Effect of surcharge loading on horseshoe-shaped tunnels excavated in saturated soft rocks

Underground facilities are usually constructed under existing buildings,or buildings are constructed over existing underground structures.It is then imperative to account for the current overburden loads and future surface loadings in the design of tunnels.In addition,tunnels are often constructed beneath the groundwater level,such as cross-river tunnels.Therefore,it is also important to consider the water pressure impact on the tunnel lining behaviour.Tunnels excavated by a conventional tunnelling method are considered in this paper.The hyperstatic reaction method(HRM)is adopted in this study to investigate the effect of surcharge loading on a horseshoe-shaped tunnel behaviour excavated in saturated soft rocks.The results obtained from the HRM and numerical modelling are in good agreement.Parametric studies were then performed to show the effects of the water pressure,surcharge loading value and its width,and groundwater level on the behaviour of the horseshoe-shaped tunnel lining,in terms of internal forces and displacements.It displays that the bending moment,normal forces and radial displacements are more sensitive to the water pressure,surcharge loading and groundwater level.

Failure behavior of horseshoe-shaped tunnel in hard rock under high stress:Phenomenon and mechanisms

A particle flow code(PFC) was first applied to examining the mechanical response of a horseshoe-shaped opening in prismatic rock models under biaxial compression. Next, an improved complex variable method was proposed to derive the stress distribution around the opening. Lastly, a case study of tunnel failure caused by rock burst in Jinping Ⅱ Hydropower Station was further analyzed and discussed. The results manifest that a total of four types of cracks occur around the opening under low lateral confining stress, namely, the primary-tensile cracks on the roof-floor, sidewall cracks on the sidewalls, secondary-tensile cracks on the corners and shear cracks along the diagonals. As the confining stress increases, the tensile cracks gradually disappear whilst the spalling failure becomes severe. Overall, the failure phenomenon of the modelled tunnel agrees well with that of the practical headrace tunnel, and the crack initiation mechanisms can be clearly clarified by the analytical stress distribution.

Analysis of the interaction between bolt-reinforced rock and surface support in tunnels based on convergence-confinement method

To investigate the interaction of the bolt-reinforced rock and the surface support,an analytical model of the convergence-confinement type is proposed,considering the sequential installation of the fully grouted rockbolts and the surface support.The rock mass is assumed to be elastic-brittle-plastic material,obeying the linear Mohr-Coulomb criterion or the non-linear Hoek-Brown criterion.According to the strain states of the tunnel wall at bolt and surface support installation and the relative magnitude between the bolt length and the plastic depth during the whole process,six cases are categorized upon solving the problem.Each case is divided into three stages due to the different effects of the active rockbolts and the passive surface support.The fictitious pressure is introduced to quantify the threedimensional(3D)effect of the tunnel face,and thus,the actual physical location along the tunnel axis of the analytical section can be considered.By using the bolt-rock strain compatibility and the rocksurface support displacement compatibility conditions,the solutions of longitudinal tunnel displacement and the reaction pressure of surface support along the tunnel axis are obtained.The proposed analytical solutions are validated by a series of 3D numerical simulations.Extensive parametric studies are conducted to examine the effect of the typical parameters of rockbolts and surface support on the tunnel displacement and the reaction pressure of the surface support under different rock conditions.The results show that the rockbolts are more effective in controlling the tunnel displacement than the surface support,which should be installed as soon as possible with a suitable length.For tunnels excavated in weak rocks or with restricted displacement control requirements,the surface support should also be installed or closed timely with a certain stiffness.The proposed method provides a convenient alternative approach for the optimization of rockbolts and surface support at the preliminary stage of tunnel design.

Mechanism of high-preload support based on the NPR anchor cable in layered soft rock tunnels

The control of large deformation problems in layered soft rock tunnels needs to solve urgently.The roof problem is particularly severe among the deformation issues in tunnels.This study first analyzes the asymmetric deformation modes in layered soft rock tunnels with large deformations.Subsequently,we construct a mechanical model under ideal conditions for controlling the roof of layered soft rock tunnels through high preload with the support of NPR anchor cables.The prominent roles of long and short NPR anchor cables in the support system are also analyzed.The results indicate the significance of high preload in controlling the roof of layered soft rock tunnels.The short NPR anchor cables effectively improve the integrity of the stratified soft rock layers,while the long NPR anchor cables effectively mobilize the self-bearing capacity of deep-stable rock layers.Finally,the high-preload support method with NPR anchor cables is validated to have a good effect on controlling large deformations in layered soft rock tunnels through field monitoring data.

