| Abstract: | Consequences of the construction process on the service serviceability of diaphragm walls in soft soils. In order to prove the serviceability of retaining structures, the finite element method is frequently used. A conventional calculation neglects the construction process of the retaining wall and adopts the earth pressure at rest as initial condition. However, the presented FE‐calculations show, that this kind of approach underestimates wall deflections, surface ground settlements and strut forces in case of a diaphragm wall in soft clayey ground. The stepwise construction of the panels affects the stress distribution in the adjacent ground and evokes the partial mobilisation of the earth resistance in the upper third of the wall. In order to consider the influence of the diaphragm wall construction, a modified initial stress field depending on the fresh concrete pressure is proposed. |
