Roof collapse mechanism of weak surrounding rock for deep-buried tunnels under high geostress conditions

High geostress,a typical attribute of tunnels located at significant depths,is crucial in causing stress-induced failure and influencing the stability of the tunnel crown.This study developed an analytical method for the failure mechanism that occurs in deep-buried tunnel roofs,taking into account the influence of geostress.The limit analysis theory was utilized for deriving analytical solutions about the geometry of the collapsing surface and the limit supporting pressure.The collapsing surface obtained by the analytical solution was validated by the findings of the physical model test,which shows a high level of agreement with the actual one.An extensive investigation was done to explore the effects of the lateral pressure coefficients,the tunnel buried depth,the geological conditions of the surrounding rock,the long-short axis ratio,and the size of the tunnel profile.The findings indicate that an increase in the lateral pressure coefficient from 0.5 to 1.5 results in a reduction in the height of the collapsing zone by 2.08 m and the width of the collapsing zone by 1.15 m,while simultaneously increases the limit supporting pressure by 18.9%.The proposed upper bound method accurately determines the limit supporting pressure and the geometry of the collapsing surface,which aligns well with the results acquired through numerical modelling and on-site monitoring in actual engineering applications.The proposed analytical method can serve as a reference for similar crown failure issues of deep-buried tunnels.

Full-scale experiment for segmental linings of deep-buried shield tunnels bearing high inner water pressure:Comparison of mechanical behaviors of continuous-and stagger-jointed structures

Full-scale loading tests were performed on shield segmental linings bearing a high earth pressure and high inner water pressure,focus-ing on the effects of the inner water load and assembly manner on the mechanical properties of the segmental linings.The test results indicate that the deep-buried segmental linings without inner pressure have a high safety reserve.After the action of high inner water pressure,the lining deformation will increase with the reduction of the safety reserve,caused by the significant decrease in the axial force in the linings.Because the bending moment at the segmental joints is transferred to the segment sections in the adjacent ling rings,the convergence deformation,openings of segmental joints,and bolt strains are smaller for the stagger-jointed lining than those for the continuous-jointed lining;however,dislocations appear in the circumferential joints owing to the stagger-jointed assembly.Although it significantly improves the mechanical performance of the segmental lining,stagger-jointed assembly results in compromising the water-proofing safety of circumferential joints.The stagger-jointed assembly manner can be considered to improve the service performance of shield tunnels bearing high inner water pressure on the premise that circumferential joint waterproofing is satisfied.

Prediction of subsurface settlement induced by shield tunnelling in sandy cobble stratum

This study focuses on the analytical prediction of subsurface settlement induced by shield tunnelling in sandy cobble stratum considering the volumetric deformation modes of the soil above the tunnel crown.A series of numerical analyses is performed to examine the effects of cover depth ratio(C/D),tunnel volume loss rate(h t)and volumetric block proportion(VBP)on the characteristics of subsurface settle-ment trough and soil volume loss.Considering the ground loss variation with depth,three modes are deduced from the volumetric deformation responses of the soil above the tunnel crown.Then,analytical solutions to predict subsurface settlement for each mode are presented using stochastic medium theory.The influences of C/D,h t and VBP on the key parameters(i.e.B and N)in the analytical expressions are discussed to determine the fitting formulae of B and N.Finally,the proposed analytical solutions are validated by the comparisons with the results of model test and numerical simulation.Results show that the fitting formulae provide a convenient and reliable way to evaluate the key parameters.Besides,the analytical solutions are reasonable and available in predicting the subsurface settlement induced by shield tunnelling in sandy cobble stratum.

Fisher discriminant analysis model and its application for prediction of classification of rockburst in deep-buried long tunnel

A Fisher discriminant analysis （FDA） model for the prediction of classification of rockburst in deep-buried long tunnel was established based on the Fisher discriminant theory and the actual characteristics of the project. First, the major factors of rockburst, such as the maximum tangential stress of the cavern wall σθ, uniaxial compressive strength σc, uniaxial tensile strength or, and the elastic energy index of rock Wet, were taken into account in the analysis. Three factors, Stress coefficient σθ/σc, rock brittleness coefficient σc/σt, and elastic energy index Wet, were defined as the criterion indices for rockburst prediction in the proposed model. After training and testing of 12 sets of measured data, the discriminant functions of FDA were solved, and the ratio of misdiscrimina- tion is zero. Moreover, the proposed model was used to predict rockbursts of Qinling tunnel along Xi＇an-Ankang railway. The results show that three forecast results are identical with the actual situation. Therefore, the prediction accuracy of the FDA model is acceptable.

