Abstract: The trend of development of urban buildings becomes higher and deeper. The deep excavation support design is frequently encountered in the construction projects. The risks and challenges in deep excavations in expansive soils are also increased. This paper presents a case history of deep excavation support design in expansive soil of Handan. Two different support methods, shotcrete and soldier pile and ground anchor, were applied in the construction based on the site conditions. The deformation and cost information of the deep excavation in the expansive soils are also compared in the paper. The study results indicate that, the strength reduction method can be used in the excavation support design in expansive soils; if the shotcrete method is used, the excavated surface should be protected immediately; under the appropriate construction sequence and technique, the soldier pile and ground anchor excavation support method could be more economical and feasible.

Key words: expansive soil；deep excavation support design, shotcrete support；soldier pile and ground anchor support, deep excavation monitoring