Lateral Displacement and Internal Force in Diaphragm Walls Based on Principle of Minimum Potential Energy

Abstract

Predicting the lateral displacement in the diaphragm wall is of significance for the design of foundation pits. This study investigated the behavior of diaphragm walls with internal bracing under eccentric loads. The wall and the internal brace were idealized as an elastic flat plate with an elastic bar. To acquire an analytical solution, governing differential equations for lateral displacements were developed based on energy equilibrium. Closed-form solutions to lateral displacements, bending moment, and shear force were obtained by means of the Ritz method. Validation showed that the predictions were in a good agreement with observations and numerical results. Parametric studies indicated that the penetration depth, the flexural rigidity of the diaphragm wall, and the rigidity of internal brace have significant effects on the lateral response of the diaphragm wall.