Probabilistic assessment of tunnel convergence considering spatial variability in rock mass properties using interpolated autocorrelation and response surface method

This study aims at the probabilistic assessment of tunnel convergence considering the spatial variability in rock mass properties. The method of interpolated autocorrelation combined with finite difference analysis is adopted to model the spatial variability of rock mass properties. An iterative procedure using the first-order reliability method(FORM) and response surface method(RSM) is employed to compute the reliability index and its corresponding design point. The results indicate that the spatial variability considerably affects the computed reliability index. The probability of failure could be noticeably overestimated in the case where the spatial variability is neglected. The vertical scale of fluctuation has a much higher effect on the probabilistic result with respect to the tunnel convergence than the horizontal scale of fluctuation. And the influence of different spacing of control points on the computational accuracy is investigated.

Zonal disintegration phenomenon in enclosing rock mass surrounding deep tunnels——Elasto-plastic analysis of stress field of enclosing rock mass

The zonal disintegration phenomenon （ZDP） is a typical phenomenon in deep block rock masses. In order to investigate the mechanism of ZDP, an improved non-linear Hock-Brown strength criterion and a bi-linear constitutive model of rock mass were used to analyze the elasto-plastic stress field of the enclosing rock mass around a deep round tunnel. The radius of the plastic region and stress of the enclosing rock mass were obtained by introducing dimensionless parameters of radial distance. The results show that tunneling in deep rock mass causes a maximum stress zone to appear in the vicinity of the boundary of the elastic and the plastic zone in the surrounding rock mass. Under the compression of a large tangential force and a small radial force, the rock mass in the maximum stress zone was in an approximate uniaxial loading state, which could lead to a split failure in the rock mass.

Zonal disintegration phenomenon in rock mass surrounding deep tunnels

Zonal disintegration is a typical static phenomenon of deep rock masses. It has been defined as alternating regions of fractured and relatively intact rock mass that appear around or in front of the working stope during excavation of a deep tunnel. Zonal disintegration phenomenon was successfully demonstrated in the laboratory with 3D tests on analogous gypsum models, two circular cracked zones were observed in the test. The linear Mohr-Coulomb yield criterion was used with a constitutive model that showed linear softening and ideal residual plastic to analyze the elasto-plastic field of the enclosing rock mass around a deep tunnel. The results show that tunneling causes a maximum stress zone to appear between an elastic and plastic zone in the surrounding rock. The zonal disintegration phenomenon is analyzed by considering the stress-strain state of the rock mass in the vicinity of the maximum stress zone. Creep instability failure of the rock due to the development of the plastic zone, and transfer of the maximum stress zone into the rock mass, are the cause of zonal disintegration. An analytical criterion for the critical depth at which zonal disintegration can occur is derived. This depth depends mainly on the character and stress concentration coefficient of the rock mass.

New methods of safety evaluation for rock/soil mass surrounding tunnel under earthquake

The objective of this work is to obtain the seismic safety coefficient and fracture surface and proceed with the seismic safety evaluation for the rock mass or soil mass surrounding a tunnel,and the limitation of evaluating seismic stability is considered using the pseudo-static strength reduction.By using the finite element software ANSYS and the strength reduction method,new methods of seismic safety evaluation for the rock mass or soil mass surrounding a tunnel are put forward,such as the dynamic finite element static shear strength reduction method and dynamic finite element shear strength reduction method.In order to prove the feasibility of the proposed methods,the results of numerical examples are compared with that of the pseudo-static strength reduction method.The results show that 1) the two methods are both feasible,and the plastic zone first appears near the bottom corners; 2) the safety factor of new method Ⅱ is smaller than that of new method I but generally,and the difference is very small.Therefore,in order to ensure the safety of the structure,two new methods are proposed to evaluate the seismic stability of the rock mass or soil mass surrounding a tunnel.A theoretical basis is provided for the seismic stability of the rock mass or soil mass and the lining surrounding a tunnel and also provided for the engineering application.

