A tunnel that is built in the soft soil has a great influence on the surrounding soil and the surface above. Construction of the tunnel causes deformations of the ground which can reach the surface, where we detect them as vertical and horizontal displacements. Structures above the tunnel can be damaged due to ground movements. Therefore, a precise assessment of settlements is required. There are different types of methods for estimation of settlements: numerical, analytical and empirical. The empirical methods are used quite often as they offer quick and easy calculations for the first approximate estimation of displacements.
The empirical method by Peck discussed in this graduate thesis relies on the assumption that the settlement trough has the same shape as the Gaussian normal probability curve. The assessment of volume loss, vertical and horizontal displacements was made for two tunnels of the London subway. The displacements above tunnels, which were measured during the time of construction, were compared to displacements predicted with the empirical method. The purpose of this thesis was to assess the preciseness of the empirical method compared to the measured data, find its shortcomings and discuss the suitability of the method for the use in the potential construction of a subway in the area of Ljubljana.
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