Numerical analysis of soil deformation behind the reaction wall of an open caisson induced by horizontal parallel pipe-jacking construction

Abstract

The disturbance of the soil behind the reaction wall of an open caisson can affect the efficiency and safety of jacking operation and control. This study focuses on the deformation of the soil mass behind the reaction wall used to support the jack. The stress–strain relationship of the soil behind the reaction wall was analysed, providing a theoretical basis for determining the most unfavourable combination of reactive forces using a computational model. A three-dimensional finite element model for this problem was developed, and a simple loading scenario was implemented. In addition, the mechanism of the deformation of the soil induced by horizontal parallel pipe jacking was also analysed. The results showed that for the soil behind the reaction wall of the open caisson, the uplift deformation of the soil surface increased initially and later gradually decreased, eventually achieving stability. The reaction force had a relatively obvious effect on the deformation of the soil within the range of the reaction wall burial depth and the horizontal displacement of the soil along the length of the reaction wall. The maximum displacement occurred near the axis of symmetry of the reaction wall. In addition, to consider the cyclic characteristics of the reaction force, the shakedown theorem is introduced to the deformation analysis of the soil and compared with the results obtained from simple loading. It was shown that the two deformation analysis methods have certain scopes of application, depending on the individual engineering requirements.