Model test study of frost heaving pressures in tunnels excavated in fractured rock mass in cold regions

Based on the similarity theory, taking the horseshoe, city-gate and round linings as examples, the value and distribution regularities of normal frost heaving pressures （hereinafter as frost heaving pressures） in tunnels excavated in fractured rock mass in cold regions under different constraints and freezing depths were studied by a test model. It was found that the larger the frozen depth, the larger the frost heaving pressure, and the stronger the top constraint, the larger the frost heaving pressure. For the horseshoe lining and city-gate lining, the top constraint has a greater effect on the frost heaving pressures on the arch and the inverted arch. For the round lining, the influences of the top constraint on the frost heaving pressure in all linings are almost the same. The frost heaving pressure is maximum on the city-gate lining and minimal on the round lining. The largest frost heaving pressure all occur near the foot of the inverted arch for the three kinds of lining. Thus, the test data basically coincide with the observed in situ data.

Back-analysing rock mass modulus from monitoring data of two tunnels in Sydney, Australia

This paper presents two case studies where the rock mass modulus and in situ stress are estimated from the monitoring data obtained during the construction of underground excavations in Sydney,Australia.The case studies comprise the widening of existing twin road tunnels within Hawkesbury sandstone and the excavation of a large cavern within Ashfield shale.While back-analysis from detailed systematic monitoring has been previously published,this paper presents a relatively simple methodology to derive rock mass modulus and in situ stress from the relatively simple displacement data routinely recorded during tunnelling.

Assessment of Rock Mass Quality and Support Estimation along Headrace Tunnel of a Small Hydropower in District Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

The main purpose of this study is to classify the rock mass quality by using rock mass quality (Q) and Rock Mass Rating (RMR) systems along headrace tunnel of small hydropower in Mansehra District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Geological field work was carried out to determine the orientation, spacing, aperture, roughness and alteration of discontinuities of rock mass. The quality of rock mass along the tunnel route is classified as good to very poor quality by Q system, while very good to very poor by RMR classification system. The relatively good rock conditions are acquired via RMR values that are attributed to ground water conditions, joint spacing, RQD and favorable orientation of discontinuities with respect to the tunnel drive. The petrographic studies revealed that study area is mainly comprised of five major geological rock units namely quartz mica schist (QMS), garnet mica schist (GMS), garnet bearing quartz mica schist (G-QMS), calcareous schist (CS), marble (M). The collected samples of quartz mica schist, marble and garnet bearing quartz mica schist are fine to medium grained, compact and are cross cut by few discontinuities having greater spacing. Therefore, these rocks have greater average RQD, Q values, RMR ratings as compared to garnet mica schist and calcareous schist.

Ground reaction curves for circular excavations in non-homogeneous,axisymmetric strain-softening rock masses

Fast methods to solve the unloading problem of a cylindrical cavity or tunnel excavated in elasto-perfectly plastic, elasto-brittle or strain-softening materials under a hydrostatic stress feld can be derived based on the self-similarity of the solution. As a consequence, they only apply when the rock mass is homogeneous and so exclude many cases of practical interest. We describe a robust and fast numerical technique that solves the tunnel unloading problem and estimates the ground reaction curve for a cylindrical cavity excavated in a rock mass with properties depending on the radial coordinate, where the solution is no longer self-similar. The solution is based on a continuation-like approach(associated with the unloading and with the incremental formulation of the elasto-plastic behavior), fnite element spatial discretization and a combination of explicit sub-stepping schemes and implicit techniques to integrate the constitutive law, so as to tackle the diffculties associated with both strong strain-softening and elasto-brittle behaviors. The developed algorithm is used for two practical ground reaction curve computation applications. The frst application refers to a tunnel surrounded by an aureole of material damaged by blasting and the second to a tunnel surrounded by a ring-like zone of reinforced(rock-bolted) material.

