An approach for the design of dewatering systems: the case of an excavation for the construction of the assembly shaft of a tunnel boring machine

Robust approaches are needed for designing efficient dewatering systems of deep excavations below the water table to avoid unforeseen incidents (e.g., bottom instabilities in deep excavations and flooding, among others). This paper proposes a methodology, which integrates existing experiences, that...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Pujades, Estanislao, Badiella, Guillem, Jurado, Anna, Carrera, Jesús, Vázquez-Suñé, Enric
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/363505
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/363505
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85197229198
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Urban hydrogeology
Dewatering
Drainage
Excavation
Tunnel
Underground construction
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Descripción
Sumario:Robust approaches are needed for designing efficient dewatering systems of deep excavations below the water table to avoid unforeseen incidents (e.g., bottom instabilities in deep excavations and flooding, among others). This paper proposes a methodology, which integrates existing experiences, that was adopted to design the dewatering system of an excavation in the city of Barcelona (Spain). The approach consists of combining: (i) detailed geological and hydrogeological characterizations, (ii) numerical modelling for parameter estimation and drawdown predictions, and (iii) analytical assessment for stability evaluation and soil deformation predictions. The idea is that by combining a set of relatively easy to apply methods, it is possible to successfully solve a complex and risky problem. The methodology allows designing efficient dewatering systems, increasing safety and mitigating potential impacts of groundwater pumping. The most significant conclusion is that the most important step of the proposed approach is the hydrogeological characterization because it allows building realistic and representative numerical models to address most of the challenges associated to dewatering.