Effect of building stiffness on tunnelling-induced ground movement

The progressive response of two–three storey masonry buildings to bored tunnelling on the Jubilee Line Extension in London is investigated in order to determine the effect of building stiffness on tunnelling-induced ground movement. The masonry buildings, at Moodkee Street and Keetons Estate, were affected by tunnelling with earth pressure balance machines on Contract 105 of the Jubilee Line Extension. Bending deformations and axial strain induced in these structures are compared to greenfield ground deformations and strain in order to infer the effect of building stiffness. The modifying influence of the stiffness of these buildings on ground movement is interpreted using the Potts and Addenbrooke [Potts D.M., Addenbrooke, T.I., 1997. A structure’s influence on tunnelling induced ground movements. Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng. Geotech. Eng. 125 (2), 109–125] method, which is based on a series of finite element analyses. The inferred building stiffness that can be used for design purposes with the Potts and Addenbrooke method is compared to an estimation for a Class A [Lambe, T.W., 1973. Predictions in geotechnical engineering. Geotechnique 23 (2), 149–202] prediction exercise by Mair and Taylor [Mair, R.J., Taylor, R.N., 2001. Settlement predictions for Neptune, Murdoch and Clegg Houses and adjacent masonry walls. Building response to tunnelling – case studies from construction of the Jubilee Line Extension, London. In: Burland, J.B., Standing, J.R., Jardine, F.M. (Eds.), Projects and Methods, vol. 1. CIRIA SP200, pp. 217–228 (CIRIA and Thomas Telford, 2001). ISBN: 0 7277 30177] using the same method. As a result an alternative approach is proposed for estimating the relative bending stiffness of masonry structures for future use with the Potts and Addenbrooke method when making simple predictions.