ABSTRACT
In most metropolises the number of urban underground constructions is increasing steadily. These activities are related to replacing old structures by new ones, often high-rise buildings with underground parking facilities, or infrastructure works such as motorways, railways and subway tunnels. To assess the impact of these construction operations on existing structures is increasingly important for designers. In particular tunnelling near piled foundations is a subject that recently has gained the interest of the geotechnical research world, mainly because of a number of tunnels that are projected in city centreswith piled foundations such as the North/South Line in Amsterdam and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link in London. A better insight into the response of piled structures to tunnelling is needed to carry out these projects without harming monumental buildings.
