A methodology for damage evaluation of underground tunnels subjected to static loading using numerical modeling

We have proposed a methodology to assess the robustness of underground tunnels against potential failure.This involves developing vulnerability functions for various qualities of rock mass and static loading intensities.To account for these variations,we utilized a Monte Carlo Simulation(MCS)technique coupled with the finite difference code FLAC^(3D),to conduct two thousand seven hundred numerical simulations of a horseshoe tunnel located within a rock mass with different geological strength index system(GSIs)and subjected to different states of static loading.To quantify the severity of damage within the rock mass,we selected one stress-based(brittle shear ratio(BSR))and one strain-based failure criterion(plastic damage index(PDI)).Based on these criteria,we then developed fragility curves.Additionally,we used mathematical approximation techniques to produce vulnerability functions that relate the probabilities of various damage states to loading intensities for different quality classes of blocky rock mass.The results indicated that the fragility curves we obtained could accurately depict the evolution of the inner and outer shell damage around the tunnel.Therefore,we have provided engineers with a tool that can predict levels of damages associated with different failure mechanisms based on variations in rock mass quality and in situ stress state.Our method is a numerically developed,multi-variate approach that can aid engineers in making informed decisions about the robustness of underground tunnels.

Rockburst criterion and evaluation method for potential rockburst pit depth considering excavation damage effect

Excavation-induced disturbances in deep tunnels will lead to deterioration of rock properties and formation of excavation damaged zone(EDZ).This excavation damage effect may affect the potential rockburst pit depth.Taking two diversion tunnels of Jinping II hydropower station for example,the relationship between rockburst pit depth and excavation damage effect is first surveyed.The results indicate that the rockburst pit depth in tunnels with severe damage to rock masses is relatively large.Subsequently,the excavation-induced damage effect is characterized by disturbance factor D based on the Hoek-Brown criterion and wave velocity method.It is found that the EDZ could be further divided into a high-damage zone(HDZ)with D=1 and weak-damage zone(WDZ),and D decays from one to zero linearly.For this,a quantitative evaluation method for potential rockburst pit depth is established by presenting a three-element rockburst criterion considering rock strength,geostress and disturbance factor.The evaluation results obtained by this method match well with actual observations.In addition,the weakening of rock mass strength promotes the formation and expansion of potential rockburst pits.The potential rockburst pit depth is positively correlated with HDZ and WDZ depths,and the HDZ depth has a significant contribution to the potential rockburst pit depth.

In-situ observations of damage-fracture evolution in surrounding rock upon unloading in 2400-m-deep tunnels

The damage-fracture evolution of deep rock mass has obvious particularity,which is revealed in 2400-mdeep tunnels by field tests.The evolution of the excavation damaged zone depth is consistent with that of the fractured zone depth.The ratio of the excavation damaged zone depth to the excavation fractured zone depth is greater than 2.0 in a rock mass with both high strength and good integrity,but less than1.5 in a rock mass with lower strength or poor integrity.Zonal disintegration in a rock mass with high strength and fair integrity is more likely to occur when it contains more than two groups of primary fractures in damaged zones.Fractures develop outward in zonal disintegration but are totally different from the single-zone fracture,in which the fractures develop inward,and it is the starting position of the fractured zone when the excavation surface of the middle pilot is 7–9 m close to the pre-set borehole and it stops after the excavation surface of the baseplate is 11–14 m away.The most intense evolution occurs around 2–4 m from the pre-set borehole in the sidewall expansion stage.The research results provide a reference for the monitoring scheme and support design of CJPL-Ⅲin its future construction.

