19.

7  Bottom Heave of a Cut in Clay 835

Table 19.4   Conversion of Soil Layers using Eq. (19.10)

Elevation Thickness, Equivalent
(m) H (m) c (kN/m2) c (kN/m2)
10.305 to 29.67 9.975  19.17 1
cav 5 [s9.975ds19.17d 1 s3.44ds33.54d
17.375
1 s1.83ds95.83d 1 s2.13ds191.67d]
29.76 to 213.11 3.44  33.54
5 51.24 kN/m2
213.11 to 214.94 m 1.83  95.83
214.94 to 217.07 m 2.13 191.67
o17.375

Equation (19.11) gives

1
gav 5 sg H 1 g2H2 1 Á 1 gn Hnd
H 1 1
1
5 [s17.29ds4.055d1s19.97ds10.065d1s20.44ds3.35d1s21.22ds1.83d
21.43
1s21.22ds2.13d]
5 19.77 kN/m3

For the equivalent clay layer of 21.43 m,

gavH s19.77ds21.43d
5 5 12.06 . 4
cav 34.99

Hence the apparent pressure envelope will be of the type shown in Figure 19.8. From
Eq. (19.6)

3 1 g H 24 5 s19.77ds21.43d31 2 s19.77ds12.43d 4 5 283.7 kN/m

4cav s4ds34.99d 2
sa 5 gH 1 2
av

The pressure envelope is shown in Figure 19.19. The area of this pressure dia-
gram is 2933 kN/m. Thus Peck’s pressure envelope gives a lateral earth pressure of
about 1.8 times that actually observed in this case. This result is not surprising because
the pressure envelope provided by Figure 19.8 is an envelope developed considering
several cuts made at different locations. Under actual field conditions, past experience
with the behavior of ­similar soils can help reduce overdesigning substantially.

19.7 Bottom Heave of a Cut in Clay

Braced cuts in clay may become unstable as a result of heaving of the bottom of the
excavation. Terzaghi (1943) analyzed the factor of safety of long braced excavations
against bottom heave. The failure surface for such a case in a homogeneous soil is
shown in Figure 19.20. In the figure, the following notations are used: B 5 width of
the cut, H 5 depth of the cut, T 5 thickness of the clay below the base of excavation,
and q 5 uniform surcharge adjacent to the excavation.
The ultimate bearing capacity at the base of a soil block fije with a width of B9
can be given as
qult 5 cNc (19.16)
where Nc 5 5.7 (for a perfectly rough foundation).
The vertical load per unit area along fi is
cH
q 5 gH 1 q 2 (19.17)
B9

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