Performance characteristics of tunnel boring machine in basalt and pyroclastic rocks of Deccan traps–A case study

A12.24km long tunnel between Maroshi and Ruparel College is being excavated by tunnel boring machine(TBM)to improve the water supply system of Greater Mumbai,India.In this paper,attempt has been made to establish the relationship between various litho-units of Deccan traps,stability of tunnel and TBM performances during the construction of5.83km long tunnel between Maroshi and Vakola.The Maroshi–Vakola tunnel passes under the Mumbai Airport and crosses both runways with an overburden cover of around70m.The tunneling work was carried out without disturbance to the ground.The rock types encountered during excavation arefine compacted basalt,porphyritic basalt,amygdaloidal basalt pyroclastic rocks with layers of red boles and intertrappean beds consisting of various types of shales Relations between rock mass properties,physico-mechanical properties,TBM specifications and the cor responding TBM performance were established.A number of support systems installed in the tunne during excavation were also discussed.The aim of this paper is to establish,with appropriate accuracy the nature of subsurface rock mass condition and to study how it will react to or behave during under ground excavation by TBM.The experiences gained from this project will increase the ability to cope with unexpected ground conditions during tunneling using TBM.

Geotechnical Investigation and Prediction of Rock Burst, Squeezing with Remediation Design by Numerical Analyses along Headrace Tunnel in Swat Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

This study illustrates the classification of the rock mass and evaluation of rock squeezing, rock burst potential, deformation modulus along the proposed tunnel alignment of small hydropower in Swat Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. The field and laboratory studies were conducted to classify the rock mass by using geomechanical classification systems i.e. Rock Mass Rating (RMR), tunneling quality index (Q), Rock Mass Index (RMi). The empirical relations classified the ground as non-squeezing and minor to non-squeezing conditions, respectively. Whereas, other methods depict minor to medium bursting potential along chainage 1+000 to 4+000 m, while results along chainage 2+400 - 2+800 m present medium to high bursting potential. Furthermore, numerical analyses were carried out by RS3 for elastic and plastic conditions in order to assess the total displacement of each section in unsupported and supported conditions. The results gave maximum displacement along chainage 2+400 - 2+800 m (19.2 mm in unsupported and 16mm in supported condition) and minimum displacement along chainage 0+876 - 1+000 m (1.4 mm in unsupported and 1.3 mm in supported condition). Hence, the estimated support by empirical methods has been optimized by using numerical analyses for the stability of rock mass along the tunnel.

Revisiting rock classification to estimate rock mass properties

This paper presents the results of ongoing research carried out by the author exploring methods to provide a more robust estimate of rock mass properties specifically for use in tunnel design.Data from various large-scale rock mass failures are introduced,including coal pillars.The damage-initiation,spalling-limit approach is compared to the coal pillar database.New comparisons of estimating the geological strength index(GSI)and relationships to estimate the Hoek-Brown failure criterion parameters,mb,s and a,are presented.

Assessment of Rock Mass Quality and Deformation Modulus by Empirical Methods along Kandiah River, KPK, Pakistan

The pivotal aim of this study is to evaluate the rock mass characterization and deformation modulus. It is vital for rock mass classification to investigate important parameters of discontinuities. Therefore, Rock Mass Rating (RMR) and Tunneling quality index (Q) classification systems are applied to analyze 22 segments along proposed tunnel routes for hydropower in Kandiah valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. RMR revealed the range of fair to good quality rocks, whereas Q yielded poor to fair quality rocks for investigated segments of the rock mass. Besides, Em values were acquired by empirical equations and computer-aided program RocLab, and both methods presented almost similar variation trend of their results. Hence, the correlations of Em with Q and RMR were carried out with higher values of the regression coefficient. This study has scientific significance to initially understand the rock mass conditions of Kandiah valley.