Vibration reduction technology and the mechanisms of surrounding rock damage from blasting in neighborhood tunnels with small clearance

Interlaid rock is an important component in the construction of neighborhood tunnels that supports and reinforces the area between two tunnels.However,the blasting load during excavation can sometimes damage the interlaid rock and threaten the stability of a tunnel’s structure.This paper presents a case study of the small clearance section of the Liantang highway tunnel project in Shenzhen,China,where the minimum distance between the two tunnels involved is only 0.5 m.To reduce the damage to the interlaid rock caused by blasting loads,we proposed a four-part excavation method with a vibrationcushioning rock layer in the following tunnel of neighborhood tunnels.Numerical simulation was used to model the damage prevention mechanism of the vibration-cushioning rock layer and to better understand the propagation of cracks in the interlaid rock.Furthermore,based on the simulation results,combined microseismic controlled-blasting technology was implemented,using innovative blasting patterns combined with different charge structures and blasting equipment designed according to the varying thickness of the interlaid rock.Finally,this implementation succeeded in protecting interlaid rock during blasting operations.

Frost heaving force considering synchronous damage to tunnel lining and surrounding rocks under freeze—thaw cycles

In areas with seasonal freezing,when the tunnel lining concrete is saturated with water infiltrating the interior,the lining and the surrounding rocks will simultaneously freeze.However,the current calculation of the frost heaving force fails to consider the synchronous damage to the lining and surrounding rocks under freeze-thaw cycles.Therefore,as per the elastic calculation model of the frost heaving force and model of steady-state heat transfer of circular tunnels,this study introduces the frost heaving rate of lining and surrounding rocks.First,the analytical solution of frost heaving force is obtained for simultaneous frost heaving of lining and surrounding rocks under any steady-state temperature field.Then,based on the fracture theory and meso-damage mechanics,the damage variables of lining and surrounding rocks under freeze-thaw cycles are extracted,representing their elastic modulus and porosity.Finally,the formula of frost heaving force for synchronous damage to the lining and surrounding rocks at any steady-state temperature field is obtained.The calculation results demonstrate that the lower the temperature inside the lining,the greater the frost heaving force.With the increasing number of freeze-thaw cycles,frost heaving force tends to gradually increase initially,reaching a peak value at 85 freeze-thaw cycles,decreasing to 80%of the peak value at 140 cycles before reaching a constant value.The lining participates in frost heaving,increasing the frost heaving force.The initial increase rate of frost heaving force is 15.7%.Changing the fitting coefficients s1 and s2 of the lining and surrounding rocks can effectively control the magnitude of the frost heaving force in the tunnels.

Interface bond degradation and damage characteristics of full-length grouted rock bolt in tunnels with high temperature

Full-length grouted bolts play a crucial role in geotechnical engineering thanks to their excellent stability.However,few studies have been concerned with the degrading performance of grouted rock bolts caused by extensive and continuous heat conduction from surrounding rocks in high-geothermal tunnels buried more than 100 m(temperature from 28C to 100C).To investigate the damage mechanism,we examined the time-varying behaviors of grouted rock bolts in both constant and variable temperature curing environments and their damage due to the coupling effects of high temperature and humidity through mechanical and micro-feature tests,including uniaxial compression test,pull-out test,computed tomography(CT)scans,X-ray diffraction(XRD)test,thermogravimetric analysis(TGA),etc.,and further analyzed the relationship between grout properties and anchorage capability.In order to facilitate a rapid assessment and control of the anchorage performance of anchors in different conditions,results of the interface bond degradation tests were correlated to environment parameters based on the damage model of interfacial bond stress proposed.Accordingly,a thermal hazard classification criterion for anchorage design in high-geothermal tunnels was suggested.Based on the reported results,although high temperature accelerated the early-stage hydration reaction of grouting materials,it affected the distribution and quantity of hydration products by inhibiting hydration degree,thus causing mechanical damage to the anchorage system.There was a significant positive correlation between the strength of the grouting material and the anchoring force.Influenced by the changes in grout properties,three failure patterns of rock bolts typically existed.Applying a hot-wet curing regime results in less reduction in anchorage force compared to the hot-dry curing conditions.The findings of this study would contribute to the design and investigations of grouted rock bolts in high-geothermal tunnels.

