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TH 07 004
TH 07 004
TH 07 004
environment
Raja Rajan K, Nagarajan D, Vijayakumar T
CMPC division, EDRC, Heavy Civil Infra, L&T Construction, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
ABSTRACT
Metro is seen as the only solution for mass rapid transit system in urban areas. For underground metro station, deep
excavations in densely populated areas impose specific challenges to the contractor. Based on type of soil or rock,
excavation procedure, method and time shall be adopted. The control of groundwater is one of the most common
and complicated problems encountered on a deep excavation. The contractor selects the dewatering method and
contractor is sole responsible for its design and operation. Many dewatering techniques like multiple wells, sump
pumps, vacuum pumps, deep wells are available to control ground water. In this paper, author explains the usage of
MODFLOW software for dewatering analysis in underground metro station and also about the dewatering system
which has been adopted in site. Pump out test is an accurate method of determining the safe yield of the well and
also for assessing the actual site condition.
1
4.1.2 Top Down Method
Unit 4a2: Moderately strong slightly weathered dark
Shale /Breccia grey shale with closely to very closely This method is applicable only when the traffic diversion
- WG IV spaced horizontal fractures
is possible. In some places decking panel used for
traffic movement over the excavated portion as shown
in Figure 2. Earth retaining system is constructed and
4 RETAINING SYSTEM & METHOD OF excavation shall be done up to top slab level. Once the
CONSTRUCTION top construction is completed, filling is done above the
top slab and then open to traffic. Through the openings
For deep excavation, the earth has to be retained by in the top slab further excavation and construction
suitable structural member in order to avoid disturbance proceeds. As construction moves from top to down,
to the adjacent structures. Since the excavation depth there is no requirement of temporary strut. Intermediate
is very deep and location of the station at urban area, slabs itself act as strut member. Comparatively this
open cut excavation is not feasible. Earth retaining method has less working space and vehicle movement
systems like Diaphragm walls, secant piles, soldier inside the excavated area.
piles, contiguous piles and sheet piles were available
for retaining system. Suitable structure shall be chosen
based on client’s requirement, site geology,
construction methods, ground water and soil/rock
properties.
This method is applicable only when the traffic diversion Figure 2. Typical top down construction method
is not possible. The principle of bottom up method is to
isolate the excavation area by proper earth retaining
system and then to proceed with stages of excavation. 5 DEWATERING
After each stage of excavation temporary strut shall be
installed and activated before advancing to the next Dewatering means “the separation of water from the
stage of excavation. Similar procedure is adopted till soil”, This leads to concepts like pre-drainage of soil,
excavation reaches the final excavation level as shown control of ground water, and even the improvement of
in Figure 1. Upon reaching the toe level, base slab is physical properties of soil. The purpose of construction
constructed along with side walls. Gap between walls dewatering is to control the surface and subsurface
and excavated profile shall be filled with suitable hydrologic environment in such a way as to permit the
material. As side wall construction proceeds, bottom structure to be constructed “in the dry state.”
most strut is deactivated and removed. Intermediate Construction dewatering has existed as a specialty
slabs shall be constructed as per levels and industry for a long time. Consequently, a number of
specification. Similarly, the procedure is followed till top well-established techniques have been developed to
slab construction and remaining portion is filled with soil lower the ground water table during excavation. The
and road laid for public traffic. geology, ground water conditions, and type of
excavation all influence the selection of dewatering
technology.
Retaining
System
2
Generally, two major groups of underground facilitating easy discharge of water through robust solid
water techniques controls are existing: Exclusion handling pumps.
techniques and dewatering techniques.
5.2.2 Open Sump Pumping Method Figure 6. Deep well system – Dewatering technique
3
dewatering analysis using theoretical approach is not 7 DEWATERING FOR CUFFE PARADE STATION
adequate and requiring numerical simulations.