Probabilistic analysis of tunnel face seismic stability in layered rock masses using Polynomial Chaos Kriging metamodel

Face stability is an essential issue in tunnel design and construction.Layered rock masses are typical and ubiquitous;uncertainties in rock properties always exist.In view of this,a comprehensive method,which combines the Upper bound Limit analysis of Tunnel face stability,the Polynomial Chaos Kriging,the Monte-Carlo Simulation and Analysis of Covariance method(ULT-PCK-MA),is proposed to investigate the seismic stability of tunnel faces.A two-dimensional analytical model of ULT is developed to evaluate the virtual support force based on the upper bound limit analysis.An efficient probabilistic analysis method PCK-MA based on the adaptive Polynomial Chaos Kriging metamodel is then implemented to investigate the parameter uncertainty effects.Ten input parameters,including geological strength indices,uniaxial compressive strengths and constants for three rock formations,and the horizontal seismic coefficients,are treated as random variables.The effects of these parameter uncertainties on the failure probability and sensitivity indices are discussed.In addition,the effects of weak layer position,the middle layer thickness and quality,the tunnel diameter,the parameters correlation,and the seismic loadings are investigated,respectively.The results show that the layer distributions significantly influence the tunnel face probabilistic stability,particularly when the weak rock is present in the bottom layer.The efficiency of the proposed ULT-PCK-MA is validated,which is expected to facilitate the engineering design and construction.

Hyperstatic reaction method for calculations of tunnels with horseshoe-shaped cross-section under the impact of earthquakes

Tunnels are now an integral part of the infrastructure in major cities around the world. For many reasons, these tunnels have horseshoe-shaped cross-sections with round top and flat bottom. This paper presents some improvements to the use of the Hyperstatic Reaction Method-HRM for analysing tunnels with horseshoe-shaped cross-sections when these tunnels operate under the influence of earthquakes, particularly in cases when the tunnel lining is a continuous lining. The analysis used parameters of a tunnel from the Hanoi metro system, as well as parameters of the strongest earthquake that may occur in the central Hanoi area in the improved HRM and 2 D numerical methods using the ABAQUS software. On the basis of the results obtained, the paper gives conclusions about the HRM methodology when it is used to calculate tunnels that have horseshoe cross-sections operating under the influence of earthquakes.

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.

Rock mass quality prediction on tunnel faces with incomplete multi-source dataset via tree-augmented naive Bayesian network

Rock mass quality serves as a vital index for predicting the stability and safety status of rock tunnel faces.In tunneling practice,the rock mass quality is often assessed via a combination of qualitative and quantitative parameters.However,due to the harsh on-site construction conditions,it is rather difficult to obtain some of the evaluation parameters which are essential for the rock mass quality prediction.In this study,a novel improved Swin Transformer is proposed to detect,segment,and quantify rock mass characteristic parameters such as water leakage,fractures,weak interlayers.The site experiment results demonstrate that the improved Swin Transformer achieves optimal segmentation results and achieving accuracies of 92%,81%,and 86%for water leakage,fractures,and weak interlayers,respectively.A multisource rock tunnel face characteristic(RTFC)dataset includes 11 parameters for predicting rock mass quality is established.Considering the limitations in predictive performance of incomplete evaluation parameters exist in this dataset,a novel tree-augmented naive Bayesian network(BN)is proposed to address the challenge of the incomplete dataset and achieved a prediction accuracy of 88%.In comparison with other commonly used Machine Learning models the proposed BN-based approach proved an improved performance on predicting the rock mass quality with the incomplete dataset.By utilizing the established BN,a further sensitivity analysis is conducted to quantitatively evaluate the importance of the various parameters,results indicate that the rock strength and fractures parameter exert the most significant influence on rock mass quality.

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.

Numerical analysis of moving train induced vibrations on tunnel,surrounding ground and structure

This study is focused on the effect of vibration induced by moving trains in tunnels on the surrounding ground and structures.A three-dimensional finite element model is established for a one-track railway tunnel and an adjacent twelve-storey building frame by using commercial software Midas GTS-NX(2019)and Midas Gen.This study considered the moving load effect of a complete train,which varies with space as well as with time.The effect of factors such as train speed,overburden pressure on the tunnel and variation in soil properties are studied in the time domain.As a result,the variations in horizontal and vertical acceleration for two different sites,i.e.,the free ground surface(without structure)and the area containing the structure,are compared.Also,the displacement pattern of the raft foundation is plotted for different train velocities.At lower speeds,the heaving phenomenon is negligible,but as the speed increases,both the heaving and differential settlement increase in the foundation.This study demonstrates that the effect of moving train vibrations should be considered in the design of new nearby structures and proper ground improvement should be considered for existing structures.