Triaxial creep damage characteristics of sandstone under high crustal stress and its constitutive model for engineering application

The creep characteristics of rock under high crustal stress are of important influence on the long‐term stability of deep rock engineering.To study the creep characteristics and engineering application of sandstone under high crustal stress,this study constructed nonlinear creep damage(NCD)constitutive mode based on the triaxial graded loading‒unloading creep test of sandstone in the Yuezhishan Tunnel.A numerical NCD constitutive model and a breakable lining(BL)model were developed based on FLAC3D and then applied to the stability analysis of the Yuezhishan Tunnel.Based on the creep test results of sandstone,a power function of creep rate and stress level was constructed,by which the long‐term strength was solved.The results show that the long‐term strength of the red sandstone based on the related function of the steady‐state creep rate and stress level is close to the measured stress value in engineering.The NCD model considering damage factors reflects the instantaneous and viscoelastic plasticity deformation characteristics of the red sandstone.The numerical NCD constitutive model and the BL model can reflect surrounding rock deformation characteristics and lining failure characteristics in practical engineering.The research results provide theoretical references for long‐term stability analysis of rock engineering and the deformation control of surrounding rock under high crustal stress.

Assessing fracturing mechanisms and evolution of excavation damaged zone of tunnels in interlocked rock masses at high stresses using a finitediscrete element approach

Deep underground excavations within hard rocks can result in damage to the surrounding rock mass mostly due to redistribution of stresses.Especially within rock masses with non-persistent joints,the role of the pre-existing joints in the damage evolution around the underground opening is of critical importance as they govern the fracturing mechanisms and influence the brittle responses of these hard rock masses under highly anisotropic in situ stresses.In this study,the main focus is the impact of joint network geometry,joint strength and applied field stresses on the rock mass behaviours and the evolution of excavation induced damage due to the loss of confinement as a tunnel face advances.Analysis of such a phenomenon was conducted using the finite-discrete element method (FDEM).The numerical model is initially calibrated in order to match the behaviour of the fracture-free,massive Lac du Bonnet granite during the excavation of the Underground Research Laboratory (URL) Test Tunnel,Canada.The influence of the pre-existing joints on the rock mass response during excavation is investigated by integrating discrete fracture networks (DFNs) of various characteristics into the numerical models under varying in situ stresses.The numerical results obtained highlight the significance of the pre-existing joints on the reduction of in situ rock mass strength and its capacity for extension with both factors controlling the brittle response of the material.Furthermore,the impact of spatial distribution of natural joints on the stability of an underground excavation is discussed,as well as the potentially minor influence of joint strength on the stress induced damage within joint systems of a non-persistent nature under specific conditions.Additionally,the in situ stress-joint network interaction is examined,revealing the complex fracturing mechanisms that may lead to uncontrolled fracture propagation that compromises the overall stability of an underground excavation.

Mountain tunnel under earthquake force:A review of possible causes of damages and restoration methods

Accurate seismic assessment and proper aseismic design of underground structures require a comprehensive understanding of seismic performance and response of underground structures under earthquake force.In order to understand the seismic behavior of tunnels during an earthquake,a wide collection of case histories has been reviewed from the available literature with respect to damage classification,to discuss the possible causes of damage,such as earthquake parameters,structural form and geological conditions.In addition,a case of Tawarayama tunnel subjected to the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake is studied.Discussion on the possible influence factors aims at improving the performancebased aseismic design of tunnels.Finally,restoration design criterion and methods are presented taking Tawarayama tunnel as an example.

Seismic damage of mountain tunnels during the 5.12 Wenchuan earthquake

A number of mountain tunnels suffered significant damage to various extent during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China.Damage ranging from small to heavy cracking was observed both at the portal and inside the tunnels,while some sections close to the faults completely collapsed.A summary of qualitative data collected from reports and papers is presented regarding the behavior of the 55 mountain tunnels near the epicenter during the earthquake.Based on the seismic investigation and data collection of mountain tunnels,the tunnel damage is classified into six most common damage models involving cracking,spalling,shear failure,dislocation,pavement uplift and collapse.Detailed study and discussion are then carried out on the damage models.In order to examine the influencing factors of the damage magnitude of the mountain tunnels,the correlations between epicentral distance,earthquake intensity,overburden depth,geological condition and damage levels are analyzed.The relationships between earthquake parameters and different damagemodels are developed and discussed.Also,suggestions are provided to improve the seismic resistance of mountain tunnels.

