An approximate analytical solution for calculating ground surface settlements due to diaphragm walling

This paper focuses on the derivation of an approximate analytical solution to predict ground surface settlements along the centre-line perpendicular to a slurry-supported diaphragm wall panel. An analytical model of trench excavation is constructed by applying linearly-distributed total earth pressure changes on the sidewalls and the base of the trench in a homogeneous, isotropic, elastic half-space. By applying the principle of superposition appropriately, an explicit solution to calculate ground surface settlements is derived by integrating Mindlin’s displacement formulae. The validity of the solution is verified by three-dimensional finite-element analyses and case studies. Based on the results obtained from a parametric study using the newly derived solution, an algebraic formula is obtained as a first approximation for calculating ground surface settlements.