ABSTRACT
The continuous development of urban areas has had implications in how the planning and management of the cities is performed. In that regard, it comes up the need to take advantage of underground spaces, as well as to repurpose the built heritage. In this article, a study is intended to be conducted covering the urban and geotechnical limitations that lead to the decision of adopting earth retaining structures, specifically diaphragm walls, along with their structural analysis. This research also aims to display practical cases of civil works where the assessments of the technical support team during the execution phase will be approached. The studies realized are mainly based in the information gathered through instrumentation and monitoring, along with the geological and geotechnical surveys realized locally. The case presented reveals to be characteristic of a familiar reality in the daily work of an enterprise dedicated to the field of geotechnical engineering, where sometimes the unpredictability of the ground can lead to modifications in design during the construction works. The need to solve singular and imponderable situations, using convenient and effective alternatives of execution, contributes to an endless development of the geotechnical knowledge and the evolution of the technique.
