Pile and pile group response to tunnelling using a large diameter slurry shield – Case study in Shanghai

The study investigates the disturbance to piles and pile groups caused by multiple nearby drives of a large diameter slurry shield-driven tunnelling machine in Shanghai. The minimum distance between the slurry shield tunnel (with diameter D = 15.43 m) and the adjacent pile groups of Metro Line 3 and Yixian Elevated Road is 1 m. The nonlinear finite element (FE) software program ABAQUS was used to analyse the movement of the pile groups caused by the process of shield tunnelling. A field investigation was conducted before the multiple crossings to study the impact (movement and excess pore water pressure) on the surrounding soil and piles caused by the tunnelling process. The field investigation is divided into two sections: (i) free-field tunnelling, and (ii) tunnelling close to trial piles pre-installed in the section. For the full-scale test, tunnelling variable, including slurry pressure and grouting pressure, are adjusted during construction to reduce the disturbance during tunnelling close to pile groups supporting two elevated bridges. The FE simulation of the multiple crossings includes two steps: (a) shield tunnelling along the south bound tunnel approaching the working shaft at the western bank of the Huangpu River, and passing separately between two adjacent pile groups of each bridge; (b) return tunnel passing again between the pile groups of the two bridges along the north bound tunnel. Three different FE models are generated: (1) free-field tunnelling process, (2) tunnelling close to trial piles, and (3) multiple tunnel passes adjacent to pile groups supporting the two elevated bridges. Most of the relevant factors in tunnelling are taken into consideration in the FE models including (a) slurry pressure, (b) grouting pressure, (c) grouting material hardening, and (d) soil-pile interaction.