Dewatering analysis using Visual MODFLOW v.2010.1 Contractor is sole responsible for adopting suitable
is employed to design the deep well design in dewatering system to enhance the dry excavation in
underground metro stations. MODFLOW is a modular station. Many dewatering techniques are readily
3D finite difference ground water flow model where available, but as a pioneered contractor the most
similar program functions are grouped together, and efficient and most economical system to be selected.
scientific computational and hydrologic options are This paper explains the dewatering design adopted for
constructed in such a manner that each option is cuffe parade station using MODFLOW software.
independent of other options. It has provision for barrier In contract document, Client has provided some
flow conditions to be modelled. contract requirement to be fulfilled while designing the
The model is applicable for transient as well as dewatering system.
steady state model. The interface is divided into three • The groundwater within the excavations shall be
separate modules, the Input Module, the Run Module, maintained at a level that permits achievement of
and the Output Module. When you open or create a file, undisturbed, stable and dry subgrade to permit
you will be able to seamlessly switch between these construction and backfilling of the permanent
modules to build or modify the model input parameters, works and avoids heave, piping or base failure of
run the simulations, calibrate the model, and display the excavation
results (in plan view or cross section). Workflow of • The Groundwater drawdown (a drop of water table
MODFLOW software is explained in the below Figure7 during dewatering/construction) outside the
as flowchart. Software works from importing the model excavation/adjacent to works, shall be controlled
from drawing or picture, providing adequate inputs, such that the water table doesn’t get lowered by
selecting the proper engine for analysis and then the more than one metre below the lowest recorded
output is displayed. groundwater table. For ensuring this the
The Input Module allows the user to graphically recharging well system shall be provided, if
assign all of the necessary input parameters building a required.
three-dimensional groundwater flow and contaminant • Where ever water bearing seams, fissures or
transport model. The input menus represent the basic broken ground yielding undesirably large
"model building blocks" for assembling a data set for quantities of water is encountered, it shall be
MODFLOW. These menus are displayed in the logical grouted
order to guide the modeler through the steps necessary Cuffe parade station extends to a length of about 407m
to design a groundwater flow and contaminant transport with cross width of 37m. Station details been tabulated
model. in below table 2 with other details.
Base Total
Length Width of Ground slab depth of
of station station level Bottom station
+3.84 m, -21.24 m,
407m 37m CD CD 25m
4
As per client requirement, dewatering to be done 1m instance, if user desired to view dewatering stage 10m
below each excavation stages i.e. if first excavation below ground level, simply 10th layer shall be viewed so
stage is +0.59m, then level of water by dewatering to be that corresponding drawdown can be witnessed in the
at -0.59m. Similarly, for each stage, dewatering to be corresponding layers which is an effective tool for
done at least 1m below the proposed excavation level monitoring the dewatering analysis.
as shown in Figure 8. Setting the above criteria as
benchmark, suitable dewatering design been adopted.
Secant piles proposed as temporary retaining system.
Soft pile and hard piles form the combination of secant
pile design. Reinforcement is provided in hard pile
whereas soft pile is filled only with concrete. The toe of
secant pile is determined based on encountering of rock
level. Based on type of rock grade, pile embedment is
predefined by consultant. During execution for each
pile, geologist confirms the grade of rock and execute
the proposed embedment of pile in rock. Below fig.9
shows a typical cross section of cuffe parade station
with secant piles as retaining system and pile
termination on either side based on rock grade with
excavation sequence till base slab level. Among the
available dewatering system deep well system is found
to be efficient and more suitable for the ground
condition.
In rocky strata, open sump pumping is the only
available dewatering system. Modflow software works
based on certain assumption. Faults or fissures present Figure 9. Plan of cuffe parade station imported for
in the rocks is completely ignored in analysis, if analysis from PDF file
encountered in execution, same to be closed by
grouting. 7.1 Input Data for Analysis
5
The permeability of each strata taken from GIR recharge wells which is positioned outside the station
as primary input for Modflow analysis. To be on area. In order to know the exact ground permeability, it
conservative side, vertical permeability is taken as half is recommended to conduct a pump out test in the
of horizontal permeability. Permeability in rock strata is station.
very low and considered as impervious layer.
