Field Measurements and Design Optimization of Diaphragm Walls

This paper presents field measurements of diaphragm walls. During the study, a typical measurement section was embedded with concrete strain meters to measure the forces on and in the diaphragm walls. This permitted an extensive investigation of the internal force changes in diaphragm walls. Furthermore, the stability of diaphragm walls was evaluated and optimized. The data and design optimization led to the following conclusions: variations in the stresses of diaphragm walls were observed with increases in the excavation depth of foundation pits. The strain data obtained from field measurements allowed the calculation of safety factors for the diaphragm walls, which met national code standards. Therefore, the investigated diaphragm walls were judged to be safe. The variations in the diaphragm walls' internal forces were obtained for use as references in the design and construction of similar projects in the future.