Berlin Wall:

The Berlin walls or micro Berlin walls allow the realization of retention.
temporary or permanent for the creation of excavations at the site of existing buildings, for
stabilize landslides or at the edge of banks.

I. Principle:

A Berlin wall is a support made up of vertical profiles that provide a

vertical resistance (figure 1) and shielding elements (panels, beams, sprayed concrete,
...) are put in place between the vertical profiles as the excavation progresses.
pressure of the lands, transferred to the vertical profiles through the elements of
shielding is balanced by the stop forces exerted by the soil mass located underneath the
level of the excavation bottom and by the complementary horizontal support systems
eventually implemented (shores, anchor rods, tension piles, …)

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Figure 1: Plan view (A) and front view (B) of a Berlin wall consisting of a bracing installed.
during the excavation.

The execution takes place in several stages (figure 2):

1. Setting up the metal profiles:

The vertical profiles are vibro-driven into the ground or placed in a borehole executed at
preliminary. This technique is applied in the presence of very hard soil or
underground obstacles.

2. Concrete filling:

After the implementation of the profile to fill the borehole with a product of
sealing, generally a highly dosed cement slurry that serves to ensure
the waterproofing of the ground and preventing the rise of the water table in the excavation.
Above the excavation level, we evacuate sand, cement, or gravel to
reinforce the foundation (figure 3).

3. Shielding:
The shielding elements are placed between the profiles as it progresses
the local excavation. They are placed perpendicular to these and directly after
each excavation phase.
This operation takes place in successive horizontal layers (0.2 to 1m) until the
level of installation of any horizontal supports.
4. Excavation of the dig

The excavation is dug around its entire perimeter to the level of installation of any possible vents.
horizontal supports.
The installation of the shoring continues as the excavation progresses until the
final level of the excavation.

The installation of the shielding continues as excavation proceeds.

up to the final level of the excavation.

5. Establishment of anchoring:

Beyond 3 m deep, it is necessary to stabilize the wall using

horizontal supports such as struts, anchoring ties, traction piles,
…
These supports are capable of transmitting the tensile forces that are applied to them.
applied to a layer of soil resistance

Figure 2: execution diagram of a Berlin wall

 Figure 3: vertical profile: (A) vibro-punched and placed in a previously executed borehole

II. Scope of application:

The Berlin walls only serve the purpose of supporting the earth, and not for waterproofing.
water. They can be applied in the following situations:

For temporary and shallow excavations (3 to 8 m)

The technique only applies when the soil has a certain cohesion. This
must ensure the stability of the vertical excavation at a minimum height (0.2 to 1 m) and
in a short period of time in order to allow for the installation of the shielding
The technique is not applicable near shallow foundations or
sensitive constructions due to the large deformations expected with this type of
support.
The groundwater table must be located at least 0.5 m below the excavation bottom level.
For a ground composed of several layers of different natures (laminated), the measurements
necessary measures must be taken to avoid the presence of perched water tables
The wall can potentially be used as an external formwork for a basement wall.
The Berlin walls lacking horizontal supports (tie rods, struts,
traction piers, ...) are only used if no critical requirement has been formulated
in relation to the horizontal displacement of the wall
It is applied during construction in restricted locations. Indeed, this
the last one is effective when excavations are unfeasible due to nearby embankments
immediate from existing works or private land.
 III. Advantages and disadvantages:
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Advantages:

Economic
Quick to implement,
Provides a dry, clean, and flat work platform.

2. Disadvantages:

The Berlin Wall is not applied near buildings.

sensitive to vibrations and restricted locations due to
Significant deformations to be expected with this type of support.
-

Molded wall:
The diaphragm wall is a reinforced concrete screen cast in the ground constructed in trenches.
open supported by mud.
They generally act as a waterproof barrier or as retaining walls.
for rather deep excavations.
The walls are generally 600 to 1500 mm thick, with a width between 2000 and 3500 mm
and can be excavated to depths of 60m or more [2].

I. Principle:

The construction of diaphragm walls is done in three stages (figure 3):

the construction of the guiding wall, the excavation of the panels (demolition - removal -
stabilization) and the construction phase (reinforcement of the cage - casting - hardening).

Murettes guides :
They serve the purpose of:
materialize the installation of the wall,
Guide the bucket at the start of the drilling.

• form a mud reserve and prevent landslides due to the effects of tidal variations,
• provide stable support for delicate operations such as setting up cages
of reinforcements, etc.
 Forage

There are two ways to drill the panels:

•by extracting the soil using cable buckets or hydraulic buckets.

The hard grounds and obstacles are broken up using a heavy drill suspended from one of the
two drilling cables.
A mixture of bentonite and water called drilling mud is fed in as needed.
forage to ensure the maintenance of the trench and to exert a constant pressure to avoid
total collapse.
The excavated materials are loaded into trucks and then transported to a settling pit.
by cutting and/or grinding the ground using toothed wheels:

It is done by continuous suction of cuttings mixed with mud by pumps located at

the base of the tool, and discharge towards the recycling unit.

3. Panel equipment:

Once the diaphragm wall is fully excavated and the extracted soil is replaced with the
Bentonite, we place a sealing profile called waterstop on either side of the
Panel to ensure the sealing of the connection, then we set up the rebar cages.
sized after the installation of the concrete wedges.

4. The concreting:

The concreting is done using immersion tubes lowered to the bottom of the borehole.

As the concrete rises, the bentonite mud is pushed upwards. This one
is pumped to the plant to be recycled.
We stop the concreting as soon as the concrete has risen to the level of the guide walls.

The construction of the diaphragm wall is carried out by alternating and contiguous panels in order to
to obtain a continuous wall in the ground that represents a permanent support structure.
 Figure 3: steps for executing an individual panel

II. application domain:

The diaphragm walls have several uses in the field of construction such as:

Sealing screens

- A support

Can prevent contamination of an aquifer.

Large excavation works under the water table in urban sites

Trenches in urban sites either above ground or buried like highways or

the subway

Construction of buried tanks or access wells for deep collectors.

Assistance in the construction of underground parking using the 'top down' method
also 'covered trench'.

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 III. Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:
The diaphragm walls allow for the creation of a relatively watertight enclosure.

it allows the construction of very deep buildings.

curved sails are possible. They are widely used for basins because this
particular form is self-stable

The wall is very rigid, which greatly limits head movements. This point is very
important when there are buildings nearby.

no vibration is generated

If necessary, we can reinforce the wall with buttresses, tie rods, or braces.

The work is definitive and its duration is important if the coating is respected.

It is possible to pass through any layer of soil.

2. Disadvantages:
The diaphragm wall technique is very expensive.

a large amount of materials is used.

the quality of the cladding remains quite poor.

it usually requires temporary or permanent shoring such as braces,

beams, floors...)

the mechanical and durability characteristics of concrete are lower because concrete is
sunk upon contact with the ground.

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References:
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civil/geotechnique/fauqueux/diaphragm_walls/co/DiaphragmWalls_17.html