This document provides standards for executing diaphragm walls, which are retaining walls or cut-off walls constructed using trench excavation and concrete placement. It covers requirements for geotechnical investigation, materials including concrete and reinforcement, design considerations, construction procedures, supervision, testing, and record keeping. The document is intended to ensure diaphragm walls are constructed properly alongside other European standards on geotechnical design and ground investigation.

1. SVENSK STANDARD
Fastställd/Approved: 2015-06-18
Publicerad/Published: 2015-06-25
Utgåva/Edition: 1
Språk/Language: engelska/English
ICS: 92.200.10; 93.020
SS-EN 1538:2010+A1:2015
Utförande av geokonstruktioner – Slitsmurar
Execution of special geotechnical work – Diaphragm walls

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Användningen av denna produkt regleras av slutanvändarlicensen som återfinns i denna produkt, se standardens sista
sidor.
© Copyright SIS, Swedish Standards Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. All rights reserved. The use of this product is
governed by the end-user licence for this product. You will find the licence in the end of this document.
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information about Swedish and foreign standards.
Europastandarden EN 1538:2010+A1:2015 gäller som svensk standard. Detta dokument innehåller den
officiella engelska versionen av EN 1538:2010+A1:2015.
Denna standard ersätter SS-EN 1538:2010, utgåva 2.
The European Standard EN 1538:2010+A1:2015 has the status of a Swedish Standard. This document
contains the official English version of EN 1538:2010+A1:2015.
This standard supersedes the Swedish Standard SS-EN 1538:2010, edition 2.
Denna standard är framtagen av kommittén för Geoteknik och geokonstruktioner, SIS / TK 183.
Har du synpunkter på innehållet i den här standarden, vill du delta i ett kommande revideringsarbete eller
vara med och ta fram andra standarder inom området? Gå in på www.sis.se - där hittar du mer information.
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5. EUROPEANSTANDARD
NORMEEUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHENORM
EN 1538:2010+A1
June 2015
ICS 93.020 Supersedes EN 1538:2010
English Version
Execution of special geotechnical work - Diaphragm walls
Exécution des travaux géotechniques spéciaux - Parois
moulées
Ausführung von Arbeiten im Spezialtiefbau - Schlitzwände
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 2 July 2010 and includes Amendment 1 approved by CEN on 17 April 2015.
CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European
Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national
standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same
status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United
Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels
© 2015 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved
worldwide for CEN national Members.
Ref. No. EN 1538:2010+A1:2015 E
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6. EN 1538:2010+A1:2015 (E)
2
Contents Page
Foreword............................................................................................................................................................. 4
1 Scope...................................................................................................................................................... 5
2 Normative references ........................................................................................................................... 7
3 Terms and definitions........................................................................................................................... 8
4 Information needed for the execution of the work .......................................................................... 10
4.1 General................................................................................................................................................. 10
4.2 Special features................................................................................................................................... 10
5 Geotechnical investigation ................................................................................................................ 11
5.1 General................................................................................................................................................. 11
5.2 Specific requirements......................................................................................................................... 12
6 Materials and products....................................................................................................................... 13
6.1 Constituents ........................................................................................................................................ 13
6.1.1 General................................................................................................................................................. 13
6.1.2 Bentonite.............................................................................................................................................. 13
6.1.3 Polymers .............................................................................................................................................. 13
6.1.4 Cement ................................................................................................................................................. 13
6.1.5 Aggregates........................................................................................................................................... 14
6.1.6 Water .................................................................................................................................................... 14
6.1.7 Additions.............................................................................................................................................. 14
6.1.8 Admixtures........................................................................................................................................... 14
6.2 Support fluids...................................................................................................................................... 14
6.2.1 Bentonite suspensions....................................................................................................................... 14
6.2.2 Polymer solutions ............................................................................................................................... 15
6.2.3 Fresh hardening slurries.................................................................................................................... 16
6.3 Concrete............................................................................................................................................... 16
6.3.1 General................................................................................................................................................. 16
6.3.2 Aggregates........................................................................................................................................... 16
6.3.3 Cement contents ................................................................................................................................. 16
6.3.4 Water/cement ratio.............................................................................................................................. 16
6.3.5 Admixtures........................................................................................................................................... 16
6.3.6 Fresh concrete .................................................................................................................................... 17
6.3.7 Sampling and testing on site ............................................................................................................. 17
6.4 Plastic concrete................................................................................................................................... 17
6.5 Hardening slurry ................................................................................................................................. 18
6.6 Reinforcement ..................................................................................................................................... 18