Geotechnical investigations and remediation design for failure of tunnel portal section： a case study in northern Turkey

Mass movements are very common problems in the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey due to its climate conditions, geological, and geomorphological characteristics. High slope angle, weathering, dense rainfalls, and anthropogenic impacts are generally reported as the most important triggering factors in the region. Following the portal slope excavations in the entrance section of Cankurtaran tunnel, located in the region, where the highly weathered andesitic tuff crops out, a circular toe failure occurred. The main target of the present study is to investigate the causes and occurrence mechanism of this failure and to determine the feasible remedial measures against it using finite element method(FEM) in four stages. These stages are slope stability analyses for pre-and postexcavation cases, and remediation design assessments for slope and tunnel. The results of the FEM-SSR analyses indicated that the insufficient initial support design and weathering of the andesitic tuffs are the main factors that caused the portal failure. After installing a rock retaining wall with jet grout columns and reinforced slope benching applications, the factor of safety increased from 0.83 to 2.80. In addition toslope stability evaluation, the Rock Mass Rating(RMR), Rock Mass Quality(Q) and New Austrian Tunneling Method(NATM) systems were also utilized as empirical methods to characterize the tunnel ground and to determine the tunnel support design. The performance of the suggested empirical support design, induced stress distributions and deformations were analyzed by means of numerical modelling. Finally, it was concluded that the recommended stabilization technique was essential for the dynamic long-term stability and prevents the effects of failure. Additionally, the FEM method gives useful and reasonably reliable results in evaluating the stability of cut slopes and tunnels excavated both in continuous and discontinuous rock masses.

Revisiting support optimization at the Driskos tunnel usinga quantitative risk approach

With the scale and cost of geotechnical engineering projects increasing rapidly over the past few decades,there is a clear need for the careful consideration of calculated risks in design.While risk is typically dealt with subjectively through the use of conservative design parameters,with the advent of reliability-based methods,this no longer needs to be the case.Instead,a quantitative risk approach can be considered that incorporates uncertainty in ground conditions directly into the design process to determine the variable ground response and support loads.This allows for the optimization of support on the basis of both worker safety and economic risk.This paper presents the application of such an approach to review the design of the initial lining system along a section of the Driskos twin tunnels as part of the Egnatia Odos highway in northern Greece.Along this section of tunnel,weak rock masses were encountered as well as high in situ stress conditions,which led to excessive deformations and failure of the as built temporary support.Monitoring data were used to validate the rock mass parameters selected in this area and a risk approach was used to determine,in hindsight,the most appropriate support category with respect to the cost of installation and expected cost of failure.Different construction sequences were also considered in the context of both convenience and risk cost.

块裂隧道围岩等效岩体变形参数研究

采用Voronoi离散单元方法建立块裂岩体隧道的随机DEM数值模型,通过大量随机数值计算结果验证采用岩体等效变形参数预测隧道收敛变形的可行性。在规则裂隙岩体等效变形参数计算方法的基础上,针对数值模拟揭示的深埋隧道变形特征提出改进的修正计算公式及相应的特征参数。通过与既有解答以及大量随机数值计算结果的对比和统计分析验证修正解的合理性,修正解较为合理改善既有规则裂隙岩体等效变形参数计算方法在反映随机块裂岩体在隧道卸荷条件下变形估算的较大误差。采用修正计算方法得到的岩体等效变形参数可以很好地预测随机块裂岩体中隧道开挖后收敛变形的数学期望值。提出的修正计算方法对当前深部岩体变形参数研究和隧道洞壁收敛位移的估算具有一定的参考价值。

CSAMT深埋长大隧道破碎岩体靶向勘察研究

铁路深埋长大隧道因其埋深大、里程长,同时伴随复杂多变的地质问题,致使地质勘察难以查明、查细,特别是对深埋长大隧道破碎岩体空间分布的精准定位一直是工程勘察中的难题。基于CSAMT三维正反演理论,研究建立了针对深埋长大隧道中破碎岩体靶向勘察模式,从而实现“点-线-面”的精准勘察。通过开展基于四面体网格的CSAMT三维正演和有限内存拟牛顿法的三维反演研究,以及二、三维模型分析对比,验证三维CSAMT在铁路隧道勘察中的优势。在滇西地区某深埋长大隧道TBM掘进工区开展三维“点-线-面”靶向勘察试验,结果表明该勘察体系可靠且精度高,精准探明了TBM卡机工区段前方的花岗岩蚀变带影响范围及其空间展布形态,确定了断层破碎带的影响范围及其空间展布形态,有效提高深埋长大隧道勘察精度。布置靶向测线从“点-线-面”进行三维CSAMT勘察这一思路,对深埋长大隧道的勘察工作提供一定的应用参考价值。

