Dr Nesha Kovacevic
• Bottom-up construction
• Open cut excavations for economy
• Maximum depth 22m
• Cut slopes to be as steep as possible
• Stand-up time up to 1/2 years
1
End shunt
CTB
Launch
chamber
Launch chamber
2
Temporary stability of deep cuts in
London Clay
3
ϕ ', c'
ϕ'p , c'p G = G (p’, εd)
K’ = K’ (p’, εv)
ϕ'r , c'r
(εdp)p (εdp)r ε dp
3,000
Secant (3.G)/p' or K'/p'
modelled shear
2,500
recommended shear
modelled bulk
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1
Axial strain or volumetric strain (%)
4
Displacement across a 0.5m thick layer, ∆ (m)
0 0.025 0.05 0.075 0.1
150
Shear stress, τ (kPa) σ'=166.7kPa
∆ τ
100
T γ=∆/T
50
0
0 5 10 15 20
Shear strain, γ (%)
-50
-100
measured
-150
predicted
PWP change
-50
50
5
5
0
0 50 100 150 200 250
Vertical effective stress (kPa)
surf ace
Near
Biii
Bi
10 Biii Biii
A3
A2 A3 A2
Biii
A3
A2 A2
Depth below ground level (m)
A3 Bii
Non-linear 20
A3
A3 A2 A2
Bii
permeability
e st
A2
A3 A2
dw
A2
A2 A2
East of basin
model:
l an
A2
tra
A3
k=k0.e-b.p’
c en
A3 A2 A2
30
A3
A2 A2
A2 central
A3 and west
A2
A2
A2
40
A2
A3
50
A2
6
Short - term slope failure at
Bradwell
Su (kPa)
0 20 40 60 80 100
2.7m 3.5m
1
1: Clay Fill
Original ground level GWL
1 0.9m
1: Marsh Clay
11.3m
Weathered
7.2m
London Clay
:
0.5
Unweathered
London Clay
7
Tension zone
Clay Fill
Marsh Clay
11.3m
London Clay
εpD=1%
Rupture
surface
peak
Strength
Softening starts
residual
at εpD=5%
MoS=1.02 5% 20% εdp
1
1: Clay Fill
1
1: Marsh Clay
London Clay
11.3m
Back-analysis by LEM
1
(Skempton, 1965)
:
0.5
Predicted by FEM
8
Short-term (undrained) failures
at Bradwell
• Can be analysed in terms of effective stresses using
the same constitutive model and soil parameters
as for the delayed failures of cuttings in London Clay
M25 N
Slough
Prospect Park
M4
otorway
M4 M
Datchet
Windsor Reservoir
Heathrow
Wraysbury Airport
Reservoir
King George VI
Reservoir Staines
Reservoir
Scale M25
0 1 2 3 4km Staines
Site location
9
Prospect Park failure 9 weeks
after excavation
10
Slip surface Cut-off wall
2 Terrace Gravels
11.6m
1
London Clay
Scale
0 10m
0.5m
11
Scale
0 10m
-50 0 -50
50 0
50
100 kPa
100 kPa
150 150
0.1
0.2 shear
zone
with shear
no shear
with shear, no prior gravel removal
no shear, no prior gravel removal
12
Scale
0 10m
Rupture
Rupture
surface
surface
2%
2%
0.1
0.2
with shear
no shear
with shear, no prior gravel removal
no shear, no prior gravel removal
13
Time since excavation (yrs)
14
Surface suction 25kPa
15
Launch
chamber
Launch
chamber
16
Lessons for the future
17