Numerical simulation of disturbance characteristics and post-construction settlement caused by shield excavation in soft clay

Shield tunneling in soft clay will inevitably lead to the disturbance of soil strata. The deformation caused by this disturbance and the resulting persistent deformation have been the research focus. The finite difference program FLAC^3D is empbyed to accurately simulate the excavation process in soft soils. The consolidation deformation caused by the excess pore water pressure dissipation in the tunnel after a considerable period of formation of tunnel stratum is a major factor. The consolidation settlement is about 15% of the total settlement. The scope of soil subsidence induced by the consolidation is 1.4 times that by traditional undrained analysis methods.