Relevance of Deep Excavation

Support Systems for Infrastructure Projects –

Indian Experience

Prof. S.R. Gandhi
Department of Civil Engineering
IIT Madras
IIT Madras
srgandhi@iitm.ac.in

DFI India Conference 2012
19th September, 2012
S b 2012
 Scenario Prior to 1980
Scenario Prior to 1980
• Limited
Limited applications (Mostly in Marine 
applications (Mostly in Marine
structures such as Dry Duck, Quay, etc)
• Limited construction companies
Limited construction companies
• Lack of experience
• Lack of Confidence
Lack of Confidence
• Used more as sacrificial temporary wall
• Construction difficulties / failures
C t ti diffi lti / f il
• Resort to Open Excavations
 Applications of Diaphragm Wall
Applications of Diaphragm Wall
• Water Front Structures in Ports
• Deep Excavations (Temporary/Permanent)
• g
Multi Storried Building Basement Wall
• As Load Bearing Element (Barret). This can be 
extended above GL as Shear Wall
• Underground Facilities
(Conveyors, Wagon Tippler, Water Sump)
• Barrier to Control Seepage of Water/Lechate
l f / h
 Common Shapes
Common Shapes
• Rectangular
Rectangular (Length 2.5
(Length 2 5‐4
4.0m, Width 0.6
0m Width 0 6‐
1.2m, Depth up to 25m)

• T, L, and + Shape
 Construction Methods
Construction Methods
• Construction of Pre
Construction of Pre‐trench
trench
• Alternate Panel Method
• Successive Panel Method
Successive Panel Method
• Inserting End Stopper
• S il E
Soil Excavation with Grab/Rotary Cutter
ti ith G b/R t C tt
• Stabilisation of the Trench with Slurry
• Lowering of Reinforcement Cage
• Cleaning Bottom and Tremie Concreting
 Examples of Early Applications
Examples of Early Applications
• Naval dry duck, Visakhapatnam
Naval dry duck Visakhapatnam
• Naval dry duck at Hindustan Shipyard
• Berthing Structures at Paradeep
hi S d
• Cooling water sump at Vijayawada
• Coastal protection wall at Dhuvaran (Gujarat)
• Calcutta Metro
Calcutta Metro
• DLF Plaza, Parliament street, Delhi
 Difficulties Faced
Difficulties Faced
• Misalignment
Misalignment of panels (Requiring 
of panels (Requiring
considerable dressing and additional facing 
wall)
• Bulging / cavities in concrete (up to 30‐40% 
extra consumption Heavy seepage loss of soil
extra consumption, Heavy seepage, loss of soil 
particles)
• Lack of confidence (Resulting in use as 
L k f fid (R l i i
sacrificial wall)
 Dewatering Difficulties
Dewatering Difficulties
• High ground water table
High ground water table
• Inadequacy of the deep wells/pumps
• Direct pumping from excavation
i i f i
• Soil boiling at excavation level
• Loss of fines from surrounding resulting in 
g j
subsidence and damage to adjacent structure
WAGON TIPPLER EXCAVATION AT PARADIP PORT
WAGON TIPPLER EXCAVATION AT PARADIP PORT
WAGON TIPPLER EXCAVATION AT PARADIP 
PORT
 Present Scenario
Present Scenario
• Increased
Increased level of confidence
level of confidence
• Improvements in trench stabilization 
techniques
• Improvements in water tight joint between 
wall panels
ll l
• More applications as permanent wall
• Strut fee excavations with anchors/ T panels
 Challenging works Executed
Challenging works Executed
• Rock socketing
Rock socketing with rotary method (HSS, VTPS)
with rotary method (HSS VTPS)
• L shape, T shaped panels
• Large thickness / depth exeuted
hi k /d h d
• Marine construction through filled‐up soil.
DIAPHRAGM WALL
HOTEL BASEMENT, MRC NAGAR, CHENNAI
DIAPHRAGM WALL
HOTEL BASEMENT, MRC NAGAR, CHENNAI
CW SUMP AT KRISHNA BARRAGE, VIJAYWADA
REINFORCEMENT CAGE FOR “T” SHAPED DIAPHRAGM WALL PANEL
RUBBER STOPPER TO PREVENT LEAKAGE AT PANEL JOINTS
 Top‐Down and Bottom‐up 
Construction
• Large sized basements
Large sized basements
• Difficulties in Strutting
• Basement floors used for supproting
fl df i the wall
h ll
• Use of Sacreficial Piles to support basement
floors temporarily
• Monitoring of deflections during excavations
Monitoring of deflections during excavations
• Construction of Permanent Columns