Exploring the feasibility of prestressed anchor cables as an alternative to temporary support in the excavation of super-large-span tunnel

Excavating super-large-span tunnels in soft rock masses presents significant challenges.To ensure safety,the sequential excavation method is commonly adopted.It utilizes internal temporary supports to spatially partition the tunnel face and divide the excavation into multiple stages.However,these internal supports generally impose spatial constraints,limiting the use of large-scale excavation equipment and reducing construction efficiency.To address this constraint,this study adopts the“Shed-frame”principle to explore the feasibility of an innovative support system,which aims to replace internal supports with prestressed anchor cables and thus provide a more spacious working space with fewer internal obstructions.To evaluate its effectiveness,a field case involving the excavation of a 24-m span tunnel in soft rock is presented,and an analysis of extensive field data is conducted to study the deformation characteristics of the surrounding rock and the mechanical behavior of the support system.The results revealed that prestressed anchor cables integrated the initial support with the shed,creating an effective“shed-frame”system,which successively maintained tunnel deformation and frame stress levels within safe regulatory bounds.Moreover,the prestressed anchor cables bolstered the surrounding rock effectively and reduced the excavation-induced disturbance zone significantly.In summary,the proposed support system balances construction efficiency and safety.These field experiences may offer valuable insights into the popularization and further development of prestressed anchor cable support systems.

Physical modeling of long-term dynamic characteristics of the subgrade for medium-low-speed maglevs

To investigate the dynamic characteristics and long-term dynamic stability of the new subgrade structure of medium-low-speed(MLS)maglevs,cyclic vibration tests were performed under natural and rainfall conditions,and the dynamic response of the subgrade structure was monitored.The dynamic response attenuation characteristics along the depth direction of the subgrade were compared,and the distribution characteristics of the dynamic stress on the surface of the subgrade along the longitudinal direction of the line were analyzed.The critical dynamic stress and cumulative deformation were used as indicators to evaluate the long-term dynamic stability of the subgrade.Results show that water has a certain effect on the dynamic characteristics of the subgrade,and the dynamic stress and acceleration increase with the water content.With the dowel steel structure set between the rail-bearing beams,stress concentration at the end of the loaded beam can be prevented,and the diffusion distance of the dynamic stress along the longitudinal direction increases.The dynamic stress measured in the subgrade bed range is less than 1/5 of the critical dynamic stress.The postconstruction settlement of the subgrade after similarity ratio conversion is 3.94 mm and 7.72 mm under natural and rainfall conditions,respectively,and both values are less than the 30 mm limit,indicating that the MLS maglev subgrade structure has good long-term dynamic stability.

Study on Mechanism of Water Inrush of Karst Tunnels

Water inrush,which is one of the challenging issues and hot topics in the tunneling industry,is very easy to occur during the construction of karst tunnels.The mechanism of water inrush of karst tunnels is discussed and analyzed in the paper:the water inrush of karst tunnels is generally divided into three steps,i.e.,the forming of the hazard source,the forming of the water inrush passage and the failure of the anti-inrush rock mass.The failure of the anti-inrush rock mass of karst tunnels are classified into 5 types,i.e.,the integral tensile-shear failure,the hydraulic fracturing,the infiltration induced sliding of the filling medium,the loss of key blocks and the comprehensive water inrush mode.The failure mechanism is studied on basis of typical cases and by means of numerical simulation or theoretical analysis.Conclusion is drawn that most of the water inrushes in actual tunneling are comprehensive water inrushes,which are the comprehensive results of the interrelation and interaction of various water inrush types,and that different types of water inrushes have related continuity and progressive evolution relationships under certain conditions.

Innovative Design and Development of Simplysupported Tied Arch of Beijing-Shanghai HSR

Simply-supported tied arch is a zero-thrust arch bridge with clear structural force,large stiffness,low height,beautiful appearance and economic efficiency.In Xuzhou-Shanghai section of Beijing-Shanghai HSR,the simply-supported tied arch is systematically studied and widely applied for the first time.A total of 21 simplysupported tied arch bridges with the spans of 96 m,112 m and 128 m respectively are constructed for the route.The simply-supported tied arch is an external static and internal super-static parallel arch or basket arch of Nielsen system in structure;single-box,threechamber and equal-height prestressed concrete box girder is adopted for the tie beam;dumbbell steel pipe concrete section is adopted for the arch rib;PES(FD)low-stress anticorrosion cable body is adopted for the suspender.The rational structural form is determined by comparative study on the key technical parameters such as the layout form of suspender,rise-span ratio and arch axis alignment.This paper summarizes the optimization of simplysupported tied arch structure and looks forward to the development of bridge structure.

Effective improvement of a local thermal environment using multi-vent module-based adaptive ventilation

Indoor thermal comfort is essential as it improves living standards.Activity scenarios of personnel are in the process of a dynamic change.In most interior spaces with fixed working stations,people directly blown by cold air have a poor thermal experience.Therefore,to meet the differentiated environmental demands,one challenge is to explore novel ventilation strategies to satisfy the changing environmental needs.An adaptive strategy,multi-vent module-based adaptive ventilation(MAV),was designed to increase the adjustability of air distribution and better adapt to variable demands.A classroom was chosen as a representative model with multiple scenarios during its use.Simulations were conducted to verify the three-level control effect of MAV on improving the thermal environment.The results revealed that different vent solutions create different airflow patterns and thermal environments,which can be matched to the scenarios.The scale for ventilation efficiency No.4,which measured the influence scope of supply air,was used to evaluate the zoning division control in MAV.The space under the charge of a concerned MAV module showed a higher SVE4 than that at other zones.This implied that the zoning division can be effectively implemented.Thermal comfort measured using the air diffusion performance index,predicted mean vote,and draught rate showed that the application of MAV is better than that of the fixed MV mode,and the discomfort experienced when exposed to cold air can be avoided.It is believed that these results will help extend the research of adaptive ventilation strategies.