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In dense cities, the interactions between all structures, from tall skyscrapers to complex underground tunnel systems, need to be carefully analysed as soon as a new project is considered. This is necessary because of the stress changes in the soil induced by each new construction. Demolishing a building could cause heave at the base of the excavation, deflections in supporting structures and settlements of the surroundings. The behaviour can be modelled in order to predict how large the deformations will be. This thesis investigates the effectiveness of such models. This is done through the application of a parameter sensitivity analysis on models created in Plaxis. The purpose of the analysis is to identify which factors cause discrepancies between the models and the actual displacements monitored on site. The project being examined is located in central London. The analysis focuses on the displacements of existing tunnels below the site caused by the demolition of two buildings. An analysis was carried out to investigate the significance of different parameters, of different material models and methods of analysis, of 3D effects and of inaccurate groundwater data. Ground investigations, laboratory tests and published data were the main sources used to collect reliable initial input parameters for the material models. A model was created in Plaxis 2D using the Mohr-Coulomb and the Hardening Soil with small-strain stiffness material models, using two types of undrained analysis. A model using the Mohr-Coulomb material model was created in Plaxis 3D as well. A sensitivity analysis was then carried out on the 2D models to identify which input parameters were most significant to the tunnel displacements. The results were compared to monitoring data and a back-analysis was carried out to produce more accurate results. The initial and adjusted input parameters were also tested on the 3D model. Finally, the groundwater level was altered. The results indicate that soil stiffness and effective cohesion are the most significant. Small-strain stiffness is shown to be especially important when analysing small tunnel deformation. The 3D model generally yielded more accurate results than the 2D model, while the groundwater level did not appear to affect the deformations. / I tätbebyggda städer bör samspelet mellan olika konstruktioner, från skyskrapor till tunnelsystem, analyseras noga så fort ett nytt projekt ska påbörjas. Detta är kritiskt på grund av den förändrade spänningsfördelning som uppstår i marken vid varje ny byggnation. Marken häver sig, stödmurar deformeras och den omkringliggande marken sätter sig när en byggnad rivs. Denna process kan modelleras för att uppskatta hur stora deformationerna kommer att bli. Det här examensarbetet utvärderar hur effektiv en sådan modell är. En känslighetsanalys utfördes på modeller skapade i Plaxis. Syftet med denna analys är att undersöka vilka faktorer som orsakar skillnader mellan modellerna och mätdata. Projektet ligger i centrala London och analysen fokuserar på tunneldeformationer orsakade av att två byggnader rivs. Tunnlarna befinner sig i ett lager av Londonlera under byggarbetsplatsen. En analys utfördes för att undersöka huruvida olika parameterar, olika materialmodeller och analysmetoder, 3D effekter och grundvattennivån påverkar tunnelförflyttningarna. Markundersökningar, labbtester och publicerad data användes som grund för att bestämma indatavärden. En 2D modell skapades i Plaxis genom att använda materialmodellerna Mohr-Coulomb och ”Hardening Soil with small-strain stiffness”. En Mohr-Coulomb modell skapades dessutom i Plaxis 3D. En känslighetsanalys utfördes sedan på 2D modellen för att identifiera vilka parametrar som påverkade tunnelförflyttningarna mest. Resultaten jämfördes med mätdata och viktiga parameterar ändrades för att ge bättre resultat. Inverkan av att ändra dessa värden undersöktes även i 3D modellen. Slutligen undersöktes påverkan av en förhöjd grundvattennivå. Resultaten antyder att jordens styvhet och den effektiva kohesionen har störst inverkan på resultaten. Styvheten vid små töjningar visar sig vara särskilt viktigt eftersom deformationerna år små. 3D modellen gav generellt sätt mer korrekta resultat än modellen i 2D. En högre grundvattennivå påverkade inte resultaten nämnvärt.

The field of pile design and construction in the United Kingdom is currently in a period of change. Not only are new processes and techniques being developed but also the legislative landscape is changing with the introduction of new Europe wide normative standards (BSI, 2004, 2007). This project sought to optimise pile design through better understanding and interpretation of ground conditions and of the pile-soil interaction for two pile types, continuous flight auger and bored displacement piles. Quantitative methods for interpreting and summarising previous knowledge and experience have been developed; the strata are divided into discrete bands and properties are represented with summary statistics. Experience and previous knowledge relating to the shear strength of London Clay have been quantified and presented using this approach. Furthermore, a straightforward tool has been provided for the implementation of such data into design; the previous knowledge and new site specific data are combined using Bayesian updating. Through use of this technique, the uncertainty associated with interpreting ground conditions from site data has been demonstrated to be reduced. The techniques described have been adopted into design practice within the sponsoring company. Bored displacement piles are a relatively new pile type. There is little published data or scientific understanding of the processes undergone by the soils during and after construction and the effect that these have on pile performance. This research identified the need for, and developed, a unified framework of descriptors for the various types of bored displacement pile and investigated the installation energy and performance of bored displacement piles in London Clay. The energy to construct the pile was observed to be highly variable and not directly related to capacity. Performance of bored displacement piles was observed to be similar to continuous flight auger piles of similar dimensions; typical values for the adhesion between bored displacement piles and the surrounding soil were established and these were comparable to those achieved by continuous flight auger piles. In addition, to enable the analysis of the probability of failure of a pile, the sources of variation have been investigated and the variability quantified. Besides the soil conditions, the dimensions of the pile, notably pile diameter, were found to be a significant source of variation.

The assessment of ageing tunnels requires a deeper understanding of the long-term behaviour of twin tunnels, whilst lack of permeability data limits the accuracy of long-term predictions. This thesis therefore investigates long-term twin-tunnel behaviour through finite-element parametric analyses, and provides additional pereability data through laboratory studies. Permeability tests are performed on fissured London Clay, exploring the effect of isotropic stress cycles on the permeability of fissures. A model explaining the permeability-stress relationship is proposed to explain irrecoverable changes observed in fissure permeability, and is formulated mathematically for numerical implementation. Laboratory investigations are performed on grout from the London Underground tunnels, investigating permeability, porosity, microstructure and composition. A deterioration process is proposed to explain observations, consisting of acid attack and leaching. The deterioration had appeared to transform the grout from impermeable to permeable relative to the soil. The change in grout permeability with time would strongly influence long-term movements. The long-term behaviour of single tunnels is investigated in a finite-element parametric study. A new method is formulated to predict long-term horizontal and vertical surface displacements after excavation of a single tunnel, and incorporates an improved measure of relative soil-lining permeability. The study also predicts significant surface movements during the consolidation period, contradicting the lack of further building damage observed in the field. A further parametric study also investigates the long-term behaviour of twin tunnels. Key interaction mechanisms are identified, leading to the postulation of the long-term interaction behaviour under different tunnelling conditions. Long-term interaction is found to be complex and significant, and should be accounted for in numerical simulations.