EXPERT SYSTEM AND ITS APPLICATION IN THE SELECTION OF PIT RETAINING STRUCTURES

This paper describes the development of an expert system(ES) on earth retaining structures for the selection and design.The ES retaining is an interactive menudriven system and consists of two main parts—the selection part,selectwall and the design part.Selectwall is developed using the knowledge base and it makes a choice of the most appropriate retaining structure.The design part is developed by three independent subprograms which perform detailed design including strength,deformation,stability of the retaining structure.The calculation results are illustrated by plotting the diagram.Using this program,the design procedure of the retaining structure can be performed automatically.

A Slip-Force Device for Maintaining Constant Lateral Pressure on Retaining Structures in Expansive Soils

Expansive soils can pose tough issues to civil engineering applications. In a typical year, expansive soils can cause a greater financial loss than earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and tornadoes combined. Various means have been studied to tackle problems associated with expansive soils. The majority of the methods are based on treatment of the soils. While the methods may be effective in some cases, their limitations are also obvious: The treatment normally involves complex processes and may not be eco-friendly in the long run. In many cases, the effectiveness of the treatment is uncertain. A retaining system that maintains a constant lateral pressure is proposed, which consists of three components: the retaining sheet, the slip-force device and the bracing column. The retaining sheet bears the pressure exerted by expansive backfills and is not embedded into the soils. Placed between the retaining sheet and bracing column, the slip-force device permits displacement of the retaining sheet but keeps the force on the sheet and the bracing column constant. The governing equation of the motion of the piston in the slip-force device is derived and a numerical simulation of a practical case is conducted based on the derived governing equation. Numerical results show that as the expansive soil swell, the spring force will increase and the piston will move accordingly. When the pressure of the oil in chamber reaches the open threshold of the unidirectional relief valve, the valve will open and the spring force and the oil pressure in the chamber will keep constant. The results also show that some parameters, such as damping ratio, have very slight influences on the device behavior, say 2 × 10-6 or even 4.8 × 10-9. Theoretical and numerical studies prove the effectiveness of the proposed retaining system.

Study on Liquefying Simulation Test of Retaining Structure Ground of Kobe Port

In order to clarify the deformation and failure mechanism of retaining structure ground under liquefying, a series of shaking table tests was performed. The test results suggest that the strength decrease and local liquefaction of subsoil are the leading factors in the deformation and failure of retaining structures. The movement of the ground mainly manifests the lateral displacement under liquefaction. At the backfill layer, liquefaction will be rapidly reached in far field whereas the excess pore pressure is slowly increased nearby the wall under shaking.

Rapid excavation with a newly developed retaining system: Spiral assembly steel structure

The spiral assembly steel structure, a newly developed retaining wall for the rapid excavation of small-sized foundation pits in unsaturated soil, is presented. This new type of retaining structure is prefabricated in the factory and is assembled on site in the excavation of a pit. This retaining structure is composed of several prefabricated steel structural units, in which the adjacent steel structural units are joined with connectors. Each steel structural unit has one steel pipe in the radial direction and is welded to a single piece of steel plate. After full installation in situ, the retaining structure becomes a cylindrical steel structure. With the protection afforded by this new type of retaining structure, excavation work can be completed within 24 h to a depth up to 5 m. In order to verify the reliability and effectiveness of this new retaining structure, field construction tests were conducted in Beijing, China. The test construction was monitored. The monitoring program included measuring stress in the structure, lateral earth pressure, and lateral deformation of the surrounding soil. The monitoring data from the field test were compared with the theoretical results. The results show that the proposed new structure is reliable and effective.

Three-dimensional numerical simulation and earth pressure analysis on double-row piles with consideration of spatial effects

As a new kind of technology in retaining structures, the characteristics of double-row piles are significantly affected by spatial effects. In this paper, double-row piles as a retaining structure are simulated numerically in three-dimension by finite element software PLAXIS 3D FOUNDATION. The behavior differences of piles in different positions around the foundation pit are analyzed. By changing the parameters, including the length-width ratio, the excavation depth, the distance between rows and the diameter of piles, the variations of the lateral deformation, the bending moment and the earth pressure around the piles are determined. The reasonable values of parameters and some suggestions with consideration of earth pressure are proposed for the design of double-row piles as a retaining structure. The results show that the lateral deformation and bending moment are the largest in the middle of long side of the foundation pit, which is identified as the most unfavorable position. It is indicated that the earth pressure between rows above pit bottom is close to active earth pressure, while the earth pressure between rows under pit bottom is close to static earth pressure. It is suggested that 1/2-2/3 of pile length, 0.6-1.2 m, 3d-6d, and 2d-2.5d be chosen as embedded depth of piles, diameter of piles, distance between rows, and distance between piles, respectively, where d is the pile diameter.

A Simplified Analysis Method for the Lateral Deformation of Braced Excavations

Pile-anchor retaining structure is widely used in foundation pit engineering and side slope engineering in many countries. In contrast to strut, pile-anchor retaining structure has its typical features and advantages. It does not occupy the internal space of the foundation pit, and the project cost is much lower. Accurate prediction of the lateral displacement of the retaining structure is very important in the design stage. A simplified analysis method and several calculation assumptions of the lateral deformation of pile-anchor retaining structures are set up according to the engineering features. The expression function of lateral displacement versus depth is solved by means of a fitted function and the quasi-elastic summation method. The parameters are obtained through the stiffness equation of the anchors and the principle of minimum potential energy. The analytical evaluation of the lateral deformation curve is then completed, whose applicability is proved through practical engineering.