Centrifuge modeling of a large-scale surcharge on adjacent foundation

This study investigates the ground and structural response of adjacent raft foundations induced by largescale surcharge by ore in soft soil areas through a 130g centrifuge modeling test with an innovative layered loading device.The prototype of the test is a coastal iron ore yard with a natural foundation of deep soft soil.Therefore,it is necessary to adopt some measures to reduce the influence of the large-scale surcharge on the adjacent raft foundation,such as installing stone columns for foundation treatment.Under an acceleration of 130 g,the model conducts similar simulations of iron ore,stone columns,and raft foundation structures.The tested soil mass has dimensions of 900 mm×700 mm×300 mm(lengthwidthdepth),which is remodeled from the soil extracted from the drilling holes.The test conditions are consistent with the actual engineering conditions and the effects of four-level loading conditions on the composite foundation of stone columns,unreinforced zone,and raft foundations are studied.An automatic layer-by-layer loading device was innovatively developed to simulate the loading process of actual engineering more realistically.The composite foundation of stone columns had a large settlement after the loading,forming an obvious settlement trough and causing the surface of the unreinforced zone to rise.The 12 m surcharge loading causes a horizontal displacement of 13.19 cm and a vertical settlement of 1.37 m in the raft foundation.The stone columns located on both sides of the unreinforced zone suffered significant shear damage at the sand-mud interface.Due to the reinforcement effect of stone columns,the sand layer below the top of the stone columns moves less.Meanwhile,the horizontal earth pressure in the raft foundation zone increases slowly.The stone columns will form new drainage channels and accelerate the dissipation of excess pore pressure.

Numerical and theoretical study of large-scale failure of strata overlying sublevel caving mines with steeply dipping discontinuities

The deformation and fracture evolution mechanisms of the strata overlying mines mined using sublevel caving were studied via numerical simulations.Moreover,an expression for the normal force acting on the side face of a steeply dipping superimposed cantilever beam in the surrounding rock was deduced based on limit equilibrium theory.The results show the following:(1)surface displacement above metal mines with steeply dipping discontinuities shows significant step characteristics,and(2)the behavior of the strata as they fail exhibits superimposition characteristics.Generally,failure first occurs in certain superimposed strata slightly far from the goaf.Subsequently,with the constant downward excavation of the orebody,the superimposed strata become damaged both upwards away from and downwards toward the goaf.This process continues until the deep part of the steeply dipping superimposed strata forms a large-scale deep fracture plane that connects with the goaf.The deep fracture plane generally makes an angle of 12°-20°with the normal to the steeply dipping discontinuities.The effect of the constant outward transfer of strata movement due to the constant outward failure of the superimposed strata in the metal mines with steeply dipping discontinuities causes the scope of the strata movement in these mines to be larger than expected.The strata in the metal mines with steeply dipping discontinuities mainly show flexural toppling failure.However,the steeply dipping structural strata near the goaf mainly exhibit shear slipping failure,in which case the mechanical model used to describe them can be simplified by treating them as steeply dipping superimposed cantilever beams.By taking the steeply dipping superimposed cantilever beam that first experiences failure as the key stratum,the failure scope of the strata(and criteria for the stability of metal mines with steeply dipping discontinuities mined using sublevel caving)can be obtained via iterative computations from the key stratum,moving downward toward and upwards away from the goaf.

Subsidence rules of underground layer thickness： Lu＇an Coal Base coal mines for different soil as an example, China

Damage caused by underground coal mining is a serious problem in mining areas in China; therefore, studying and obtaining the rules of ground movement and deformation under different geological conditions is of great importance. The numerical software ANSYS was used in this study to simulate mining processes under two special geological conditions： （1） thick unconsolidated soil layer and thin bedrock; （2） thin soil layer and thick bedrock. The rules for ground movement and deformation for different soil layer to bedrock ratios were obtained. On the basis of these rules, a prediction parameter modified model of the influence function was proposed, which is suitable for different values of unconsolidated soil layer thickness. The prediction results were verified using two sets of typical field data.

Ground movement mechanism in tectonic stress metal mines with steep structure planes

When mining metal mines with steep structure planes by the caving method,there is a mechanical model in which the horizontal stress on the rock mass is simplified as a column before surface subsidence.The model is used to deduce critical support load and limiting column length for a given horizontal stress and support pressure.Considering the impact of the column effect,a method is proposed to determine the movement of the ground and caving area in a mine.After surface subsidence,the horizontal stress on a surrounding rock mass can be simplified to a cantilever beam mechanical model.Expressions for its bending fracture length are deduced,and a method is given to determine its stability.On this basis,an explanation for the large ground movement and subsidence scope was given.A case study shows that the damage effect of column and cantilever beam is significant for ground movement in metal-ore mine,and an appropriate correction value should be applied when designing for its angle of ground movements.

