LARGE EXCAVATIONS IN URBAN PERIMETER: STUDY OF DISPLACEMENTS IN NEIGHBORING FOUNDATIONS

This article aims to numerically analyze the itfluence cf excavations on the suiface settlements cf neighboring building foundations using the Plaxis 3D finite element software. This is a topic cf great interest in urban areas with a high concentration cf buddings. The need for increasingly deeper excavations has challenged geotechnical engineers to balance high horizontal pressures while minimizing soil displacements and avoiding damage to nearby structures. In this article, a detailed analysis cf the main empirical methods available in the literature for predicting settlement profiles caused by excavations is presented, comparing them with results obtained through finite element software. The study results showed that the empirical method preposed by Hsieh and Ou (1998) provided the best approximation in predicting settlement profiles in the analyzed cases, both for maximum settlement and for the profile cf suiface settlements with respect to the distance from the excavation face. The method preposed by Ciria (2003), which indicates settlement values during the installation phase cf the retaining structure before excavation, also demonstrated a good correlation with the data obtained from the software. Finally, the application cf numerical modeling to the selected cases cor firmed the observations highlighted by deferent authors, demonstrating its ability to satisfactorily reproduce horizontal wall displacements and provide an approximate prediction cf suiface settlements. These findings contribute to a better understanding cf the ejects cf neighboring excavations on foundations and can assist geotechnical engineers in decision-making during the planning and execution cf excavation projects in densely built urban areas.