Curved diaphragm wall construction: A case study on the challenges faced

Diaphragm walls are commonly constructed as part of the Earth Retaining Stabilising Structure (ERSS) for deep excavations involving basements, stations and other underground structures. This paper documents the challenges involved during the construction of the curved diaphragm walls due to the varying soil stratigraphy at the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) Contract 883 - Construction of Cantonment Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Station for Circle Line 6 and analyses the impact of these challenges on quality control. The paper then proposes remedial actions to be taken before and during construction to overcome the challenges through improved planning, which could help to enhance quality and hence improve the construction productivity of curved diaphragm wall construction for future projects in similar soil stratigraphy.