“Parametric Analysis of Quay Walls with Relieving Platform, by means of Elastic Supported Beam and Finite Element Method” Graduation Committee Section Prof. Drs. Ir. J.K. Vrijling TU Delft –Hydraulic Engineering Ir. J.G. de Gijt TU Delft –Hydraulic Engineering Ing. H.J. Everts TU Delft – Geo-engineering Ing. H.E. Brassinga Gemeentewerken Rotterdam MSc Student Dipl. Anastasia Karamperidou 1337289 “Engineering is the art of modelling materials we do not wholely understand, into shapes we cannot precisely analyse so as to withstand forces we cannot entirely assess, in such a way that the public has no reason to suspect the extend of our ignorance” A.R.Dykes 1976 1 Preface This report is the final piece of the Master of Science thesis titled “Parametric Analysis of Quay Walls with a relieving platform, by means of Elastic Supported Beam and Finite Element Method”. This thesis is part of the Hydraulic Engineering– Hydraulic Structures MSc program at the faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences of Delft University of Technology. This study has been performed in cooperation and under the supervision of Gemeentewerken Rotterdam. This thesis work has been assessed and supported by the graduation committee, which consist of the following members: • prof. drs. ir. J.K. Vrijling - Delft University of Technology • Ir. J.G de Gijt - Delft University of Technology – Gemeentewerken Rotterdam • Ing. H.J. Everts - Delft University of Technology • Ing. H.E. Brassinga - Gemeentewerken Rotterdam I would like to thank all the graduation committee and all the colleagues of Gemeentewerken Rotterdam who gave me their support during my thesis work. Special thanks to my family for their moral and material support all this period and to my god-father who is the “instigator” of my Odyssey in the Netherlands… Rotterdam, May 2008 Anastasia Karamperidou 3 Summary In cases where the sheet pilling is allowed, when great retaining heights have to be achieved a combined quay wall structure is normally used. This structure consists of a sheet pile wall, a relieving platform, an anchor and a pile foundation system. The content of the present MSc thesis is divided into two major parts. The first part (Part A) contains mostly hand calculations for the determination of the loads and for the analysis of the sheet pile wall, while on the second part (Part B) advanced computer programs will be used for the same purpose. In Part A the structure is divided and analysed separately. For the relieving platform’s analysis and the Blum’s Analysis of the Sheet Pile Wall the loads were determined manually and the structures were analysed with respect to classic mechanics. A parametric analysis of seven different quay walls is investigated, for various loading combinations of given loads. In details, three different depths and two different widths of the relieving platform were investigated. In addition a quay wall combined only from sheet piles, without a relieving platform is also analysed. The sheet pile wall, in Part A, is analysed by three different approaching theories of Blum. The fixity of the end point of the sheet piling is considered once as completely free and in the other two as fully fixed. The Free Earth Support method is used in the first case, while in the second, two different methodologies, both considering a fully fixity at the toe level are used (Fixed Earth Support method). Graphs concerning the effect of the various dimensions of the relieving platform, the embedded depth and the anchor force are produced. In the Elastic Supported Beam theory (Msheet) analysis the ground is simulated according to a more advanced model. According to that theory, the Sheet Pile Wall is schematised as a beam on an elastic foundation, where the ground is simulated by a set of uncoupled elasto- plastic springs. On that stage the axial forces, estimated from the static analysis of the relieving platform are imposed on the top of the sheet pile wall as external loads. In Part B, the same process is repeated but this time with a Finite Elements Method. PLAXIS created from Plaxis will be used for that purpose. This type of analysis is based on a model in which the behaviour of soil and structure are integrated. Through a parametric analysis and a financial assessment of a quay wall, the economic effects of the relieving platform separately on the sheet pile wall and on the whole structure will be estimated. 5 Table of Contents .................................................... CHAPTER 1 “PROBLEM DESCRIPTION” 17 1.1 Objective......................................................................................................................19 1.2 Layout of report............................................................................................................20 1.3 References....................................................................................................................21 ................................................................ CHAPTER 2 “INTRODUCTION” 23 2.1 General - Development of quay walls..........................................................................25 2.2 Functions of quay walls................................................................................................26 2.3 Main types of quay walls.............................................................................................27 2.3.1 Solid Berth Structures..........................................................................................27 2.3.2 Open Berth Structures..........................................................................................32 2.4 References....................................................................................................................32 ....................................... CHAPTER 3 “LOADS ACTING ON QUAY WALLS” 35 3.1 General.........................................................................................................................37 3.2 Specific Loads on a Quay Wall structure.....................................................................38 3.2.1 Vertical loads........................................................................................................38 Crane loads........................................................................................................................39 Traffic load........................................................................................................................40 3.2.2 Horizontal loads...................................................................................................40 Earth pressures..................................................................................................................40 Waves.................................................................................................................................40 Currents.............................................................................................................................41 Ice forces............................................................................................................................41 Crane loads........................................................................................................................41 Bollard loads.....................................................................................................................41 Fender loads......................................................................................................................42 Seismic loads.....................................................................................................................42 3.3 References....................................................................................................................43 .......... CHAPTER 4 “DESIGN PHILOSOPHY AND CALCULATION METHODS” 45 4.1 Design