Distributions of ground movements parallel to deep excavations in clay

An empirical procedure for fitting a complementary error function (erfc) to settlement and lateral ground movement data in a direction parallel to an excavation support wall is proposed based on extensive optical survey data obtained around a 12.8 m deep excavation in Chicago. The maximum ground movement and the height and length of an excavation wall define the erfc fitting function. The erfc fit is shown to apply to three other excavation projects where substantial ground movement data were reported.