Study on settlement characteristics of adjacent buildings induced by group-well pumping in confined aquifer

To accurately evaluate the influence mechanism of group-well pumping on adjacent buildings of different types and locations, a three-dimensional numerical model considering fluid-solid coupling is established in this paper. The three-dimensional settlement response law of buildings with different foundation types under different azimuth angles during the pumping process is studied, and a quantitative calculation method for the settlement of adjacent buildings caused by pumping is proposed. The results show that the settlement of the building caused by pumping reaches the maximum value on the side near the pumping well, and the whole building tilts toward the pumping well. With the increase of the angle between the longitudinal wall of the building and the pumping well, the differential settlement S_A-C of the corner of the building decreases first and then increases, while the differential settlement S_B-D increases linearly. During the pumping process, the axial force at the pile tip increases, indicating that the upper load is transmitted to the deeper strata, thereby inhibiting the development of differential deformation of the structure. The proposed settlement calculation method comprehensively considers the surface settlement caused by group well pumping and the additional settlement caused by the self-weight of the building during the process, and the reliability of the formula is verified through engineering examples. The research results can provide a theoretical basis for the evaluation of pumping impact and the formulation of protective measures in practical projects.