Ground settlement and tunnel response due to twin-curved shield tunnelling in soft ground with small clear distance

Twin curved tunnels are often encountered in shield tunnelling,where significant complexities in densely exploited underground space are observed.In this study,the ground settlement and tunnel deformation due to twin-curved shield tunnelling in soft ground were investigated using numerical simulation and field monitoring.Different curvature radii of twin curved tunnels and subsequent effects of tunnel construction were considered to reveal the tunnelling effect on ground surface settlement and tunnel deformation.The results show that the settlement trough yields one offset towards inside of curved shield tunnelling.The location of settlement trough and maximum settlement were affected by curvature radius but except for the shape and width of settlement trough.Adjacent parallel twin-curved shield tunnelling could increase the offset of existing settlement trough and maximum settlement.Then,an empirical prediction of surface settlement trough due to twin-curved shield tunnelling with same tunnel diameters in soft clay was proposed,which was applicable to curvature radius less than 800 m.Finally,a minimum radius of 600 m of curvature tunnel was proposed in terms of allowable convergence deformation of tunnel.The result could provide guidance on safety evaluation for twin curved shield tunnelling construction.

An improved analytical solution for solving the shield tunnel uplift problem

The problem of shield tunnel uplift is a common issue in tunnel construction.Due to the decrease in shear stiffness at the joints between the rings,uplift is typically observed as bending and dislocation deformation at these joints.Existing modeling methods typically rely on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory,only considering the bending effect while disregarding shear deformation.Furthermore,the constraints on the shield tail are often neglected in existing models.In this study,an improved theoretical model of tunnel floating is proposed.The constraint effect of the shield machine shell on the tunnel structure is considered using the structural forms of two finite long beams and one semi-infinite long beam.Furthermore,the Timoshenko beam theory is adopted,providing a more accurate description of tunnel deformation,including both the bending effect and shear deformation,than existing models.Meanwhile,the buoyancy force and stratum resistance are calculated in a nonlinear manner.A reliable method for calculating the shear stiffness correction factor is proposed to better determination of the calculation parameters.The proposed theoretical model is validated through five cases using sitemonitored data.Its applicability and effectiveness are demonstrated.Furthermore,the influences of soil type,buried depth,and buoyancy force on the three key indicators of tunnel floating(i.e.the maximum uplift magnitude,the ring position with the fastest uplift race,and the ring position with the maximum uplift magnitude)are analyzed.The results indicate that the proposed model can provide a better understanding of the floating characteristics of the tunnel structure during construction.

Three-dimensional pseudo-dynamic reliability analysis of seismic shield tunnel faces combined with sparse polynomial chaos expansion

To address the seismic face stability challenges encountered in urban and subsea tunnel construction,an efficient probabilistic analysis framework for shield tunnel faces under seismic conditions is proposed.Based on the upper-bound theory of limit analysis,an improved three-dimensional discrete deterministic mechanism,accounting for the heterogeneous nature of soil media,is formulated to evaluate seismic face stability.The metamodel of failure probabilistic assessments for seismic tunnel faces is constructed by integrating the sparse polynomial chaos expansion method(SPCE)with the modified pseudo-dynamic approach(MPD).The improved deterministic model is validated by comparing with published literature and numerical simulations results,and the SPCE-MPD metamodel is examined with the traditional MCS method.Based on the SPCE-MPD metamodels,the seismic effects on face failure probability and reliability index are presented and the global sensitivity analysis(GSA)is involved to reflect the influence order of seismic action parameters.Finally,the proposed approach is tested to be effective by a engineering case of the Chengdu outer ring tunnel.The results show that higher uncertainty of seismic response on face stability should be noticed in areas with intense earthquakes and variation of seismic wave velocity has the most profound influence on tunnel face stability.

Analytical solution for steady seepage into a circular deep-buried mountain tunnel with grouted zone in anisotropic strata

Due to the existence of a large number of discontinuous fractures and interfaces in tunnel surrounding rocks,the groundwater inflow into tunnel generally presents significant anisotropy.Therefore,it is of great significance to consider the anisotropic permeability when dealing with water gushing-induced engineering accidents in water-rich mountain tunnels with large burial depth.In this study,based on the complex variable method and the seepage flow theory,a theoretical model of water inflow into a deep-buried circular tunnel in a fully saturated,anisotropic and semi-infinite aquifer is developed.The influence of grouted zone,initial support and secondary lining is fully considered.By comparison to the existing analytical methods and numerical results,the reliability of this proposed analytical solution is well validated.It is indicated from the parametric study that the groundwater inflow into tunnel presents an upward trend with an increasing value of the strata permeability in the vertical direction.Moreover,the water inflow rate and the total water head decrease with the growth of the thickness of grouting circle.It is suggested that reasonable grouting thickness and permeability should be controlled to enhance the grouting effect.This study provides a practical method for estimating the water inflow into a deep-buried,grouted and lined mountain tunnel considering the anisotropic strata permeability.

