DIAPHRAGM WALL

Base heave - a wall supporting superstructure vertical loads.

A check against base heave, in which the ground outside
the wall undergoes bearing failure at the toe of the wall
with resulting heave in the base of the excavation, needs
to be carried out.
Load-bearing capacity of the wall
This check is usually only carried out when a structure is
subjected to high vertical loads, for example:
- a wall supported by high-capacity, steeply inclined
ground anchors,
Hydraulic considerations
When below the water table the following issues need to
be addressed:
- possible effects of water flow reduction of passive
earth pressure, boiling, regressive erosion,
- environmental effects of the works and the structure,
external drawdown, dam effect,
- overall stability of the structure.

5.5. Reinforced concrete

General order of moment of resistance at SLS

Thickness Usual moment Associated tensile steel section

0.50m 300kNm/m 30cm2/m
0.60m 600kNm/m 37cm2/m
0.80m 1,200kNm/m 52cm2/m
1.00m 1,800kNm/m 67cm2/m
1.20m 2,600kNm/m 82cm2/m
1.50m 4,000kNm/m 105cm2/m

FeE500 steel, allowable concrete compressive stress - 12 MPa

Reinforcement and buildability considerations

A diaphragm wall reinforcement cage includes the Starter bars or couplers for tying to the final structure.
following: Block-outs for ground anchors etc.
Structural bars: Bars required for installation:
- main vertical bars, possibly with additional - lifting bars,
reinforcement, to resist bending moments, - suspension bars,
- horizontal bars to resist shear force. - stiffening bars.

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