends to happen in the sandy silt strata. Furthermore, careful attention should be paid to sandy silt during the entire construction period as the vertical displacement of the sandy silt continues to develop even atter concrete pouring.

This paper presents a case study on an ultra-deep diaphragm wall with a depth of 110 m constructed in Ningbo City. The in-situ application shows that using Bauer BC40 cutter machine in conjunction with cutter wheels specified for different strata would be qualified for constructing the 110 m diaphragm wall with high efficiency and precision given that the quality of slurry and poured concrete can be guaranteed. The ground settlement can be effectively controlled by using the overlapping construction method. Sliding failure as a whole characterized by pronounced lateral deformation is likely to occur in the upper muddy clay layer due to its high compressibility and sensitivity. In contrast, local collapse of trench walls tends to happen in the sandy silt strata. Furthermore, careful attention should be paid to sandy silt during the entire construction period as the vertical displacement of the sandy silt continues to develop even after concrete pouring.