Experimental study on similarity materials for soft rock of deep-buried tunnels

When every parameter is properly scaled down in accordance with some similarity coefficients, it is possible to study the physical-mechanical properties of rock mass with a scale model. To identify the key mechanisms of soft rock in deep buried tunnels, the proper sand, binder and ratio were selected. During the process, the model manufacture technology was introduced and typical tests were done and the results were presented. The physical and meehanieal properties effects caused by each composition were discussed. It is shown that the physical and mechanical properties of chosen ratio material such as uniaxial compressive strength tests, elasticity modulus, tensile strength, internal frictional angle, and Poisson＇s ratio meet with similarity relationship well. The physical and mechanical properties of deep soft rock are simulated successfully.

Stress wave propagation and incompatible deformation mechanisms in rock discontinuity interfaces in deep-buried tunnels

Complex weak structural planes and fault zones induce significant heterogeneity,discontinuity,and nonlinear characteristics of a rock mass.When an earthquake occurs,these characteristics lead to extremely complex seismic wave propagation and vibrational behaviors and thus pose a huge threat to the safety and stability of deep buried tunnels.To investigate the wave propagation in a rock mass with different structural planes and fault zones,this study first introduced the theory of elastic wave propagation and elastodynamic principles and used the Zoeppritz equation to describe wave field decomposition and develop a seismic wave response model accordingly.Then,a physical wave propagation model was constructed to investigate seismic waves passing through a fault,and dynamic damage was analyzed by using shaking table tests.Finally,stress wave attenuation and dynamic incompatible deformation mechanisms in a rock mass with fault zones were explored.The results indicate that under the action of weak structural planes,stress waves appear as a complex wave field decomposition phenomenon.When a stress wave spreads to a weak structural plane,its scattering may transform into a tensile wave,generating tensile stress and destabilizing the rock mass;wave dynamic energy is absorbed by a low-strength rock through wave scattering,which significantly weakens the seismic load.Wave propagation accelerates the initiation and expansion of internal defects in the rock mass and leads to a dynamic incompatible deformation.This is one of the main causes for large deformation and even instability within rock masses.These findings provide an important reference and guide with respect to stability analysis of rock mass with weak structural planes and fault zones.

Examining the effect of adverse geological conditions on jamming of a single shielded TBM in Uluabat tunnel using numerical modeling

Severe shield jamming events have been reported during excavation of Uluabat tunnel through adverse geological conditions, which resulted in several stoppages at advancing a single shielded tunnel boring machine(TBM). To study the jamming mechanism, three-dimensional(3D) simulation of the machine and surrounding ground was implemented using the finite difference code FLAC3D. Numerical analyses were performed for three sections along the tunnel with a higher risk for entrapment due to the combination of overburden and geological conditions. The computational results including longitudinal displacement contours and ground pressure profiles around the shield allow a better understanding of ground behavior within the excavation. Furthermore, they allow realistically assessing the impact of adverse geological conditions on shield jamming. The calculated thrust forces, which are required to move the machine forward, are in good agreement with field observations and measurements. It also proves that the numerical analysis can effectively be used for evaluating the effect of adverse geological environment on TBM entrapments and can be applied to prediction of loads on the shield and preestimating of the required thrust force during excavation through adverse ground conditions.

Modelling the performance of EPB shield tunnelling using machine and deep learning algorithms

This paper introduces an intelligent framework for predicting the advancing speed during earth pressure balance(EPB)shield tunnelling.Five artificial intelligence(AI)models based on machine and deep learning techniques-back-propagation neural network(BPNN),extreme learning machine(ELM),support vector machine(SVM),long-short term memory(LSTM),and gated recurrent unit(GRU)-are used.Five geological and nine operational parameters that influence the advancing speed are considered.A field case of shield tunnelling in Shenzhen City,China is analyzed using the developed models.A total of 1000 field datasets are adopted to establish intelligent models.The prediction performance of the five models is ranked as GRU>LSTM>SVM>ELM>BPNN.Moreover,the Pearson correlation coefficient(PCC)is adopted for sensitivity analysis.The results reveal that the main thrust(MT),penetration(P),foam volume(FV),and grouting volume(GV)have strong correlations with advancing speed(AS).An empirical formula is constructed based on the high-correlation influential factors and their corresponding field datasets.Finally,the prediction performances of the intelligent models and the empirical method are compared.The results reveal that all the intelligent models perform better than the empirical method.