Stability analysis of tunnel face reinforced with face bolts

Face bolting has been widely utilized to enhance the stability of tunnel face,particularly in soft soil tunnels.However,the influence of bolt reinforcement and its layout on tunnel face stability has not been systematically studied.Based on the theory of linear elastic mechanics,this study delved into the specific mechanisms of bolt reinforcement on the tunnel face in both horizontal and vertical dimensions.It also identified the primary failure types of bolts.Additionally,a design approach for tunnel face bolts that incorporates spatial layout was established using the limit equilibrium method to enhance the conventional wedge-prism model.The proposed model was subsequently validated through various means,and the specific influence of relevant bolt design parameters on tunnel face stability was analyzed.Furthermore,design principles for tunnel face bolts under different geological conditions were presented.The findings indicate that bolt failure can be categorized into three stages:tensile failure,pullout failure,and comprehensive failure.Increasing cohesion,internal friction angle,bolt density,and overlap length can effectively enhance tunnel face stability.Due to significant variations in stratum conditions,tailored design approaches based on specific failure stages are necessary for bolt design.

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.

Effect of burial depth of a new tunnel on the seismic response of an existing tunnel

Burial depth is a crucial factor affecting the forces and deformation of tunnels during earthquakes.One key issue is a lack of understanding of the effect of a change in the buried depth of a single-side tunnel on the seismic response of a double-tunnel system.In this study,shaking table tests were designed and performed based on a tunnel under construction in Dalian,China.Numerical models were established using the equivalent linear method combined with ABAQUS finite element software to analyze the seismic response of the interacting system.The results showed that the amplification coefficient of the soil acceleration did not change evidently with the burial depth of the new tunnel but decreased as the seismic amplitude increased.In addition,the existing tunnel acceleration,earth pressure,and internal force were hardly affected by the change in the burial depth;for the new tunnel,the acceleration and internal force decreased as the burial depth increased,while the earth pressure increased.This shows that the earth pressure distribution in a double-tunnel system is relatively complex and mainly concentrated on the arch spandrel and arch springing of the relative area.Overall,when the horizontal clearance between the center of the two tunnels was more than twice the sum of the radius of the outer edges of the two tunnels,the change in the burial depth of the new tunnel had little effect on the existing one,and the tunnel structure was deemed safe.These results provide a preliminary understanding and reference for the seismic performance of a double-tunnel system.

Magnetic Switching Dynamics and Tunnel Magnetoresistance Effect Based on Spin-Splitting Noncollinear Antiferromagnet Mn_(3)Pt

In comparison to ferromagnets,antiferromagnets are believed to have superior advantages for applications in next-generation magnetic storage devices,including fast spin dynamics,vanishing stray fields and robust against external magnetic field,etc.However,unlike ferromagnetic orders,which could be detected through tunneling magnetoresistance effect in magnetic tunnel junctions,the antiferromagnetic order(i.e.,Néel vector)cannot be effectively detected by the similar mechanism due to the spin degeneracy of conventional antiferromagnets.Recently discovered spin-splitting noncollinear antiferromagnets,such as Mn_(3)Pt with momentum-dependent spin polarization due to their special magnetic space group,make it possible to achieve remarkable tunneling magnetoresistance effects in noncollinear antiferromagnetic tunnel junctions.Through first-principles calculations,we demonstrate that the tunneling magnetoresistance ratio can reach more than 800% in Mn_(3)Pt/perovskite oxides/Mn_(3)Pt antiferromagnetic tunnel junctions.We also reveal the switching dynamics of Mn_(3)Pt thin film under magnetic fields using atomistic spin dynamic simulation.Our study provides a reliable method for detecting Néel vector of noncollinear antiferromagnets through the tunnel magnetoresistance effect and may pave its way for potential applications in antiferromagnetic memory devices.

Tunneling Barrier Thickness Dependence of Spin Polarization of Ferromagnet in Magnetic Tunnel Junctions

For designing low-impedance magnetic tunnel junctions(MTJs),it has been found that tunneling magnetoresistance strongly correlates with the insulating barrier thickness,imposing a fundamental problem about the relationship between spin polarization of ferromagnet and the insulating barrier thickness in MTJs.Here,we investigate the influence of alumina barrier thickness on tunneling spin polarization(TSP)through a combination of theoretical calculations and experimental verification.Our simulating results reveal a significant impact of barrier thickness on TSP,exhibiting an oscillating decay of TSP with the barrier layer thinning.Experimental verification is realized on FeNi/AlO_(x)/Al superconducting tunnel junctions to directly probe the spin polarization of FeNi ferromagnet using Zeeman-split tunneling spectroscopy technique.These findings provide valuable insights for designs of high-performance spintronic devices,particularly in applications such as magnetic random access memories,where precise control over the insulating barrier layer is crucial.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Marker for Amyloidosis

