A new 3D limit equilibrium method evaluating stability of slurry trenches in sandy ground

During the construction of the diaphragm wail, the wail of the trench is usually stabilized by the slurry. The stability analysis of the slurry trench has been attracting a lot of attention of the researchers. In this study, a series of centrifuge tests on the slurry trenches constructed in sandy ground has been carried out to investigate the mechanism of the failure and the shape of the sliding surface. An alternative limit equilibrium method(LEM) for the three dimensional stability analysis of slurry trenches constructed in sandy ground is proposed and the effect of the confining force on the safety factor of the slurry trenches is discussed. On the basis of the test results, an equation is proposed to express the confining force. The stability of the slurry trench is also analyzed by the 3D elasto-plastic FEM. The calculated results by both LEM and FEM explained well the experimental results of the centrifuge tests. The proposed method is practical and simple for the actual project.