ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Utility tunnels (UTs) contain all kinds of municipal pipelines, which guarantee the daily operation of the city, are important infrastructures and lifeline engineering. The foundation settlement, especially the uneven one, will cause great harm to UT and pipelines inside. In this paper, based on the Sangtiandao UT in the Suzhou Industrial Park, which has been constructed on the typical deep and thick soft soil subgrade in the eastern China coastal regions, effective measures are adopted to minimize the hazardous settlement of the shallow-buried, long-distance underground structure. In addition, settlement monitoring is carried out after the construction. Monitoring points are fixed both on UTs and the adjacent roads. The deformation on the UT structure and the influence on the surroundings meet the requirements for the safety and serviceability. Therefore, the foundation design and the settlement reduction measures are verified rationally. This project will provide valuable experience for UTs on similar soft soil sites in China.