6.7 Additional inserted products ............................................................................................................. 19
7 Considerations related to design ...................................................................................................... 19
7.1 General................................................................................................................................................. 19
7.2 Panel stability ...................................................................................................................................... 20
7.2.1 General considerations ...................................................................................................................... 20
7.2.2 General principle of design................................................................................................................ 20
7.2.3 Comparable experience...................................................................................................................... 20
7.2.4 Stability considerations...................................................................................................................... 21
7.2.5 Trial excavation(s)............................................................................................................................... 21
7.3 Socketing into rock............................................................................................................................. 21
7.4 Precast concrete panels..................................................................................................................... 22
7.5 Reinforcement cages.......................................................................................................................... 22
7.5.1 General considerations ...................................................................................................................... 22
7.5.2 Design principles ................................................................................................................................ 22
7.5.3 Vertical reinforcement ........................................................................................................................ 23
7.5.4 Horizontal reinforcement.................................................................................................................... 23
7.5.5 Multiple cages and joints ................................................................................................................... 23
SS-EN 1538:2010+A1:2015 (E)
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7. EN 1538:2010+A1:2015 (E)
3
7.6 Recesses and perforations................................................................................................................ 24
7.7 Minimum and nominal cover ............................................................................................................. 24
8 Execution............................................................................................................................................. 24
8.1 Construction phases .......................................................................................................................... 24
8.2 Construction tolerances .................................................................................................................... 25
8.2.1 Panel..................................................................................................................................................... 25
8.2.2 Retaining walls.................................................................................................................................... 25
8.2.3 Cut-off walls ........................................................................................................................................ 26
8.2.4 Reinforcement cage............................................................................................................................ 26
8.3 Preliminary works............................................................................................................................... 26
8.3.1 Working platform ................................................................................................................................ 26
8.3.2 Guide-walls.......................................................................................................................................... 26
8.4 Excavation........................................................................................................................................... 27
8.4.1 Supporting the walls of the excavation............................................................................................ 27
8.4.2 Excavation sequence ......................................................................................................................... 28
8.4.3 Loss of support fluid .......................................................................................................................... 28
8.5 Cleaning the excavation..................................................................................................................... 28
8.6 Forming the joints............................................................................................................................... 28
8.7 Placing the reinforcement or other elements .................................................................................. 29
8.8 Concreting and trimming ................................................................................................................... 29
8.8.1 General................................................................................................................................................. 29
8.8.2 Concreting in dry conditions............................................................................................................. 30
8.8.3 Concreting under support fluid......................................................................................................... 30
8.8.4 Loss of immersion of tremie pipe ..................................................................................................... 31
8.8.5 Trimming.............................................................................................................................................. 31
9 Supervision, testing and monitoring ................................................................................................ 31
10 Records................................................................................................................................................ 32
11 Special requirements.......................................................................................................................... 32
Annex A (informative) Glossary...................................................................................................................... 34
Annex B (informative) Control schedules during the execution ................................................................. 36
Annex C (informative) Sample concreting record forms for diaphragm walls .......................................... 42
Annex D (informative) Degree of obligation of the provisions .................................................................... 43
Bibliography ..................................................................................................................................................... 47
SS-EN 1538:2010+A1:2015 (E)
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8. EN 1538:2010+A1:2015 (E)
4
Foreword
This document (EN 1538:2010+A1:2015) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 288 “Execution
of special geotechnical works”, the secretariat of which is held by AFNOR.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical
text or by endorsement, at the latest by December 2015, and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn
at the latest by December 2015.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. CEN [and/or CENELEC] shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document supersedes !EN 1538:2010".
This document includes Amendment 1 approved by CEN on 2015-04-17.
The start and finish of text introduced or altered by amendment is indicated in the text by tags !".
