Deep excavations and tunnelling in the urban environment

Course objectives

General learning outcomes The course aims to provide the necessary tools for the project of deep excavations and tunnels in urban environment, with specific emphasis on the selection of the construction sequence and the methodologies for excavation and support. Successful students will be able to: (1) evaluate the effects produced by deep excavations and tunnels on existing structures; (2) understand the principles of soil-structure interaction for earth retaining structures; (3) autonomously develop the essential elements of a deep excavation project and evaluate excavation-induced-effects on pre-existing buildings; (4) be familiar with analysis procedures for the safety assessment of the excavation of shallow tunnels and for the prediction of surface induced subsidence. Specific learning outcomes 1. Knowledge and understanding skill At the end of the course students have: a) a basic knowledge of the fundamental tools for selecting appropriate excavation sequences; b) an understanding skill of the principles of soil-structure interaction for earth retaining structures; c) a sufficient familiarity with analysis procedures for deep excavations and tunnels. 2. Applying knowledge and understanding skill At the end of the course the students are able to: a) design a deep excavation which satisfies the safety checks against ultimate limit states; b) evaluate the excavations-induced-settlements on pre-existing building adjacent to the excavation; c) assess the safety of a shallow tunnel and predict the ground movements induced by tunnelling. 3. Making judgement skill Upon completion of the course the student has the necessary knowledge to face the design of a deep excavation or a shallow tunnel, developing an appropriate judgement skill through the study of typical problems encountered in common practice. 4. Communication skill At the end of the course the students can engage in technical discussion with another specialist in the field. Specific focus on the use of a rigorous technical language during lectures and the oral examination is aimed at ensuring the acquisition of this skill. 5. Learning skill At the end of the course the students can carry on self-learning on the course topics. Acquisition of this skill is ensured by the selection of the lecture notes, through which the students are familiarised with the authoritative sources of information in the international scientific and technical literature.

Channel 1
SEBASTIANO RAMPELLO Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
Classes are held in English 1. Earth pressure theory - assessment of earth pressure for active and passive conditions of limit equilibrium - Rankine solutions for active and passive limit conditions in an infinite slope - effect of soil-wall roughness on the earth pressure - solution of the lower bound theorem for the passive earth pressure (Lancellotta solution) - mobilisation of earth pressure for active and passive conditions of limit equilibrium - evaluation of the coefficient of earth pressure at rest from in situ testing 2. Embedded retaining walls - types of embedded walls and installation procedures - limit state design and building code prescriptions - design of single-propped walls - effect of pore water pressure and drainage conditions - safety checks against hydraulic limit states - method of the subgrade reaction for soil-wall interaction analyses - design of anchors 3. Deep open excavations - technological aspects and choice of excavation sequences - excavations in coarse-grained soils: interaction with groundwater, dewatering interventions - design of a system of draining wells or well points - excavations in fine-grained soils: basal heave stability; excess pore water pressure induced by excavation - evaluation of ground displacements induced by a deep excavation on existing buildings and assessment of induced damage 4. Tunnelling in urban environment - soil-tunnel interaction: shallow and deep tunnels in soft ground - excavation technologies for tunnelling - stability assessment of shallow tunnels using lower bound and upper bound solutions - evaluation of ground settlements induced by tunnelling - long-term settlements induced by tunnelling 5. Monitoring - monitoring of deep open excavations - monitoring of tunnels
Prerequisites
To understand the topics of the course and achieve the learning outcomes, at the beginning of teaching activities it is necessary that the student has an operative knowledge of the topics covered in the course of Foundation and earth retaining structures.
Books
Suggested text: Ou Chang-Yu (2006), "Deep excavation – theory and practice", Taylor & Francis
Frequency
Attendancy not mandatory. Course delivered only in presence
Exam mode
The exam consists of an interview aimed at evaluating the student's preparation; it foresees three questions, one of which on the exercises carried out during the year (indicative duration of 30-45 minutes).
Lesson mode
Oral lectures and worked out examples
  • Lesson code10612523
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CourseCivil Engineering
  • CurriculumIngegneria Civile (percorso valido anche ai fini del conseguimento del doppio titolo italo-francese e italo-spagnolo)
  • Year2nd year
  • Semester1st semester
  • SSDICAR/07
  • CFU6