隧道围岩最大可移动块体求解及其应用

由于结构面的隐蔽性,目前的勘察技术无法精确获取每条结构面的定位及力学参数,仅能根据出露情况获取产状信息。而结构面的定位是求解块体的关键因素,因此有必要考虑不同定位情况下结构面与开挖面的所有组合,并找到最不利情况,为工程开挖提供预测及评价。在构建节理锥的基础上,提出了一种投影平移法,实现了任意柱状开挖面上最大可移动区域的求解。在此基础上,采用离散-切割-组合方法重构了曲面块体。首先,设置一组放射状虚拟结构面对锥形块体进行切割,完成块体的单元离散;其次,在面单元分类的基础上提出了曲面切割单元的详细算法。最后对切割后的单元进行分类组合,实现了曲面块体的重构。基于VC++和OpenGL开发了三维可视化程序,通过算例和工程实例验证了算法的精度、适用性及鲁棒性。最大可移动块体程序可用于隧道走向的选择,为工程设计提供依据。

破碎岩体隧道洞口开挖诱导滑坡与古滑坡耦合分析

以大栗树高速公路隧道洞口施工为工程背景,研究了在考虑古滑坡因素下洞口工作面边坡失稳及其加固技术。利用钻孔测斜数据(BCD)和Midas GTS折减强度有限元分析模型,分别推测了最危险滑动面,得知两者滑动面位置相似。并采用不平衡推力传递法,基于BCD推断滑动面计算安全系数。以BCD和有限元法的滑动面为基础,将滑动面近似假设为对数螺旋线,考虑地形因素,建立考虑多台阶边坡上限分析模型,研究了不同加固措施对边坡稳定的影响。结果表明,3种方法计算出的边坡安全系数结果相近。

南水北调中线北京段岩体隧洞围岩变形模量分析研究

岩体力学参数是影响地下工程围岩稳定的重要因素,确定合理的岩体变形模量对隧洞设计至关重要。结合南水北调中线北京段西甘池试验洞工程,对岩体进行静载荷试验分析研究,详细介绍试验点岩体的加卸载变形关系曲线,获得西甘池隧洞岩体变形模量参数建议值,为工程设计提供依据,并以期为类似工程的设计和施工提供参考。研究结果表明:试验压力较小时,各试点岩体变形或弹性模量的变化曲线有的升、有的降,试验压力大于0.4 MPa以后,各试点的变形模量和弹性模量逐渐趋于稳定;隧洞围岩变形控制及支护结构设计时,应根据各段围岩的岩性(大理岩、滑石片岩)、结构完整性、节理裂隙的空间展布方式以及发育充填情况等综合考虑,结合工程类比和地质经验最终确定岩体弹性参数的基本代表值。研究的方法和结论可为类似条件下隧洞工程的设计、施工提供参考和借鉴。

基于Weibull分布的非均质隧洞围岩破裂碎胀FDEM数值模拟研究

岩石材料具有非均质特征,矿物颗粒和胶结材料强度在统计学上服从Weibull分布。基于有限元-离散元耦合数值模拟方法(FDEM)提出了三角形单元弹性模量和四边形节理单元强度服从Weibull分布的参数赋值流程,随后研究了非均质岩样在单轴压缩、三轴压缩和巴西劈裂下的力学特征和破坏行为,最后对非均质隧洞围岩在高应力下的破裂碎胀大变形机制进行了模拟研究。结果表明:提出的随机参数赋值方法可建立不同弹性模量三角形单元数目服从Weibull分布、且空间分布具有随机性的FDEM数值模型;非均质岩样单轴抗压强度、三轴抗压强度、巴西劈裂抗拉强度、等效粘聚力和等效内摩擦角随着非均质度m的增大,均呈指数增大,并向均质材料逼近;高应力非均质隧洞围岩随着m的增大,裂隙网络形态变化不大,均以共轭剪切破裂为主,并伴随少量拉伸裂隙,但围岩破坏程度和裂隙扩展范围呈指数降低。