Analysis of Soil Movement Around a Deep Excavation

Abstract

The excavation for Buena Vista Pumping Plant near Bakersfield, California is 200 ft deep and required the removal of 5,150,000 cu yd of earth at a cost of about $3,000,000. A photograph of the excavation when it was 160 ft deep is shown in Fig. 1. Although equilibrium methods of slope stability analysis indicated that the excavation would be stable, surprisingly large soil movements occurred during the first stage of excavation (to a depth of 160 ft), and within 1 yr after excavation.