On safety of slurry-wall trenches

Abstract

The paper focuses on a numerical simulation of ground movements and a stability evaluation during trench excavation processes (slurry–walls technology). A special attention is paid to modeling of failure and to defining of safety measures. Numerical calculations are based on the FLAC 3D code. It is found that the soil kinematics at failure coincides with the literature data. Four kinds of safety factor are investigated. The results converge if trench is deep enough. The applied probabilistic safety analysis takes into account the random level of the ground water, as a most important factor, and the soil strength. The acceptable level of safety is found.