A multi-purpose prototype test system for mechanical behavior of tunnel supporting structure: Development and application

A multi-purpose prototype test system is developed to study the mechanical behavior of tunnel sup-porting structure,including a modular counterforce device,a powerful loading equipment,an advanced intelligent management system and an efficient noncontact deformation measurement system.The functions of the prototype test system are adjustable size and shape of the modular counterforce structure,sufficient load reserve and accurate loading,multi-connection linkage intelligent management,and high-precision and continuously positioned noncontact deformation measurement.The modular counterforce structure is currently the largest in the world,with an outer diameter of 20.5 m,an inner diameter of 16.5 m and a height of 6 m.The case application proves that the prototype test system can reproduce the mechanical behavior of the tunnel lining during load-bearing,deformation and failure processes in detail.

Vibration analysis of wind tunnel support

In order to enable a wind tunnel support to have a high enough natural frequency to prevent experiencing mechanical resonance and excessive vibration displacement, five kinds of wind tunnel support structures have been simulated and analyzed individually under five different load conditions by means of a nonlinear finite element numerical method. With natural frequency and three directions vibration displacement given, simulation and analyses indicated that additional supports is more beneficial than heightening the rigidity of steel reinforced concrete in support pillars and adopting steel wrappers on the pillars to increase natural frequency of support structure. Increasing the rigidity of steel reinforced concrete, adopting steel wrappers and providing additional supports are all helpful in reducing three directions vibration Max displacement. and additional supports are comparatively more effective. Therefore, a structure scheme with steel reinforced concrete support pillars, steel wrappers and additional supports should be adopted in practical wind tunnel support construction.

Optimization of construction scheme and supporting technology for HJS soft rock tunnel

For a soft rock tunnel under high stress in jointed and swell soft rock （HJS）, two construction schemes pilot-tunneling enlarging excavation and step-by-step excavation were optimized using FLAC20, and the deformation effects of the two construction schemes were verified by field tests. Based on engineer- ing geological investigation and mechanical analysis of large deformations, the complex deformation mechanisms of stress expansion and structural deformation of the soft rock tunnel were confirmed, and support countermeasures from the complex deformation mechanism converted to a single type were proposed, and the support parameters were optimized by field tests. These technologies were proved by engineering practice, which produced significant technical and economic benefits.

Tunnel behaviour and support associated with the weak rock masses of flysch

Flysch formations are generally characterised by evident heterogeneity in the presence of low strength and tectonically disturbed structures. The complexity of these geological materials demands a more specialized geoengineering characterisation. In this regard, the paper tries to discuss the standardization of the engineering geological characteristics, the assessment of the behaviour in underground excava- tions, and the instructions-guidelines for the primary support measures for flysch layer qualitatively. In order to investigate the properties of flysch rock mass, 12 tunnels of Egnatia Highway, constructed in Northern Greece, were examined considering the data obtained from the design and construction records. Flysch formations are classified thereafter in 11 rock mass types （I-XI）, according to the siltstone -sandstone proportion and their tectonic disturbance. A special geological strength index （GSI） chart for heterogeneous rock masses is used and a range of geotechnical parameters for every flysch type is presented. Standardization tunnel behaviour for every rock mass type of flysch is also presented, based on its site-specific geotechnical characteristics such as structure, intact rock strength, persistence and complexity of discontinuities. Flysch, depending on its types, can be stable even under noticeable overburden depth, and exhibit wedge sliding and wider chimney type failures or cause serious deformation even under thin cover. Squeezing can be observed under high overburden depth. The magnitude of squeezing and tunnel support requirements are also discussed for various flysch rock mass types under different overburdens. Detailed principles and guidelines for selecting immediate support mea- sures are proposed based on the principal tunnel behaviour mode and the experiences obtained from these 12 tunnels. Finally, the cost for tunnel support from these experiences is also presented.

Physical model simulation of rock-support interaction for the tunnel in squeezing ground

The existence of squeezing ground conditions can lead to significant challenges in designing an adequate support system for tunnels.Numerous empirical,observational and analytical methods have been suggested over the years to design support systems in squeezing ground conditions,but all of them have some limitations.In this study,a novel experimental setup having physical model for simulating the tunnel boring machine(TBM)excavation and support installation process in squeezing clay-rich rocks is developed.The observations are made to understand better the interaction between the support and the squeezing ground.The physical model included a large true-triaxial cell,a miniature TBM,laboratoryprepared synthetic test specimen with properties similar to natural mudstone,and an instrumented cylindrical aluminum support system.Experiments were conducted at realistic in situ stress levels to study the time-dependent three-dimensional tunnel support convergence.The tunnel was excavated using the miniature TBM in the cubical rock specimen loaded in the true-triaxial cell,after which the support was installed.The confining stress was then increased in stages to values greater than the rock’s unconfined compressive strength.A model for the time-dependent longitudinal displacement profile(LDP)for the supported tunnel was proposed using the tunnel convergence measurements at different times and stress levels.The LDP formulation was then compared with the unsupported model to calculate the squeezing amount carried by the support.The increase in thrust in the support was backcalculated from an analytical solution with the assumption of linear elastic support.Based on the test results and case studies,a recommendation to optimize the support requirement for tunnels in squeezing ground is proposed.

