Frozen curtain characteristics during excavation of submerged shallow tunnel using Freeze-Sealing Pipe-Roof method

The Freeze-Sealing Pipe-Roof(FSPR)method,which has been applied for the first time in the Gongbei Tunnel of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge,is a new approach of tunnel pre-support that allows flexible adjustment of freeze tube arrangement and can be adapted to different environmental conditions.When the FSPR method is used to construct shallow burial submerged tunnels,the frozen wall to hold back groundwater during excavation will be weakened by air and water flows inside and outside the tunnel,and its waterproof performance needs to be further investigated.In this paper,a two-dimensional numerical model of the temperature field considering excavation and moving water boundary is established based on the preliminary design scheme and in-situ conditions and is used to analyze the variation in frozen curtain properties with various active freezing times during excavation.The results show that excavation has a weakening effect on both sides of the frozen wall,with a greater effect on the inner side,and a positive temperature appears in the local area inside the jacked pipe.The concrete fill in the jacked pipe obviously improves the freezing efficiency,and the tunnel excavation after 60 days of active freezing in the interval filling mode can ensure that the frozen soil thickness at the thinnest segment exceeds 2 m,i.e.,the design requirement.In practice,the active freezing time can be extended appropriately to reduce the influence of river water flow above the tunnel.The study serves as a technical reference for the design and implementation of similar projects.

Pre-constructed SEI on graphite-based interface enables long cycle stability for dual ion sodium batteries

Lithium batteries have been widely used in all over the world for its high energy density, long-term cycle stability. While the resources of lithium metal and transition metal are limited, which restrict their applications in the grid energy storage. Dual ion sodium batteries(DISBs) possess higher energy density,especially owning high power density for its higher operating voltage(> 4.5 V). Nevertheless, the poor oxidation tolerance of carbonate electrolyte and the co-intercalation of solvents accompanied with anions are main obstacles to make the DISBs commercialization. Herein, a physical barrier(artificial SEI film) is pre-constructed in the Na||graphite batteries to solve these thorny problems. With the CSMG(covered SEI on modified graphite), batteries deliver higher capacity 40 mAh/g even under the current density of 300 mA/g and the capacity retention maintains very well after 100 cycles at a high operating voltage.Moreover, the function mechanism was revealed by in-situ XRD, demonstrating that the pre-constructed SEI can effectively suppress the irreversible phase transition and exfoliation of graphite, resulting from the co-intercalation of anions. Additionally, the work voltage windows of carbonate electrolyte are significantly broadened by establishing electrode/electrolyte interphase. This method opens up an avenue for the practical application of DISBs on the grid energy storage and other fields.

Construction of shallow buried large-span metro stations using the small pipe roof-beam method

In relation to the Shifu Road Station project on Line 4 of the Shenyang Metro in China,a small-pipe roof-beam method for constructing subway stations is presented.First,a numerical simulation was performed to optimize the supporting parameters of the proposed method and determine the design scheme.Subsequently,the deformation of the pipe roof and surface settlement during the construction process were investigated.Finally,the surface settlement attributed to the excavation was studied through field monitoring,and the proposed method was compared with other methods.The results show that an increase in the pipe-roof spacing has little effect on the surface settlement and piperoof deformation.The bearing capacity of the pipe roof can be efficiently utilized once the flexural stiffness reaches 2EI,and the flexural stiffness is not the dominant factor controlling the deformation.The essential stages in controlling surface settlement are the excavations of the transverse pilot tunnels and the soil between them.The final settlement value of the ground was 24.1 mm,resulting in a reduction in the construction period by at least five months while satisfying the control requirements.