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Partial expansion was observed in stratified subsidence during foundation pit dewatering. However, the phenomenon was suspected to be an error because the compression of layers is known to occur when subsidence occurs. A slice of the subsidence cone induced by drawdown was selected as the prototype. Model tests were performed to investigate the phenomenon. The underlying confined aquifer was generated as a movable rigid plate with a hinge at one end. The overlying layers were simulated with remolded materials collected from a construction site. Model tests performed under the conceptual model indicated that partial expansion occurred in stratified settlements under coordination deformation and consolidation conditions. During foundation pit dewatering, rapid drawdown resulted in rapid subsidence in the dewatered confined aquifer. The rapidly subsiding confined aquifer top was the bottom deformation boundary of the overlying layers. Non-coordination deformation was observed at the top and bottom of the subsiding overlying layers. The subsidence of overlying layers was larger at the bottom than at the top. The layers expanded and became thicker. The phenomenon was verified using numerical simulation method based on finite difference method. Compared with numerical simulation results, the boundary effect of the physical tests was obvious in the observation point close to the movable endpoint. The tensile stress of the overlying soil layers induced by the underlying settlement of dewatered confined aquifer contributed to the expansion phenomenon. The partial expansion of overlying soil layers was defined as inversed rebound. The inversed rebound was induced by inversed coordination deformation. Compression was induced by the consolidation in the overlying soil layers because of drainage. Partial expansion occurred when the expansion exceeded the compression. Considering the inversed rebound, traditional layer-wise summation method for calculating subsidence should be revised and improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Shanghai is one of the cities suffering from land subsidence in China. Land subsidence has caused serious financial losses. Thus, artificial recharge measures have been adopted to compensate the drawdown in shallow, confined aquifers and thereby control land subsidence. In this study, a multi-cycle recharge–recovery field experiment was performed to investigate the response of a shallow, confined aquifer to artificial recharge through a well. In the experiment, a series of recharge–recovery cycles with different recharge volumes and durations, with and without artificial pressure, were performed. The water levels monitored in the recharge and observation wells indicated the response of the aquifer to the multi-cycle recharge–recovery process. Meanwhile, a finite-difference method (FDM) numerical model was established, and its parameters were obtained via a reversed numerical analysis on the experimental data. The responses of the shallow, confined aquifer to the multi-cycle recharge–recovery process were simulated in detail using the model. The calculation results showed that the water level dropped significantly when the recharge ended. Moreover, the efficiency of a multi-cycle recharge was found to be higher than that of a concentrated one under the same recharge volume and time. The relationship between recharge frequency and efficiency, expressed as H =0.29498 f 0.40163 and R 2 =0.97264, respectively, was obtained through the FDM numerical simulation. In the recharge intervals, the optimal recharge efficiency was achieved when the water level rose to 40% of the peak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]