Model test on double sheet-pile method for excavation works using X-ray CT

Steel sheet-piles are driven into the ground to prevent failure of soils and intrusion of water. The current main function of constructing sheet-piles used as a temporary structure has problems such as low productivity, few adoption opportunities, and high cost. Therefore, a double sheet-pile method has been developed. Also, from centrifugal model tests or full-scale experiments, the effectiveness of this method had been confirmed. However, the soil behavior between two sheet-piles has not been clarified yet. Hence, the purpose of this study is to clarify the soil behavior between two sheet-piles and the mechanism of its effectiveness of the structure using X-ray CT. From experimental results,, X-ray CT images were able to visualize the location where the maximum force is applied during excavation and the form of sliding failure, and also confirmed the importance of the soil between the two sheet-piles.