Excavation-induced ground movements behind a single-propped wall

Ground movements behind a single-propped retaining wall were the focus of this study. This paper presents results from FE analysis of a single-propped wall in working conditions (typically with a Factor of Safety for strength = 1.5) in cohesionless dry soil. Assuming greenfield conditions a finite element study was conducted in which an elasto-plastic constitutive law was used to model the soil behaviour. The problem was solved in several stages with an increasing complexity of retaining wall construction. The ground movement values obtained were in good agreement with published field data. Settlements behind the wall extended up to 1.6 times the excavation depth. Horizontal movements were up to 2.5 times higher than the settlements and extended up to 3.5 times the excavation depth behind the wall. These conclusions provide guidance for practising engineers to assess the potential damage risk on structures adjacent to excavation sites.