Introduction: Amyloidosis are systemic conditions and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) precedes the principal systemic complications and can be used as an early marker. Our objective was to determine the frequency of amyloid deposition in idiopathic CTS and its systemic impact. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients with CTS between September 2019 to January 2020. Samples from the anterior carpal ligament were pathologically evaluated and amyloid deposition was confirmed by apple-green birefringence on polarized light using Congo red stain. When amyloid was detected we performed genetic testing for transthyretin variants (ATTRv), immunofixation electrophoresis in serum and urine for light chains and multidisciplinary evaluation. Results: Thirty consecutive patients were included, 19 women, 11 men, mean age 70 years old (range 42 - 89 years). We identified 3 patients (10%) with amyloid deposits (mean age: 78.6 years, 2 men, 1 woman). Genetic testing for ATTRv and light chains studies were negative. During follow-up: The first patient required aortic valve replacement. The second patient developed progressive cardiac failure with syncopal episodes, atrioventricular block and atrial fibrillation and required a pacemaker and anticoagulation. The third patient had unexplained chronic edemas. The cardiac evaluation in all 3 patients revealed left ventricular hypertrophy and myocardial uptake (Perugini Score > 2) in their nuclear bone scintigraphies with technetium pyrophosphate. Two patients were treated with tafamidis and one patient died due to refractory cardiac insufficiency. Discussion: Our findings underline the importance of investigating amyloidosis in idiopathic CTS. The identification of deposits allows early diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis leading to timely intervention and treatment.

Evaluating the characteristics of geological structures in karst groundwater inflow, Nowsud Tunnel

Highly permeable geological structures such as dissolution channels, open fractures, and faults create environmental challenges regard to hydrological and hydrogeological aspects of underground construction, often causing significant groundwater inflow during drilling due to the limitations of empirical and analytical methods. This study aims to identify the geological factors influencing water flow into the tunnel. High-flow zones' geological features have been identified and examined for this purpose. According to the geological complexity of the Nowsud tunnel, presence of different formations with different permeability and karstification have led to a high volume of underground inflow water (up to 4700 L/s) to the tunnel. The Nowsud tunnel faces significant geological and hydrogeological challenges due to its passage through the Ilam formation's LI2 unit, characterized by dissolution channels, faults, and fractures. The highest inflow rate (4700 L/s) occurred in the Hz-9 zone within the Zimkan anticline. The relationship between geological features and groundwater inflow indicates that anticlines are more susceptible to inflow than synclines. Additionally, different types of faults exhibit varying hydraulic effects, with strike-slip faults having the most significant impact on groundwater inflow, thrust faults conducting less water into the tunnel, and inflow through normal faults being negligible compared to the other two types of faults. The novelty of this paper lies in its detailed analysis of geological features influencing groundwater inflow into the Nowsud tunnel, providing empirical data on high-flow zones and differentiating the hydraulic effects of various fault types, which enhances the understanding and prediction of groundwater inflow in underground constructions.

Pseudospin-filter tunneling of massless Dirac fermions

The tunneling of the massless Dirac fermions through a vector potential barrier are theoretically investigated, wherethe vector potential can be introduced by very high and very thin (d-function) magnetic potential barriers. We showthat, distinct from the previously studied electric barrier tunneling, the vector potential barriers are more transparent forpseudospin-1/2 Dirac fermions but more obstructive for pseudospin-1 Dirac fermions. By tuning the height of the vectorpotential barrier, the pseudospin-1/2 Dirac fermions remain transmitted, whereas the transmission of the pseudospin-1Dirac fermions is forbidden, leading to a pseudospin filtering effect for massless Dirac fermions.

On Klein tunneling of low-frequency elastic waves in hexagonal topological plates

Incident particles in the Klein tunnel phenomenon in quantum mechanics can pass a very high potential barrier.Introducing the concept of tunneling into the analysis of phononic crystals can broaden the application prospects.In this study,the structure of the unit cell is designed,and the low frequency(<1 k Hz)valley locked waveguide is realized through the creation of a phononic crystal plate with a topological phase transition interface.The defect immunity of the topological waveguide is verified,that is,the wave can propagate along the original path in the cases of impurities and disorder.Then,the tunneling phenomenon is introduced into the topological valley-locked waveguide to analyze the wave propagation,and its potential applications(such as signal separators and logic gates)are further explored by designing phononic crystal plates.This research has broad application prospects in information processing and vibration control,and potential applications in other directions are also worth exploring.