Abstract: | Failure by heave and failure of the earth support of excavation walls. The present article deals with the phenomenon of heave at the earth support of excavation walls. It is restricted to a homogeneous subsoil in the area of the bottom of the excavation. Starting with some questions, which result from the required verifications of limit states, two mechanical models are described, which differ on the stability of the skeleton of grains. The possible failure mechanisms for hydraulically stressed earth supports of excavation walls are discussed. With two exemplary deep excavations, one of it wide, the other narrow, the respective verifications of limit states in the classical form as well as on basis of Finite Element calculations are carried out. Finally the results are discussed and some conclusions are drawn from it. Also requirements for verifications of limit states on basis of FEM calculations are formulated. |