Three-dimensional effects of a deep excavation on wall deflections in loose to medium dense sands

This paper presents a study that evaluates the three-dimensional effects of a deep excavation on wall displacements in loose to medium dense sands. A finite element (FE) analysis is then conducted to verify the performance of 3D FE models in predicting wall displacements and results indicate that the use of the Mohr-Coulomb model with the soil modulus obtained from in-situ dilatometers for loose to medium dense sands yields reasonable predictions of the excavation-induced wall displacements. Based on the parametric study, the plane strain ratio (PSR), was determined for excavations in loose to medium dense sand.