ABSTRACT
Deep excavations and the behaviour of soft soils has been a subject of study during the past few decades. The main interest has been in the study of the performance of deep excavations and the associated ground movement due to their construction. Basal heave movements may affect the performance of excavations and, therefore, its prediction is very important for the safety of the excavation and the surroundings. Despite the significant knowledge gained, the proof of the stability of an excavation against basal heave remains based on the approaches formulated by Terzaghi (1943) and Bjerrum & Eide (1956).Although both methods have proved their applicability for practical engineering, they have shortcomings in terms of the advance of modern construction technique, among other factors. Some of these shortcomings will be highlighted in this paper.