philosophy........................................................................................................47 4.1.1 General.................................................................................................................47 4.1.2 Determination of representative values, design values and normative load combinations......................................................................................................................47 4.2 Calculation methods.....................................................................................................51 4.2.1 Blum model..........................................................................................................51 4.2.2 Beam on elastic foundation..................................................................................52 4.2.3 Finite Element analysis........................................................................................53 4.3 References....................................................................................................................54 ......................................... CHAPTER 5 “PART – A HAND CALCULATIONS” 55 5.1 General.........................................................................................................................57 5.2 Boundary conditions....................................................................................................57 5.2.1 Determination of the retaining height..................................................................57 5.2.2 Water levels..........................................................................................................58 5.2.3 Ground levels.......................................................................................................59 5.2.4 Soil profiles..........................................................................................................60 5.2.5 Loads on the structure..........................................................................................60 5.3 Parametric analysis - Seven different cases.................................................................63 Case A: Extreme situation with the relieving platform on the surface level.....................64 Case B: Intermediate situation with the relieving platform at depth h=6.5m...................65 7 Case C: Extreme situation with the relieving platform at depth h=11.5m........................65 Case D: Extreme situation without a relieving platform...................................................66 5.4 References....................................................................................................................68 .... CHAPTER 6 “PART A – HAND CALCULATIONS – PLATFORM ANALYSIS” 69 6.1 General.........................................................................................................................71 6.2 Loads Acting on the relieving platform.......................................................................72 6.3 Load Combinations......................................................................................................72 6.4 Analysis of the relieving platform................................................................................74 6.5 Results from the Static Analysis..................................................................................79 6.6 References....................................................................................................................80 ... CHAPTER 7 “PART A – SHEET PILLE WALL ANALYSIS – BLUM METHOD” 81 7.1 General.........................................................................................................................83 7.2 Assumptions.................................................................................................................83 7.3 Blum model..................................................................................................................84 7.3.1 Free earth Support Method...................................................................................85 7.3.2 Fixed Earth Support Method (Equivalent Beam Method)...................................86 7.3.3 Fixed Earth Support Method (Displacement Method).........................................87 7.4 Comparison of the methods..........................................................................................89 7.5 Example........................................................................................................................92 7.6 Preliminary Design of the Sheet Pile Wall...................................................................94 7.7 Sheet pile profiles.........................................................................................................95 7.8 Dimensioning according to Blum results.....................................................................98 7.9 References....................................................................................................................99 CHAPTER 8 “PART A – SHEET PILE WALL ANALYSIS – ELASTIC SUPPORTED ....................................................................... BEAM METHOD (MSheet) 101 8.1 General.......................................................................................................................103 8.2 Elastic Supported Beam Method (MSheet design)....................................................105 8.3 Results of MSheet analysis........................................................................................106 8.4 References..................................................................................................................108 ................ CHAPTER 9 « PART B – SHEET PILE WALL ANALYSIS - PLAXIS 109 9.1 General.......................................................................................................................111 9.2 Mechanical parameters and model description..........................................................111 9.3 Results from PLAXIS analysis..................................................................................114 9.4 Supplementary Works................................................................................................116 9.5 References..................................................................................................................117 ......................................................... CHAPTER 10 “COST ESTIMATION” 119 10.1 General...................................................................................................................121 10.2 Total cost components............................................................................................121 10.2.1 Material Costs....................................................................................................122 10.2.2 Excavation – Refill Costs...................................................................................129 10.2.3 Dewatering Costs...............................................................................................130 10.3 Total Costs..............................................................................................................130 10.4 References..............................................................................................................131 ............................................................... CHAPTER 11 “CONCLUSIONS” 133 11.1 General...................................................................................................................135 11.2 Comparison between the different analysis methods.............................................135 11.3 Cost assessment......................................................................................................138 APPENDICES.......................................................................................................................133 9