Civil Engineering Project Report: Designing of Diaphragm Walls

This civil engineering project details the design of diaphragm walls, focusing on addressing challenges in deep excavations and difficult soil conditions. The project's objectives included designing a diaphragm wall and finding solutions for deep excavations with high water tables. The engineer's responsibilities included designing the wall, research, documentation, procurement, and vendor negotiation. Key engineering skills applied were analytical thinking, AutoCAD, and knowledge of mathematics and physics. The project involved understanding the theory behind diaphragm walls, including their construction and applications. Issues such as cracks in the walls and lack of retaining power were identified, and solutions such as redesigning, using mini piles, and injecting epoxy resin were implemented. The project aimed to produce innovative work through collaboration and diligent execution of responsibilities.

CE 1.1 Project Information
Name of the project: Designing of Diaphragm Walls
Location of the project: Please fill
Project Duration: Please fill
Organization: Please fill
Role and Designation during the time: Team Member of the project
CE 1.2 Project Background
CE 1.2.1 Characteristics of the project
The project of Designing of Diaphragm Walls was my first major project in civil
engineering career. There are structural concrete walls that are excavated from surfaces for
the purpose of stabilizing several fluids. The diaphragm walls have the ability to provide
temporary as well as permanent support to the integrated retaining structure. This diaphragm
wall helps in providing proper solutions in the extremely difficult soil conditions within the
presence of any higher water table. This particular project was developed by us with the sole
purpose for the deeper excavations within difficult soil conditions.
CE 1.2.2 Objectives developed for the project
The project of Designing of Diaphragm Walls comprised of various important and
significant objectives. They are as follows:
 To design a diaphragm wall.
 To find a solution for the deeper excavations in difficult soil conditions with the
specific superficial water tables.

CE 1.2.3 My area of work
My major area of work was to design the diaphragm wall in our project. The design
was to be made properly since it would have affected our project to a great level. Since, this
was first project in professional career, I was extra cautious regarding the quality of our work.
I even did the research part and documented the entire project. There were various important
phases in the project and during the specific procurement phase, I was solely involved in
various negotiation meetings. I even dealt with the various vendors in my project and
coordinated with the several design consultants to solve the issues that were faced by them in
drawings.
CE 1.2.4 Project Group
Figure 1: People involved in the project
CE 1.2.5 My responsibilities throughout the project
I had various important responsibilities in this project. The first important
responsibility that I had in this project was the estimation of quantities and study of drawings.
Moreover, I even prepared the technical specifications, tender preparations and finally

analysis of those tenders. Although, I came across several issues in the beginning, I was able
to solve them with the help of my project supervisor and other team members. I even brought
the respective contractor on board and finally helped in preparing the contract. The next
important responsibility that I had in this project was during preparing several quality
manuals and managing the project drawings. I even interpreted the drawings and
specifications including project methodologies. I was also responsible for assisting the
budgetary control and hence took care of the finances of this project. Proper coordination was
also maintained by me to ensure the fact that there is no lacking behind in the project as
planned.
CE 1.3 Distinctive Activity
CE 1.3.1 Engineering knowledge and skills applied in the project
I have applied several significant civil engineering skills and knowledge in this
particular project of Designing of Diaphragm Wall. The first and the foremost skill that I had
applied here is the skill for analytical thinking and decision making. Being a civil engineer, it
was extremely important for me to think analytically and logically and take relevant decisions
for the betterment of my project. The second skill and knowledge that I had applied here is
the AutoCAD or auto computer aided design software. This particular software was helpful to
me for making the design and drawings perfectly and easily. Moreover, my intense
knowledge in mathematics and physics were extremely helpful for me in this project. Apart
from these skills, the software of Primavera was applied by me.
CE 1.3.3 Comprehending the Theory of Project
The diaphragm wall is the distinct cast in situ structural underground concrete wall
that is excavated from the respective surface. The main purpose of this diaphragm wall is to
stabilize the fluids like bentonite mud or even polymers and keeping a stable excavation. This

