Finite-Difference Numerical Simulation of Dewatering System in a Large Deep Foundation Pit at Taunsa Barrage, Pakistan

Abstract

This study investigates a large deep foundation pit of a hydraulic structure rehabilitation program across the Indus river, in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The total area of the construction site was 195,040 m2. Two methods, constant head permeability test and Kozeny–Carman equation, were used to determine the hydraulic conductivity of riverbed strata, and numerical simulations using the three-dimensional finite-difference method were carried out. The simulations first used hydraulic conductivity parameters obtained by laboratory tests, which were revised during model calibration. Subsequently, the calibrated model was simulated by different aquifer hydraulic conductivity values to analyze its impact on the dewatering system. The hydraulic barrier function of an underground diaphragm wall was evaluated at five different depths: 0, 3, 6, 9, and 18 m below the riverbed level. The model results indicated that the aquifer drawdown decreases with the increase in depth of the underground diaphragm wall. An optimal design depth for the design of the dewatering system may be attained when it increases to 9 m below the riverbed level.