Geotechnical investigations and remediation design for failure of tunnel portal section： a case study in northern Turkey

Mass movements are very common problems in the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey due to its climate conditions, geological, and geomorphological characteristics. High slope angle, weathering, dense rainfalls, and anthropogenic impacts are generally reported as the most important triggering factors in the region. Following the portal slope excavations in the entrance section of Cankurtaran tunnel, located in the region, where the highly weathered andesitic tuff crops out, a circular toe failure occurred. The main target of the present study is to investigate the causes and occurrence mechanism of this failure and to determine the feasible remedial measures against it using finite element method(FEM) in four stages. These stages are slope stability analyses for pre-and postexcavation cases, and remediation design assessments for slope and tunnel. The results of the FEM-SSR analyses indicated that the insufficient initial support design and weathering of the andesitic tuffs are the main factors that caused the portal failure. After installing a rock retaining wall with jet grout columns and reinforced slope benching applications, the factor of safety increased from 0.83 to 2.80. In addition toslope stability evaluation, the Rock Mass Rating(RMR), Rock Mass Quality(Q) and New Austrian Tunneling Method(NATM) systems were also utilized as empirical methods to characterize the tunnel ground and to determine the tunnel support design. The performance of the suggested empirical support design, induced stress distributions and deformations were analyzed by means of numerical modelling. Finally, it was concluded that the recommended stabilization technique was essential for the dynamic long-term stability and prevents the effects of failure. Additionally, the FEM method gives useful and reasonably reliable results in evaluating the stability of cut slopes and tunnels excavated both in continuous and discontinuous rock masses.

Energy analysis of stability of twin shallow tunnels based on nonlinear failure criterion

Based on nonlinear Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion, the analytical solutions of stability number and supporting force on twin shallow tunnels were derived using upper bound theorem of limit analysis. The optimized solutions were obtained by the technique of sequential quadratic programming. When nonlinear coefficient equals 1 and internal friction angle equals 0, the nonlinear Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion degenerates into linear failure criterion. The calculated results of stability number in this work were compared with previous results, and the agreement verifies the effectiveness of the present method. Under the condition of nonlinear Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion, the results show that the supporting force on twin shallow tunnels obviously increases when the nonlinear coefficient, burial depth, ground load or pore water pressure coefficients increase. When the clear distance is 0.5to 1.0 times the diameter of tunnel, the supporting force of twin shallow tunnels reaches its maximum value, which means that the tunnels are the easiest to collapse. While the clear distance increases to 3.5 times the diameter of tunnel, the calculation for twin shallow tunnels can be carried out by the method for independent single shallow tunnel. Therefore, 3.5 times the diameter of tunnel serves as a critical value to determine whether twin shallow tunnels influence each other. In designing twin shallow tunnels,appropriate clear distance value must be selected according to its change rules and actual topographic conditions, meanwhile, the influences of nonlinear failure criterion of soil materials and pore water must be completely considered. During the excavation process, supporting system should be intensified at the positions of larger burial depth or ground load to avoid collapses.

Application of excavation compensation method for enhancing stability and efficiency in shallow large-span rock tunnels

Engineering shallow,large-span rock tunnels challenges deformation control and escalates construction costs.This study investigates the excavation compensation method(ECM)and its associated technologies to address these issues.Utilizing five key technologies,the ECM effectively modulates radial stress post-excavation,redistributes stress in the surrounding rock,and eliminates tensile stress at the excavation face.Pre-tensioning measures further enhance the rock’s residual strength,establishing a new stability equilibrium.Field tests corroborate the method’s effectiveness,demonstrating a crown settlement reduction of 3–8 mm,a nearly 50%decrease compared to conventional construction approaches.Additionally,material consumption and construction duration were reduced by approximately 30%–35%and 1.75 months per 100 m,respectively.Thus,the ECM represents a significant innovation in enhancing the stability and construction efficiency of large-span rock tunnels,marking a novel contribution to the engineering field.

Impact and explosion resistance of NPR anchor cable:Field test and numerical simulation

With the reduction of shallow resources,the degree of damage and the frequency of dynamic hazards,such as deep rock bursts and impact ground pressure,are increasing dramatically.However,the existing support materials are incapable of meeting the safety require-ments of the refuges and roadways under a strong impact force.To effectively solve these problems,a novel negative Poisson’s ratio(NPR)anchor cable with excellent properties,such as impact resistance and the ability to withstand large deformation,is proposed.In the present study,a series of field tests and numerical simulations are conducted to investigate the mechanical and support charac-teristics of NPR anchor cables under blast impact.Laboratory mechanical tests show that NPR anchor cables can maintain constant resistance and produce large deformation under the action of multiple drop hammer impacts.According to the results of field tests,the roadway supported by conventional anchor cables was unable to endure the blast impact,while the roadway supported by NPR anchor cables was able to withstand the severe impact equivalent to a Class 3 mine earthquake.The dynamic response of the NPR anchor cable that supports the roadway under explosion is investigated using the innovative coupled modeling approach that combines the finite element method and the discrete element method,and the support effect of the NPR anchor cable is verified.The study shows that the NPR anchor cable has a superior impact and blast resistance performance,and a broad application prospect in the support of chambers and roadways that are at high risk of rock bursts and impact ground pressure.

Investigation of mechanical performance of prestressed steel arch in tunnel

In the traditional tunneling method, the steel arch are often adopted to support surrounding rock to ensure the structural stability. If the steel arch is prestressed in time, tunnel support can effectively prevent the development of rock crack, thereby increasing the overall strength of tunnel support and suppress the deformation of the surrounding rock. Based on the mechanical model of steel arch established in this paper, the stress distribution of steel arch is investigated via the numerical simulation method, and the impact on surrounding rock is also analyzed. Through a field test, the rules of the arch strain distribution are observed and discussed. The results show that the prestressed steel arch structure can provide effective support and the stress gradually decreases from stress point to another arch springing. Furthermore, the stress distribution applied by the prestressed steel arch on the surrounding rock is uniform in a certain extent, and it is suggested that this construction method utilizing the prestressed steel arch to squeeze surrounding rock is feasible from a theoretical view.