type of wall is constructed in the continuous panels or elements. Diaphragm walls are usually
reinforced and then combined in a single foundation unit and a permanent wall of basement.
It even involves a hydraulic cut off or a vertical support element. The single element of the
diaphragm wall, also known as the barrette is responsible for providing higher capacity
deeper foundation elements as the alternatives to these piles. These barrettes comprise of high
shearing as well as resistance to the horizontal bending moments as compared to the piles.
These barrettes are generally 0.5 meters to 1.5 meters wide and whenever utilized for the
support of excavation; it is eventually braced or anchored.
In this project of Designing of Diaphragm Walls, we designed a diaphragm wall for
studying bentonite mud within excavation. Bentonite is the unique electrochemical property
that solely allows a control of the migration of fluids within formation. Bentonite gets easily
dispersed in the water by creating a muddy feature. The major sequences or procedures for
designing the diaphragm wall are as follows:
i) Guide Walls: The main reason to keep the guide walls was to have the containment
of bentonite slurry, which eventually guarantees a presence of adequate hydraulic head in the
depth where that slurry part has started to be necessary. The diaphragm wall has the rigid
structure for supporting rebar cages and guiding the starting of excavation tool for this
particular project.
ii) Excavation: This excavation could be easily carried out with an aid of the various
pieces of equipments like mechanical clam shell, Kelly bar, hydraulic clam shell and
hydromill.
iii) Concreting: The final designed depth when reached, the clam or the hydromill was
removed and when bentonite was utilized, the specific sand content within slurry was being
measured and thus de sanding was done.

Table 1: Values of Sand Content in Diaphragm Wall excavation phase
For the specific analysis part, we interacted within the soil as well as the structure for
being dependent over the applied load of soil and also reaction of structures. The boundary
conditions were taken into consideration such as facilities, neighbouring buildings and the
surcharge loads. There are several important and significant applications of our project of
diaphragm wall. The major applications of this type of wall are subways, underground
basement or underground parking, shafts, overpasses or underpasses, wharves, piers,
retaining walls, barrettes and many more.
We provided several advantages or benefits to the society by designing diaphragm
walls. The major advantages were facilitation of the excavation below ground water when
dewatering is being removed, providing water tight concrete walls, elimination of vibro
densification for the seismic conditions, providing load bearing or transferring loads to all the
underlying layers and finally providing structural stiffness that helps in reducing ground
movements as well as adjacent settlements in excavation.
CE 1.3.4 Identified issues and their solutions
1.3.4.1 Issues
There were some of the major issues that I had faced in this particular project of
Designing of Diaphragm Walls and these were creating major issues for the success of the

project. Moreover, these were eventually bringing delay in our project. The first and the
foremost problem that occurred in our project was the presence of cracks in our designed
walls. Several patterns of these various cracks were solely detected in the wall with the width
up to 5 mm. Hence, these cracks were to bed removed as soon as possible by us with proper
mitigation technique in our design. The second important issue that we faced in our project
was the lack of retaining power in our designed wall. Diaphragm walls are supposed to act as
the specific retaining wall in every construction. Since, our project was for the deeper
excavations in various difficult soil conditions, it was extremely important for our wall to act
the perfect retaining wall. However, our design was lacking this specification.
1.3.4.2 Solutions
I suggested various important and relevant solutions to all the above problems and
hence our project was successful and problems were solved. For the first specific issue in this
project of cracks of width of 5 mm, I provided with the solution to check our design once
again. Moreover, I suggested to utilize mini piles and pile cap enlargements for the
improvements in the foundation bearing capacities or column concrete jacketing. The next
suggestion was to inject epoxy resin within the typical cracked wall. For the second issue of
making walls more retaining, I gave the suggestion to bury the bottom courses at least one
tenth of the total height of this diaphragm wall for preventing the soil from pushing it from
the bottom out. Furthermore, I even suggested to install a specific base of the solidly
compacted materials for making the diaphragm wall stay completely flat and retaining as
well.
CE 1.3.5 Plan to produce creative and innovative work
Our plan was to produce innovative and creative work by working collaboratively.
We segregated our work properly and each one of us executed our duty and responsibility

with utmost sincerity. Moreover, regular follow-ups were taken, so that we do not miss any of
the important aspect in the project.