Influence of Underground Mining on Ground Surface and Railway Bridge Under Thick Alluvium

Patterns of ground movement and pore water pressure variation are obtained through a case study using a finite element method. With the progress of excavation, ground subsidence, ground inclination and horizontal displacement accelerates. Along the striking direction, a subsidence basin is formed on the ground surface induced by underground mining. The maximum subsidence is around 5.41m. The ratio of ground subsidence to the thickness of the coal seam is 1.08. The maximum inclination is 11.5 mm/m. The maximum horizontal displacement is 2.15 mm/m. At the time the coal has been excavated, the maximum pore water pressure reaches 25 kPa. In order to improve protection of structures lo- cated over the area with underground mining, the variation of additional stresses of a railway bridge induced by ground surface deformation is analyzed. The main effect of underground mining on the railway bridge is the tensile stress and the maximum value reaches as high as 4.29 MPa, which is greater than the concrete tensile strength.

A Bilevel Programming Approach for Optimization of Airport Ground Movement

This paper proposes an optimization model for the airport ground movement problem(GMP)based on bilevel programming to address taxi conflicts on the airport ground and to improve the operating safety and efficiency.To solve GMP,an iterative heuristic algorithm is designed.Instead of separately investigating each problem,this model simultaneously coordinates and optimizes the aircraft routing and scheduling.A simulation test is conducted on Nanjing Lukou International Airport(NKG)and the results show that the bilevel programming model can clearly outperform the widely used first-come-first-service(FCFS)scheduling scheme in terms of aircraft operational time under the precondition of none conflict.The research effort demonstrates that with the reduced operating cost and the improved overall efficiency,the proposed model can assist operations of the airports that are facing increasing traffic demand and working at almost maximum capacity.

Estimation of Ground Deformation Caused by the Earthquake (M7.2) in Japan,2008,from the Geomorphic Image Analysis of High Resolution LiDAR DEMs

In this study, a new method for quantitative and efficient measurement for the ground surface movement was developed. The feature of this technique is to identify geomorphic characteristics by image matching analysis, using the intelligent images made from high resolution DEM(Digital Elevation Model). This method is useful to extract the small ground displacement where the surface shape was not intensely deformed.

Ground movement induced by triple stacked tunneling with different construction sequences

This study tried to explore the ground movement induced by triple stacked tunneling(TST) with different construction sequences. A case study in Tianjin, China was used to investigate the ground movement during the TST(upper tunneling(UT)). For this, a modified Peck formula was proposed to predict the surface settlement induced by TST. Next, three sets of finite element analyses(FEA) were used to compare the effects of construction sequences(i.e. UT, middle tunneling(MT), and lower tunneling(LT)) on vertical and lateral ground displacements. The results of Tianjin case and UT reveal that compared to a Gaussian distribution for a single tunnel, the surface settlement curve of triple stacked tunnels is a bimodal distribution. It seems that the proposed modified Peck formula can effectively predict the surface settlement induced by TST. The results of the three sets of FEA demonstrate that the construction sequence has a significant influence on the ground movement. Among the three construction sequences, the largest lateral displacement is observed in the MT and the smallest one in UT.The existing tunnel has an inhibitory effect on the vertical displacement. The maximum value of the lateral displacement occurs at the depth of the new tunnel in each construction sequence.

GPS monitoring and analysis of ground movement and deformation induced by transition from open-pit to underground mining

To trace the potential hazards of open-pit slope in Longshou mine,global positioning system（GPS） is applied to monitoring ground movement and deformation induced by transition from open-pit to underground mining.Through long-term monitoring from 2003 to 2008,huge amounts of data were acquired.Monitoring results show that large-scale ground movement and deformation have occurred in mining area,and the movement area is ellipse-shaped.The displacement boundary of settlement trough is 2.0 km long along the exploratory line,and 1.5 km long along the strike of ore body.GPS monitoring results basically agree with the practical deformation state of open-pit slope.It is indicated that the long-term GPS monitoring is an effective way to understand the mechanism of ground movement and deformation in mine area. 更多

Lessons learnt from a deep excavation for future application of the observational method

This paper draws lessons learnt from a comprehensive case study in overconsolidated clay. Apart from the introduction of the case study, including field measurements, the paper draws on the observations and a three-dimensional（3 D） numerical analysis to discuss the implications of observations in the application of the observational method（OM） in the context of the requirements of EUROCODE 7（EC7）.In particular, we focus on corner effects and time-dependent movements and provide initial guidance on how these could be considered. Additionally, we present the validation of a new set of parameters to check that it provides a satisfactory compliance with EC7 as a set of design parameters. All these findings and recommendations are particularly important for those who want to use the OM in similar future projects.

