U.S. Germany Cooperative Research: Prediction and Interpretation of Soil-Structure Interaction for Deep Excavations

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

0089508 Whittle This award supports Andrew Whittle and students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in a collaboration with Stavros Savidis of the Department of Civil Engineering at the Technical University of Berlin, Germany. The research focus is on new methods of analysis for predicting ground movements caused by excavations. The MIT group has extensive experience in analyzing clay soils of the type present in the Boston area, whereas the German group has expertise modeling sandy soils common in the vicinity of Berlin. Together, the two groups will have the unique opportunity of comparing developments in constitutive modeling and laboratory characterization of different soil types in order to refine and enhance current models. The results of this research will lead to improved tools for mitigating damage to adjacent structures and utilities caused during excavation phases of large building and transportation projects. This joint collaborative research effort also presents junior researchers with the opportunity to work internationally, and the work done on this proposal will help institutionalize the relationship between the German and U.S. research groups.