Modelling of blast-induced damage in tunnels using a hybrid finite-discrete numerical approach

This paper presents the application of a hybrid finite-discrete element method to study blast-induceddamage in circular tunnels. An extensive database of field tests of underground explosions above tunnelsis used for calibrating and validating the proposed numerical method; the numerical results areshown to be in good agreement with published data for large-scale physical experiments. The method isthen used to investigate the influence of rock strength properties on tunnel durability to withstand blastloads. The presented analysis considers blast damage in tunnels excavated through relatively weak（sandstone） and strong （granite） rock materials. It was found that higher rock strength will increase thetunnel resistance to the load on one hand, but decrease attenuation on the other hand. Thus, undercertain conditions, results for weak and strong rock masses are similar. 2014 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Production and hosting byElsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Vibration Effect and Damage Evolution Characteristics of Tunnel Surrounding Rock Under Cyclic Blasting Loading

Model test studies based on the similarity theory were conducted to investigate vibration effect and damage evolution characteristics of tunnel surrounding rock under push-type cyclic blasting excavation.The model was constructed with a ratio of 1∶15.By simulating the tunnel excavation of push-type cyclic blasting,the influence of the blasting parameter change on vibration effect was explored.The damage degree of tunnel surrounding rock was evaluated by the change of the acoustic wave velocity at the same measuring point after blasting.The relationship between the damage evolution of surrounding rock and blasting times was established.The research results show that：（1）In the same geological environment,the number of delay initiation is larger,the main vibration frequency of blasting seismic wave is higher,and the attenuation of high frequency signal in the rock and soil is faster.The influence of number of delay initiation on blasting vibration effect cannot be ignored;（2）Under push-type cyclic blasting excavation,there were great differences in the decreasing rates of acoustic wave velocity of the measuring points which have the same distance to the blasting region at the same depth,and the blasting damage ranges of surrounding rock were typically anisotropic at both depth and breadth;（3）When blasting parameters were basically kept as the same,the growth trend of the cumulative acoustic wave velocity decreasing rate at the measuring point was nonlinear under different cycle blasting excavations;（4）There were nonlinear evolution characteristics between the blasting cumulative damage（D）of surrounding rock and blasting times（n）under push-type cyclic blasting loading,and different measuring points had corresponding blasting cumulative damage propagation models,respectively.The closer the measuring point was away from the explosion source,the faster the cumulative damage extension.Blasting cumulative damage effect of surrounding rock had typically nonlinear evolution properties and anisotropic characteristics.

An expert system for diagnosing fire-caused damages to reinforced-concrete tunnel lining

During the last four decades, reinforced-concrete structure failures have been happening widely for many reasons, such as increased service loads, war accidents, fire, and durability problems. The economic losses due to those failures are very high. An expert system is an interactive computer-based decision tool that uses both facts and heuristics to solve difficult problems based on knowledge acquired from experts. To realize these requirements, a logic programming visual basic language is used together with visual diagnosis. The expert system, Diagnosis of Fire-Caused Damages to Reinforced-Concrete Tunnel Lining (DFCDRCTL) was developed in this work for diagnosing the annual damages caused by fire. The program is used as an alternative of a human expert to make annual technical decisions in diagnosing fire damages at the second reinforced-concrete tunnel lining segment. It is concluded that the proposed DFCDRCTL expert system is easy to use, and is fast and helpful for engineers.

Determination of the Scale of Damage in the Wastewater Tunnels Due to Earthquake： A Case Study

The pre-determination of the effect of earthquake in subsurface structures is gaining importance increasingly. One of the main factors in determination of the damages due to earthquakes in subsurface structures, especially tunnels are horizontal acceleration value. The aim of the study is to put forward the scale of damage due to earthquake in a wastewater tunnel in Istanbul, the most populated city of Turkey, under construction. Possible damage caused by earthquake will be determined by utilizing the information about the route of the wastewater tunnel analyzed in the study.

