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Page 1 of 4Nicholson Construction Company | Earth Retention Systems | Diaphragm ...

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Home> Earth Retention Systems> Diaphragm Walls

Diaphragm Walls

Since the 1980s Nicholson Construction Company has been constructing diaphragm

walls to create permanent foundations and temporary earth retention walls for deepbasements. Nicholsons long standing expertise in this technique was greatly enhancedby the 2005 merging of Soletanche, Inc. into Nicholson by our new parent SoletancheBachy.

Soletanche, Inc. was active in slurry wall construction in the U.S. since the 1960s andintroduced hydrofraise technology in the 1980s. As the core technique for their U.S.operations, slurry walls were completed for major projects at Fontenelle Dam

(Wyoming), Navajo Dam (New Mexico), Arkansas Dam II (Arkansas) and MudMountain Dam (Washington), which set a world record depth of 400 feet.

Diaphragm walls can be used for earth retention schemes for highway and tunnelprojects, as permanent walls for deep shafts for tunnel access, and as permanent cut-offwalls through the core of earth dams.

As construction in areas with dense and historic urban infrastructure becomesincreasingly common and difficult, Nicholson understands the intense considerationsinvolved in these situations where a very rigid earth retention system is required. Ourteam of engineers will then utilize diaphragm walls for projects where movementcontrol is critical, where groundwater is present and makes conventional shoringdifficult, or where dewatering is not practical.

Diaphragm walls (also known as slurry walls) are basically deep trenches excavated inthe soil into which reinforced concrete is placed. Excavation is accomplished bydigging panels into the ground using mechanical or hydraulic clamshell grabs or

hydrofraise mills, while the trench stability is maintained using thixotropic suspensionsof bentonite or polymer slurries.

Once excavated, three-dimensional reinforcement is set in the trench and followed bythe placement of structural grade concrete using tremie pipes. The result is a structuralwall system that not only provides temporary earth support, but also provides thepermanent foundation system.

The trenches are usually 2' to 4' thick and can be hundreds of feet deep, although fewextend beyond 150'. They are formed in individual panels from 8' to 25' long and, whencontiguously completed, can total thousands of feet in length or perimeter.


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Nicholson Construction Company also uses these same techniques to form individualpanels of various shapes including I, T, X or L. These shaped panels are also calledbarrettesand can accommodate top-down construction.

For more information on Nicholsons expertise in the use of diaphragm walls or anyother specialty techniques, please call 1-800-388-2340 or contact ustoday.

THE FACTS

Common Uses of Diaphragm Walls

Structural support for the construction of building basements with undergroundparking.

Add stability to landslides, highway cuts and deep building excavations includingcircular shafts.

Provide retaining walls in areas where severe limitations may be posed by noise,vibration, geology, water table and schedule.

Provide deep diaphragms where geometric precision and continuity at depth arevital for structural and hydraulic reasons.

Benefits of Diaphragm Walls

Can be installed through virtually all soil conditions, to any plan geometry and toconsiderable depths.

Can be constructed ahead of time and independent of other site activities.Structural stiffness provides reduced ground movements and adjacent settlements

during subsequent excavation.

Can be constructed in relatively low headroom and in areas of restricted access.Walls can be quickly formed several hundred feet deep and through rock, withgreat control over geometry and continuity.

Final composition of wall can vary to meet specific site requirements, e.g., plasticconcrete for cut-offs.

In certain cases, precast panels can be used to provide smooth exposed surfaces.Provide economic solutions in cases where temporary and permanent support can

be integrated or redesigned into one retaining structure.

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