Permeability of soil is considered much on conservative 7.2 Pump Out Test
side in order to design the system for adverse condition. Pumping test is an accurate method of determining the
As a prudent contractor L&T wants to design safe safe yield of the well. A pumping test is a field
dewatering system in order to meet any unpredictable experiment in which a well is pumped at a controlled
situation like high ingress of water during excavation rate and water-level response (drawdown) is measured
which may affect the excavation work to proceed in one or more surrounding observation wells and
further. optionally in the pumped well (control well) itself;
response data from pumping tests are used to estimate
the hydraulic properties of ground. The rate of pumping,
Table 5: Soil permeability for Cuffe parade station per hour, under this equilibrium condition, gives the
yield per hour (Q) of the well at a particular drawdown
Horizontal (s).
Vertical
Layer Depth (m) conductivity
Conductivity kz Pumping test is conducted to evaluate an
No. kx or ky
From To (m/sec) aquifer by "stimulating" the aquifer through constant
(m/sec)
1 0.0 4.5 5E-04 2.50E-04 pumping and observing the aquifer's "response"
2 4.5 12.0 1.13E-05 5.65E-06
(drawdown) in observation wells on the well in the area
is only method for computing the aquifer parameters. A
4 Below 12.0 4.12E-06 2.06E-06 long duration pump test for 2160 minutes was
conducted to observe the effect of pumping in pumping
well and nearby observation wells. The Pumping well
Pumping wells used to pump out water from and observation wells were of identical design.
excavation area. Diameter of wells vary from 200 to
300mm in diameter. Perforated PVC pipe of 150mm From the long duration pump test conducted in the
diameter is inserted in the well and remaining area is study area, following parameters have been computed
filled with filter material which used to allow water inside • Transmissivity (T)
the well without any clot at perforations. In this station
• Field Permeability/Hydraulic Conductivity (k)
total of 19 pumping wells been planned with total depth
• Specific yield (Sy)
of 20m from ground level. Recharge wells which used
to pump water in the ground in order to maintain the • Specific Capacity (C)
ground water table outside the station area. As per Though different methods are available for estimating
contract condition, ground water table outside the the above parameters, most suitable methods chosen
station area shall not be lowered more than 1m from for computation.
existing level. In order to maintain, constant recharge
shall be done using recharge wells.
6
design. Various engines been enlisted in software for
different usage.
7
adopted. Total 6 nos of sump system been deployed 9 CONCLUSIONS
for this station. Sump size is of 1.5m X 1m X 1m which
will be taken down as excavation proceeds. Sump is Some of the key points to be noted while designing the
positioned 3m inside secant pile such that it will not dewatering techniques for underground metro station
affect berm of secant pile. The water collected in the
sump shall be pumped out periodically using • Many dewatering techniques like multiple wells, sump
submersible pump. Apart from this, sump requirement pump, vacuum well, deep wells are available to control
for monsoon is also calculated by analytical method and the ground water. Contractor has to choose the suitable
recommendation is provided to use of extra sump in technique based on sub surface, permeability of strata,
monsoon period. Maximum recorded rain water is depth of excavation and excavation area.
taken and compared with area of excavation to arrive at •Pumping wells used to pump water from excavated
sum pump requirements. 2 nos of extra pump kept in zone, Recharge wells present outside the station used
reserve for monsoon period. for pump in water to maintain the ground level outside
station area and Observation well used to monitor the
7.5 Dewatering Layout ground water during the entire process.
Apart from the deep well arrangement and sump •MODFLOW software works from importing the layout,
system, dewatering layout to be provided for the entire providing required geotechnical inputs, choosing the
station. The capacity of pumps is decided based on rate engine to analyze and output for the desired drawdown
of pumping, required vertical lift, amount and type of is obtained.