Distribution characteristics and the evolution law of excavation damage zone in the large-span transition section of high-speed railway tunnel based on microseismic monitoring

Purpose–The microseismic monitoring technique has great advantages on identifying the location,extent and the mechanism of damage process occurring in rock mass.This study aims to analyze distribution characteristics and the evolution law of excavation damage zone of surrounding rock based on microseismic monitoring data.Design/methodology/approach–In situ test using microseismic monitoring technique is carried out in the large-span transition tunnel of Badaling Great Wall Station of Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway.An intelligent microseismic monitoring system is built with symmetry monitoring point layout both on the mountain surface and inside the tunnel to achieve three-dimensional and all-round monitoring results.Findings–Microseismic events can be divided into high density area,medium density area and low density area according to the density distribution of microseismic events.The positions where the cumulative distribution frequencies of microseismic events are 60 and 80%are identified as the boundaries between high and medium density areas and between medium and low density areas,respectively.The high density area of microseismic events is regarded as the high excavation damage zone of surrounding rock,which is affected by the grade of surrounding rock and the span of tunnel.The prediction formulas for the depth of high excavation damage zone of surrounding rock at different tunnel positions are given considering these two parameters.The scale of the average moment magnitude parameters of microseismic events is adopted to describe the damage degree of surrounding rock.The strong positive correlation and multistage characteristics between the depth of excavation damage zone and deformation of surrounding rock are revealed.Based on the depth of high excavation damage zone of surrounding rock,the prestressed anchor cable(rod)is designed,and the safety of anchor cable(rod)design parameters is verified by the deformation results of surrounding rock.Originality/value–The research provides a new method to predict the surrounding rock damage zone of large-span tunnel and also provides a reference basis for design parameters of prestressed anchor cable(rod).

Real-time assessment of tunnelling-induced damage to structures within the building information modelling framework

During the initial design phases of complex multi-disciplinary systems such as urban tunnelling,the appraisal of different design alternatives can ensure optimal designs in terms of costs,construction time,and safety.To enable the evaluation of a large number of design scenarios and to find an optimal solution that minimises impact of tunnelling on existing structures,the design and assessment process must be efficient,yet provide a holistic view of soil-structure interaction effects.This paper proposes an integrated tunnel design tool for the initial design phases to predict the ground settlements induced by tunnelling and building damage using empirical and analytical solutions as well as simulation-based meta models.Furthermore,visualisation of ground settlements and building damage risk is enabled by integrating empirical and analytical models within our Building Information Modelling(BIM)framework for tunnelling.This approach allows for near real-time assessment of structural damage induced by settlements with consideration of soil-structure interaction and non-linear material behaviour.Furthermore,because this approach is implemented on a BIM platform for tunnelling,first,the design can be optimised directly in the design environment,thus eliminating errors in data exchange between designers and computational analysts.Secondly,the effect of tunnelling on existing structures can be effectively visualised within the BIM by producing risk-maps and visualising the scaled deformation field,which allows for a more intuitive understanding of design actions and for collaborative design.Having a fully parametric design model and real-time predictions therefore enables the assessment and visualisation of tunneling-induced damage for large tunnel sections and multiple structures in an effective and computationally efficient way.

Test and damage assessment of shallow buried RC tunnel under explosion

As a major element of the transportation network,tunnels are unavoidably threatened by accidental loads such as vehicle bombs and tank truck explosions.The goal of this research is to explore the dynamic characteristics and damage assessment of tunnel structures under contact blast loads.First,three scaled-down reinforced concrete tunnel models were made,and the explosion test and static loading test were carried out successively to evaluate the axial residual bearing capacity,axial displacement and failure mechanism of the tunnel.Secondly,the finite element model is built by utilizing LS-DYNA,and the reliability of the finite element method is confirmed by comparing the data of the explosion test with the static loading test.At the same time,the calculation method for damage coefficient and the classification criteria for damage grade based on axial residual bearing capacity are presented.Then,based on the finite element method,the propagation process of the explosion shock wave in the tunnel and the damage mechanism of the tunnel are investigated.Finally,seven explosion scenarios are developed,the damage degree of these seven tunnels under the blast load is quantitatively analyzed,and further anti-blast design ideas are put forth.The study in this article may give an intended reference for the damage assessment,anti-explosion design and strengthening work of reinforced concrete tunnels.

