Research on Settlement Prediction and Control of Lock Floor Concrete Pouring Construction

As the core structure of inland waterway hubs, lock engineering’s structural safety directly affects navigation efficiency and life cycle benefits. With the advancement of “quality engineering,” construction accuracy requirements have evolved from traditional strength control to three‐dimensional spatial precision, particularly for floor slab elevation, differential settlement between adjacent slabs, and concrete cover thickness. This study proposes an improved settlement calculation method for lock chamber slabs under block pouring. It innovatively incorporates prefinal‐setting concrete leveling into a time‐sequential settlement model and establishes a rigid‐body settlement theory for postfinal‐setting concrete. By considering alternate‐bay pouring sequences and load transfer differences between central/side slabs, a coupled settlement calculation system is developed, aligning theoretical predictions with actual construction. Field validation demonstrates three key findings: (1) Pouring sequence controls spatial settlement heterogeneity, with early‐poured slabs (#7 and #9) showing 45.2% less settlement than the final slab (#12); (2) side slabs exhibit 18.6%–30.3% higher settlement than central slabs due to asymmetric loading; (3) construction intervals exceeding 30 days increase differential settlement rates by 5.4%–8.0%, while symmetric pouring reduces rigid‐body rotation tilt rates to 6.1%. The proposed framework provides quantitative support for elevation prelifting design, construction sequence optimization, and concrete cover thickness control, demonstrating significant engineering value for high quality projects.