The general scope of TC 288 is the standardisation of the execution procedures for geotechnical works
(including testing and control methods), and of the required material properties. WG15 has been charged to
revise EN 1538:2000, with the subject area of both retaining and cut-off diaphragm walls. This standard does
not address the execution of barrettes, which is covered by EN 1536, Execution of special geotechnical
work ― Bored piles.
The design, planning and execution of retaining and cut-off diaphragm walls call for experience and
knowledge in this specialised field. The execution phase requires skilled and qualified personnel and the
present standard cannot replace the expertise of specialist contractors.
The document has been prepared to stand alongside EN 1997-1, Eurocode 7: Geotechnical design ― Part 1:
General rules and EN 1997-2, Eurocode 7: Geotechnical design ― Part 2: Ground investigation and testing.
This standard expands on design only where necessary (e.g. the detailing of reinforcement) and provides full
coverage of the construction and supervision requirements.
#The amendment became necessary to accord the Standard EN 1538:2010 with EN 206:2013, Concrete –
Specification, performance, production and conformity. EN 206:2013 has been revised to contain also the
specific requirements for concrete for applications for special geotechnical works, making redundant
respective provisions in EN 1538 (e.g. 6.1, 6.3 and 8.8).
Full according with EN 13670, Execution of concrete structures is however still pending.
EN 1538:2010+A1:2015 therefore still contains specific requirements for bored piles as a concrete structure,
such as the detailing of the reinforcement, the concrete placement and the supervision of concreting process
which are complementing the provisions of EN 13670.
In addition, some editorial corrections were made in this amended Standard."
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the following
countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
SS-EN 1538:2010+A1:2015 (E)
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9. EN 1538:2010+A1:2015 (E)
5
1 Scope
This European Standard establishes general principles for the execution of diaphragm walls as either retaining
walls or cut-off walls.
NOTE 1 This standard covers only structures constructed in a trench excavated with a support fluid or in dry conditions,
where soil is removed and replaced by concrete or slurry and with wall thickness B ≥ 40 cm.
NOTE 2 Diaphragm walls can be permanent or temporary structures.
NOTE 3 The following types of structure are considered:
a) retaining walls: usually constructed to support the sides of an excavation in the ground. They include:
1) cast in situ concrete diaphragm walls;
2) precast concrete diaphragm walls;
3) reinforced slurry walls;
b) cut-off walls: usually constructed to prevent migration of groundwater, clear or polluted, or of other contaminants
present in the ground. They include:
1) slurry walls (possibly with membranes or sheet piles);
2) plastic concrete walls.
NOTE 4 Walls formed shallow vertical trenches (typically excavations with a ratio of depth over thickness D/B < 5 or
D < 5 m) are not covered by this standard.
SS-EN 1538:2010+A1:2015 (E)
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10. EN 1538:2010+A1:2015 (E)
6
Key
1 Wall thickness (B) 7 Guide-wall
2 Horizontal length of reinforcement cage 8 Cut off level
3 Cage width 9 Vertical length of reinforcement cage
4 Length of panel 10 Reinforcement cage
5 !Working platform level" 11 Depth of excavation (D)
6 Casting level 12 Concave portion of curved joints
Figure 1 — Geometry of a panel
SS-EN 1538:2010+A1:2015 (E)
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11. EN 1538:2010+A1:2015 (E)
7
!
"
Key
P Primary
S Secondary
1 Starter
2 Intermediate
3 Closure
Figure 2 — Schematic examples of different types of panels and joints (plan view)
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
!deleted text"
!EN 206:2013, Concrete ― Specification, performance, production and conformity"
EN 791, Drill rigs ― Safety
!deleted text"
EN 1990, Eurocode ― Basis of structural design
EN 1991 (all parts), Eurocode 1: Actions on structures
EN 1992 (all parts), Eurocode 2: Design of concrete structures
EN 1997-1, Eurocode 7: Geotechnical design ― Part 1: General rules
EN 1997-2, Eurocode 7 ― Geotechnical design ― Part 2: Ground investigation and testing
EN 1998 (all parts), Eurocode 8: Design of structures for earthquake resistance
SS-EN 1538:2010+A1:2015 (E)
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