Model test study of frost heaving pressures in tunnels excavated in fractured rock mass in cold regions

Based on the similarity theory, taking the horseshoe, city-gate and round linings as examples, the value and distribution regularities of normal frost heaving pressures （hereinafter as frost heaving pressures） in tunnels excavated in fractured rock mass in cold regions under different constraints and freezing depths were studied by a test model. It was found that the larger the frozen depth, the larger the frost heaving pressure, and the stronger the top constraint, the larger the frost heaving pressure. For the horseshoe lining and city-gate lining, the top constraint has a greater effect on the frost heaving pressures on the arch and the inverted arch. For the round lining, the influences of the top constraint on the frost heaving pressure in all linings are almost the same. The frost heaving pressure is maximum on the city-gate lining and minimal on the round lining. The largest frost heaving pressure all occur near the foot of the inverted arch for the three kinds of lining. Thus, the test data basically coincide with the observed in situ data.

The lining responses for shallow mountain tunnels subjected to frost heaving

Mountain tunnels in cold regions are vulnerable to adverse effects of freezing action.Thus,it is necessary to identify the lining responses of shallow mountain tunnels subjected to freezing action.To quantify the influence of freezing action and key design parameters(such as cross-sectional shape;lining thickness;and waterproof measures)on the lining response,a thermal-hydro-mechanical coupled finite element(FE)model is established and verified.Then,specific consideration is given to the lining internal force and resulting axial stresses.And the influences of the cross-sectional shape,concrete parameters,and waterproof measures on the lining responses are investigated.Generally,the rectangular tunnel has the worst security;the circular tunnel is the safest.On the other hand,when the thermal conductivity is less than 2.2[W/(m·K)],a greater thermal conductivity will cause a greater risk of damage to the lining.Moreover,the drainage plate can reduce the value of minimum axial stresses,whether frozen or not,even eliminating the tensiondamaged area.Overall,this study helps to estimate the lining responses and prevent frost damages for shallow mountain tunnels during freezing period.

Numerical study on surrounding rock mass temperature field of Kangding tunnel no.2 considering wind flow

Based on the Kangding Tunnel No.2 project,this study analyzes the heat exchange between air and the rock mass surrounding the tunnel under wind flow by the finite difference method.The influence of factors on the temperature field of a tunnel in cold regions,including ventilation and initial conditions,is investigated.The results show that:1)The lower the air temperature,the greater the wind speed,the larger the rock mass temperature influence circle and the greater the frozen depth;2)When the wind speed is less than 3 m/s,its change has an obvious impact on the rock mass temperature;3)For every drop of 5C in air temperature,the frozen depth increases by about 5 m,indicating that the air temperature is an essential factor affecting the rock mass temperature regime;4)The higher the initial rock mass temperature is,the smaller the influence circle on the rock mass is.And to a certain extent,it determines the temperature distribution in the rock mass within a specific range from the wall surface.

Study of experiment method for triaxial frost heaving constitutive relation of frozen soil

A new experiment method is introduced to study the relations between frost heaving strain and stress of soil or fracture rock under different moisture contents, temperatures and stress states. Based on experiments, a new triaxial frost heaving stress-strain relation is presented aiming at tunnel in cold regions. The experimental equipments are strain-controlled and low temperature buildup, and different restrained conditions are controlled by changing the stiffness of a test-force-ring. Then the frost heaving strain and stress of soil or fracture rock can be obtained under different restrained conditions, and the frost heaving stress-strain relation can be got by regression analysis of some feature points. Experiments of saturated sandy soil conducted by this method show that the triaxial frost heaving stress-strain relation could be expressed by logarithmic curves, and the frost heaving stress changes linearly with the logarithm of the frost heaving strain. The stronger the constraint, the smaller the frost heaving strain and the larger the frost heaving stresses. The frost heaving stresses would tend to a limit value with increasing the constraint intensity. The larger the confining pressure, the larger the frost heaving strain and stress.