Prediction of Disc Cutter Life During Shield Tunneling with AI via the Incorporation of a Genetic Algorithm into a GMDH-Type Neural Network

Disc cutter consumption is a critical problem that influences work performance during shield tunneling processes and directly affects the cutter change decision.This study proposes a new model to estimate the disc cutter life(Hf)by integrating a group method of data handling(GMDH)-type neural network(NN)with a genetic algorithm(GA).The efficiency and effectiveness of the GMDH network structure are optimized by the GA,which enables each neuron to search for its optimum connections set from the previous layer.With the proposed model,monitoring data including the shield performance database,disc cutter consumption,geological conditions,and operational parameters can be analyzed.To verify the performance of the proposed model,a case study in China is presented and a database is adopted to illustrate the excellence of the hybrid model.The results indicate that the hybrid model predicts disc cutter life with high accuracy.The sensitivity analysis reveals that the penetration rate(PR)has a significant influence on disc cutter life.The results of this study can be beneficial in both the planning and construction stages of shield tunneling.

Comprehensive health assessment of shield tunnel structure based on prototype experiment

Health state of shield tunnels is one of the most important parameters for structure maintenance.Usually,the shield tunnel is extremely long in longitude direction and composed by many segments.It is difficult to quantify the relationship between the structure damage state and shield tunnel structure deformation by the model test because of unpredictable effects of different scales between model test and prototype tunnel structure.Here,an in-situ monitoring project was conducted to study the excavation induced shield tunnel structure damage,which could be considered a prototype test on the tunnel deformation.The disaster performance of tunnel leakage,segment crack,segment dislocation and segment block drop-off during longitude deformation and cross-section ovality developments was analyzed.The results indicate that instead of the longitude deformation,the ovality value has the strongest correlation to the rest disease performance,which could be used as the assessment index of the tunnel health.For this tunnel,it is in health state when the ovality is less than 0.5%,and the serious damage could be found when the ovality value is higher than 0.77%.The research results provide valuable reference to shield tunnel health assessment and help complete the standard of shield tunnel construction.

Mechanical behavior of segment rebar of shield tunnel in construction stage

In this paper, a 3D finite element （FE） program ADINA was applied to analyzing a tunnel with 9 segment tings. The loads acting on these segment tings included the squeezing action of tail brush of shield machine under attitude deflection, the jacking forces, the grouting pressure and the soil pressure. The analyses focused on the rebar stress in two statuses： （1） normal construction status without shield machine squeezing; （2） squeezing action induced by shield machine under attitude deflection. The analyses indicated that the rebar stress was evidently affected by the construction loads. In different construction status, the rebar stress ranges from -80 MPa to 50 MPa, and the rebar is in elastic status. Even some cracks appear on segments, the stress of segment rebar is still at a low level. It is helpful to incorporate a certain quantity of steel fiber to improve the anti-crack and shock resistance performance.

Machine learning-based automatic control of tunneling posture of shield machine

For a tunnel driven by a shield machine,the posture of the driving machine is essential to the construction quality and environmental impact.However,the machine posture is controlled by the experienced driver of shield machine by setting hundreds of tunneling parameters empirically.Machine learning(ML)algorithm is an alternative method that can let the computer to learn from the driver’s operation and try to model the relationship between parameters automatically.Thus,in this paper,three ML algorithms,i.e.multi-layer perception(MLP),support vector machine(SVM)and gradient boosting regression(GBR),are improved by genetic algorithm(GA)and principal component analysis(PCA)to predict the tunneling posture of the shield machine.A set of the parameters for shield tunneling is extracted from the construction site of a Shanghai metro.In total,53,785 pairwise data points are collected for about 373 d and the ratio between training set,validation set and test set is 3:1:1.Each pairwise data point includes 83 types of parameters covering the shield posture,construction parameters,and soil stratum properties at the same time.The test results show that the averaged R2 of MLP,SVM and GBR based models are 0.942,0.935 and 0.6,respectively.Then the automatic control for the posture of shield tunnel is illustrated with an application example of the proposed models.The proposed method is proved to be helpful in controlling the construction quality with optimized construction parameters.

