Influence of Joint Mud Skin Thickness on Mechanical Properties of Circular Diaphragm Wall

Abstract

The mechanical effect of joint mud skin thickness on the circular diaphragm wall will directly affect the overall support effect of the bridge foundation. However, at present, the influence of joint mud skin thickness on the mechanical properties of circular continuous wall is not quantified, and the overall joint stiffness is mainly considered by empirical values, but the result value is greatly influenced by human beings. In this study, the influence of mud skin thickness on load-displacement characteristics and joint mechanical properties was investigated through experiments, and the influence of mud skin thickness on mechanical properties of the diaphragm wall was examined using numerical simulation. It is found that joint stiffness is negatively correlated with the thickness of mud skin. The thickness of the joint mud skin has a great influence on the displacement of the circular diaphragm wall, but a little influence on the bending moment, and the stiffness reduction factor is between 0.4 and 1. The mud skin thickness of the joint is positively correlated with the displacement and bending moment, and negatively correlated with the stiffness reduction factor. The stiffness reduction factor of the circular diaphragm wall is related to the thickness of the joint mud skin and radial load. When the radial load is small, the correction factor of the toroidal stiffness is roughly the same as the range given in the specification, which can better satisfy the joint effect. When the radial load is large, the joint effect cannot be considered.