Study of “3-Step Mining” Subsidence Control in Coal Mining Under Buildings

Mining subsidence damage is the main factor of restricting coal mining under buildings. To control or ease effectively the degree of mining subsidence and deformation is essential to resolve this problem. Through analyzing both advantages and disadvantages of some technologies such as mining with stowing, partial extraction and grouting in separated beds of overburden, we used the principle of load replacement and propose a “3-step mining” method, a new pattern of controlling mining subsidence, which consists of： strip mining, i.e. grouting to fill and consolidate the caving zone and retained strip pillar mining. The mechanism of controlling mining subsidence by using the “3-step mining” pattern is analyzed. The effect of the control is numerically simulated. The preliminary analysis shows that the “3-step mining” can effectively control ground subsidence and deformation. By using this method, the ground subsidence factor can be controlled to a value of about 0.25. Coal recovery can reach 80%-90%. Coal mining without removing surface buildins can be realized and the economic loss resultin from round subsidence can be greatly reduced.

Shanghai center project excavation induced ground surface movements and deformations

Empirical data on deep urban excavations can provide designers a significant reference basis for assessing potential deformations of the deep excavations and their impact on adjacent structures. The construction of the Shanghai Center involved excavations in excess of 33-m-deep using the top-down method at a site underlain by thick deposits of marine soft clay. A retaining system was achieved by 50-m-deep diaphragm walls with six levels of struts. During construction, a comprehensive instrumentation program lasting 14 months was conducted to monitor the behaviors of this deep circular excavation. The following main items related to ground surface movements and deformations were collected： （1） walls and circumferential soils lateral movements; （2） peripheral soil deflection in layers and ground settlements; and （3） pit basal heave. The results from the field instrumentation showed that deflections of the site were strictly controlled and had no large movements that might lead to damage to the stability of the foundation pit. The field performance of another 21 cylindrical excavations in top-down method were collected to compare with this case through statistical analysis. In addition, numerical analyses were conducted to compare with the observed data. The extensively monitored data are characterized and analyzed in this paper.

THEORY OF STOCHASTIC MEDIUM AND ITS APPLICATION IN SURFACE SUBSIDENCE DUE TO EXCAVATION

Research on the stochastic theory and its application have been conducted in China for 40 years.This paper emphasizes on the basic theory of stochastic medium and its practice in predicting the ground movements and deformations induced by underground and open pit mining,near surface excavation of tunnel and so on.

Hazard development mechanism and deformation estimation of water solution mining area

Based on the hazard development mechanism, a water solution area is closely related to the supporting effect of pressure-bearing water, the relaxing and collapsing effect of orebody interlayer, the collapsing effect of thawless material in orebody, filling effect caused by cubical expansibility of hydrate crystallization and uplifting effect of hard rock layer over cranny belt. The movement and deformation of ground surface caused by underground water solution mining is believed to be much weaker than that caused by well lane mining, which can be predicted by the stochastic medium theory method. On the basis of analysis on the engineering practice of water solution mining, its corresponding parameters can be obtained from the in-site data of the belt water and sand filling mining in engineering analog approach.

Behaviours of existing shield tunnels due to tunnelling underneath considering asymmetric ground settlements

New tunnelling underneath could influence existing shield tunnels in underground spaces.The evaluation of the influences of tunnelling-induced ground movements on existing tunnels has been a major concern during urban construction.This paper presents a two-stage analytical method that considers the asymmetric ground settlement for investigating the longitudinal tunnel responses to new tunnelling.An improved semi-analytical solution considering the horizontal movement of the new tunnel is established for evaluating the tunnelling-induced asymmetric greenfield settlement.The proposed method is verified with field measurement data from a case study.A parametric analysis is conducted to study the influences of the input parameters on the tunnel responses.Results indicate that the horizontal movement of the new tunnel due to bias loading or asymmetric construction may lead to asymmetric responses of the existing tunnel.With increasing tunnel horizontal movement,the asymmetry of the tunnel responses becomes more obvious.An increase in the pillar depth and decreases in the tunnel horizontal movement and skew angle lower the internal forces induced by new tunnelling.