Optimized Fuzzy Clustering Method for Health Monitoring of Shield Tunnels

Since health monitoring of shield tunnels generally employs multiple sensors belonging to different types,a fine analysis on massive monitoring data,as well as further quantitative health grading,is really challenging.An optimized fuzzy clustering analysis method based on the fuzzy equivalence relation is proposed for health monitoring of shield tunnels.Clustering results are auto-generated by using fuzzy similarity-valued map.The results follow the idea of unsupervised classification.Moreover,a convenient new health index HI is proposed for a fast tunnel-health grading.A case study on Nanjing Yangtze River Tunnel is presented to validate this method.Three types of indicators,namely soil pressure,pore water pressure and steel strain,are used to develop the clustering model.The clustering results are verified by analyzing the engineering geological conditions;the validity and the efficacy of the proposed method are also demonstrated.Further,the fuzzy clustering analysis also represents a potential for identifying abnormal monitoring data.This investigation indicates the fuzzy clustering analysis method is capable of characterizing the fuzziness of tunnel health,and beneficial to clarify the tunnel health evaluation uncertainties.

Three-dimensional displacement characteristics of adjacent pile induced by shield tunneling under influence of multiple factors

Shield tunneling inevitably passes through a large number of pile foundations in urban areas.Thus,an accurate assessment of tunneling-induced pile displacement and potential damage becomes a critical part of shield construction.This study presents a mechanism research of pile-soil-tunnel interaction through Pasternak-based two-stage analysis method.In the first stage,based on Mindlin’s solution,the soil displacement fields induced by shield thrust force,cutterhead frictions,shield shell frictions and grouting pressure are derived.The analytical solution of threedimensional soil displacement field is established by introducing Pinto’s three-dimensional volume loss formula,which solves the problems that shield construction factors are not taken into account in Loganathan’s formula and only twodimensional soil displacement field can be obtained.In the second stage,based on Pasternak’s two-parameter foundation model,the analytical solution of pile displacement induced by shield tunneling in layered soil is derived.A case was found in the project of interval tunnels from Wanjiali Square to Furong District Government of Changsha Metro Line 5,where the shield tunnels were constructed near viaduct piles.The reliability of the analytical solution proposed in this study is verified by comparing with the field measured data and the results of finite element method(FEM).In addition,the comparisons of longitudinal,horizontal and vertical displacements of soil and pile foundation analyzed by the analytical solution and FEM provide corresponding theoretical basis,which has significant engineering guidance for similar projects.

Impact of shield tunneling on adjacent spread foundation on sandy cobble strata

The section of shield tunnel of the Chengdu Metro line passes primarily through sandy cobble strata. There are many buildings with spread foundations along the lines. Shield tunnel construction will disturb the ground, causing displacement or stress to adjacent spread foundations. Based on the similarity theory, a laboratory model test of shield tunnel driving was carried out to study the influence of shield tunnel excavation on the displace ment of adjacent spread foundation. The results show that foundation closer to the tunnel has greater displacement or settlement than that further away. The horizontal dis placement is small and is influenced greatly by the cutting face. The displacement along the machine driving direction is bigger and is significantly affected by the thrust force. Settlement occurs primarily when shield machine passes close to the foundation and is the greatest at that time. Uneven settlement at the bottom of the spread foundation reaches a maximum after the excavation ends. In a numerical simulation, a particle flow model was con structed to study the impact of shield tunnel excavation on the stresses in the ground. The model showed stress con centration at the bottom of the spread foundation. With the increasing ground loss ratio, a loose area appears in the tunnel dome where the contact force dropped. Above the loose area, the contact force increases, forming an arch shaped soil area which prevents the loose area from expanding to the ground surface. The excavation also changed the pressure distribution around spread foundation.

Influence of water-rich tunnel by shield tunneling on existing bridge pile foundation in layered soils

At present,shield tunneling often needs to pass through a large number of bridge pile foundations.However,there are few studies on the influence of shield tunneling on adjacent pile foundations by combining with groundwater seepage.Based on Winkler model,the calculation equations of shield tunneling on vertical and horizontal displacement of adjacent bridge pile are derived.Meanwhile,full and part three-dimensional finite element models are established to analyze the trend of bridge pier settlement,ground surface settlement trough,vertical and horizontal displacement of the pile and pile stress under three calculation conditions,i.e.,not considering groundwater effect,considering stable groundwater effect and fluid-soil interaction.The results show that the calculated value is small when the effect of groundwater is not considered;the seepage velocity of the soil above the excavation face is faster than that of the surrounding soil under fluid-soil interaction,and after the shield passing,the groundwater on both sides shows a flow trend of“U”shape on the ground surface supplying to the upper part of the tunnel;the vertical displacement of the pile body is bounded by the horizontal position of the top of the tunnel,the upper pile body settles,and the lower pile body deforms upward.The horizontal displacement of pile body presents a continuous“S”shape distribution,causing stress concentration near the tunnel.The calculated results of fluid-soil interaction are in good agreement with the field measured data and accord with the actual situation.