Data-Driven Field Observational Method of a Contiguous Bored Pile Wall System Affected by Accidental Groundwater Drawdown

This paper presents the use of a 700 mm-diameter contiguous bored pile (CBP) wall for a main basement deep excavation project with cut-and-cover tunnel. Due to the presence of cement grout columns between piles behind the CBP wall, the main basement was considered to be ‘impermeable’. However, site observations have shown that installation of ground anchors have unintentionally punctured the water tightness of the wall, creating leakages through the CBP wall and the possibility of localized groundwater lowering, as evidenced by the relatively large settlements. In the absence of cement grout columns at the cut-and-cover tunnel section, immediate groundwater drawdown was observed with the excavation rate. Settlement induced by the excavation and groundwater drawdown only slowed down upon the casting of skinwall to prevent groundwater from flowing through the wall. The accidental groundwater leakage led to small wall deflection. The ratio of maximum settlement to maximum deflection is atypical to those reported in the literature. The analysis also revealed that corner effect is significant with smaller settlement registered at the corners of the wall.