Analysis of blasting damage in adjacent mining excavations

Following a small-scale wedge failure at Yukon Zinc＇s Wolverine Mine in Yukon, Canada, a vibration monitoring program was added to the existing rockbolt pull testing regime. The failure in the 1150 drift occurred after numerous successive blasts in an adjacent tunnel had loosened friction bolts passing through an unmapped fault. Analysis of blasting vibration revealed that support integrity is not compromised unless there is a geological structure to act as a failure plane. The peak particle velocity（PPV） rarely exceeded 250 mm/s with a frequency larger than 50 Hz. As expected, blasting more competent rock resulted in higher PPVs. In such cases, reducing the round length from 3.5 m to 2.0 m was an effective means of limiting potential rock mass and support damage.

Influence of dry-etching damage on the electrical properties of an AlGaN/GaN Schottky barrier diode with recessed anode

The influences of dry-etching damage on the electrical properties of an AlGaN/GaN Schottky barrier diode with ICPrecessed anode was investigated for the first time. It was found that the turn-on voltage is decreased with the increase of dry-etching power. Furthermore, the leakage currents in the reverse bias region above pinch-off voltage rise as radio frequency（RF） power increases, while below pinch-off voltage, leakage currents tend to be independent of RF power.Based on detailed current–voltage–temperature（I–V –T） measurements, the barrier height of thermionic-field emission（TFE） from GaN is lowered as RF power increases, which results in early conduction. The increase of leakage current can be explained by Frenkel–Poole（FP） emission that higher dry-etching damage in the sidewall leads to the higher tunneling current, while below pinch-off voltage, the leakage is only related to the AlGaN surface, which is independent of RF power.

Geothermal anomalies in the Xianshuihe area: Implications for tunnel construction along the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, China

This study presents a comprehensively analysis of geothermal characteristics in the Xianshuihe geothermal area along the Sichuan-Tibet Railway,using temperature logging,temperature monitoring and thermal conductivity measurement,and regional geothermal geological survey data.The research focuses on the geothermal background,geothermal field,and their potential impact on the surrounding tunnels.The investigation reveals that the average heat flow value in the study area is approximately 73.0 mW/m^(2),significantly higher than the average terrestrial heat flow in China's Mainland(62.5 mW/m^(2)).This high terrestrial heat flow signifies a distinct thermal background in the area.In addition,geothermal anomalies in the area are found to be closely associated with the distribution of hot springs along NW faults,indicating a strong control by the Xianshuihe fault zone.The study concludes that the region's favorable conditions for geothermal resources are attributed to the combination of high terrestrial heatflow background and water-conducting faults.However,these conditions also pose a potential threat of heat damage to the tunnels along the Sichuan-Tibet Railway.To evaluate the risk,the research takes into account the terrestrial heat flow,thermal conductivity of the tunnel surrounding rocks,characteristics of the regional constant temperature layer,as well as the distribution of hot springs and faults.The analysis specifically focuses on the thermal damage risk of Kangding 1# tunnel and 2# tunnel passing through the study area.Based on the findings,it is determined that Kangding 1# tunnel and 2# tunnel have relatively low risk of heat damage,as they have avoided most of the high temperature anomaly areas.However,several sections of the tunnels do traverse zones with low to medium temperatures,where surface rock temperatures can reach up to 45℃.Therefore,these regions should not be neglected during the construction and operation of the tunnel project,and mitigation measures may be necessary to address the potential heat-related challenges in the area.