suspended solids. Suitable electrical submersible •Using MODFLOW software, well spacing, well depth
pumps shall be installed within each deep well. The and influence of retaining structure shall be clearly
pumps shall be connected to discharge pipes, cables pictured
and ropes prior to lowering. The system can be fitted
with an external control to automatically start and stop •Pump out test reveals the yield capacity of well and the
pumping at predetermined levels. actual permeability of the ground stratum. Pumping test
The units shall be lowered with the pipe and conducted for 72 hours continuously in order to
cable strapped to the lifting rope into the PVC screen determine transmissivity and permeability by Theis’s
casing. The lifting rope shall be secured at the top of Recovery Method & Jacob’s Method
well for removal of pump in case of repair and
•Total of 19 pumping wells, 6 recharge wells and 2
maintenance. Discharge from pumping wells shall be
observations wells were provided to dewater the entire
measured and recorded at least twice in a day during
cuffe parade station area
dewatering. Discharge from both deep wells and sump
pumps to be connected a common discharge pipeline •Pumping well diameter is 200mm with perforated pipe
which shall be provided along the periphery of the of 150mm to encase the submersible pump with 50mm
station. Water discharge is collected in sedimentation of filter layer all around the perforation
tank before discharging into drainage. Water is allowed
to stagnate in sedimentation tank so that sediments •Perforations to the well to be provided as per the
carried along water shall get settled in sedimentation specifications. Improper filter criteria shall affect the
tank and after some time water is allowed to discharge specific yield of well which ultimately reduce the
in drainage pipelines. Sedimentation tank is frequently efficiency of the well
cleaned in order to remove the settled sediments from •Depth of pumping well terminated based on rock depth,
the tank. bottom of well is provided 2m below the rock surface
without any perforations in order to provide sufficient
head for efficiency of pump
8 PROTECTION OF ADJACENT STRUCRUTRES
•Deep wells found to be inefficient in rock strata,
dewatering in rocky layer depends only on sump
Due to lowering of groundwater, there may be impact
pumping system
on the adjacent structures. The condition of the existing
buildings is taken from the Mumbai Metro Line 3 Tender •Sump shall be provided 3m away from the secant pile
Documents - Building Condition Survey. The surveyed wall in order to protect the berm of the wall
buildings are located within a band width of about 60m
along the corridor defined as the “influence zone. •Surface water control due to monsoon been calculated
Category of building given as per contract separately by analytical method for which 4 nos of 5HP
recommendation and suitable instrumentation been pumps were provided in order to dewater the
planned all around buildings located near the station. accumulated water due to rain
Building settlement and cracks been monitored •Flood protection wall of 1m height been provided all
continuously during the time of excavation and along the periphery of the station in order to stop the in-
dewatering. If cracks exceed and settlement exceeds flow of water to the excavated area from the
the permissible level, then excavation to be stopped. surroundings.
Observation wells located outside the station helps to
monitor the ground water table outside the station area. •Shotcrete been provided along the surface of the
excavated rock in order to stop the seepage of water
from the sides of the rock.
•If any local faults or fissures encountered during rock
excavation, same has to be grouted completely
8
•In cuffe parade station, rock encountered Visual MODFLOW, version 2010.1, Waterloo Hydro
approximately 12 m below ground level, if no rock geologic, Ontario, Canada
surface encounters, then depth of pumping well has to
go below base slab level.
•Observation wells to be monitored continuously for the
depth of ground water table outside the station area.
Fluctuation of ground water shall be allowed maximum
for 1 meter.
•All discharges from deep wells and sump system shall
be connected to the common discharge pipeline which
flows to the sedimentation tank and followed to
drainage outlet.
•Sedimentation tank used to remove the sludge which is
mixed in the water which is helpful to avoid clot in the
drainage system.
•Instrumentation to be fixed in the adjacent buildings in
order to monitor the cracks of the building during the
time of dewatering and excavation of station building.
Prior to dewatering, category of existing building
condition to be identified and labelled.
• Inclinometer fixed on secant piles in order to monitor
the pile deflection due to earth pressure during the
process of excavation.
10 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
11 REFERENCES