Diaphragm Walls are particularly well suited to large open sites with deep excavations; they are most commonly built as cast in situ walls and have installed thicknesses ranging from 500mm to 1500mm. Cast in situ diaphragm walls are constructed as a series of primary and secondary panels varying in length from 2.8m to 7.5m to accommodate the geometry of the wall.
Kwinana Desalination Plant, Perth, Western Australia
Although shallower walls probably account for the majority of diaphragm walls installed; wall depths over 25 meters are almost the exclusive preserve of the system.
Where there is a requirement for a quality finish in the exposed wall pre-cast diaphragm walls are used.
Diaphragm Walls provide a very stiff, strong and cost effective solution for the construction of permanent retaining walls and shaft walls. This method of wall construction delivers far fewer construction joints than alternative systems such as bored pile or sheet pile walls.
Applications for diaphragm walls include: retaining walls for deep basement excavations, cut-off barriers, retaining walls for cut and cover tunnels, quay walls and shaft walls.
100 St Georges Terrace, Perth, Western Australia
Dry Dock, Concarneau, France
