• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.5-13
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• 2007

The performance of innovative prestressed support (IPS) earth retention system applied in soft clay was investigated and presented. The IPS wale system provides a high flexural stiffness to resist the bending by lateral earth pressure, and transfers lateral earth pressure to strut supports. The IPS wale system provides a larger spacing of support than conventional braced and anchored systems. The IPS earth retention system was selected for temporary earth support in a building construction in North Busan area. The excavation was made 28.8 m wide, 52.0 m long, and 16.1 m deep through loose fill to soft clay. The IPS system consists of 650 mm thick slurry walls, and five levels of IPS wales and struts. Field monitoring data were collected including wall deflections at six locations, ground water levels at four locations, IPS wale deflections at thirty locations, and axial loads on struts at twenty locations, during construction. The IPS earth retention system applied in soft clay performed successfully within a designed criterion. Field measurements were compared with design assumptions of the IPS earth retention system. The applicability and stability of the IPS earth retention system in soft clay were investigated and evaluated.