• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.63-75
• /
• 2020

When tunnel is excavated via drilling and blasting, the excessive overbreak is the primary cause of personal or equipment safety hazards and increasing the cost of the tunnel operation owing to additional ground supports such as shotcrete. The practical management of overbreak is extremely difficult due to the complex causative mechanism of it. The study examines the relationship between rock mass characteristics (unsupported face condition, uniaxial compressive strength, face weathering and alteration, discontinuities- frequency, condition and angle between discontinuities and tunnel contour) and the depth of overbreak through using feed-forward artificial neuron networks. Then, Overbreak Resistance Factor (ORF) has been developed based on the weights of rock mass parameters to the overbreak phenomenon. Also, a new concept of tunnel overbreak management system using ORF has been suggested.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.43-54
• /
• 2020

The limit analysis and response surfaces method were combined to investigate the reliability of pressurized tunnel faces subjected to seismic force. The quasi-static method was utilized to introduce seismic force into the tunnel face. A 3D horn failure mechanism of pressurized tunnel faces subjected to seismic force was constructed. The collapse pressure of pressurized tunnel faces was solved by the kinematical approach. The limit state equation of pressurized tunnel faces was obtained according to the collapse pressure and support pressure. And then a reliability model of pressurized tunnel faces was established. The feasibility and superiority of the response surfaces method was verified by comparing with the Monte Carlo method. The influence of the mean of soil parameters and support pressure, variation coefficients, distribution type and correlation of c-φ on the reliability of pressurized tunnel faces was discussed. The reasonable safety factor and support pressure required by pressurized tunnel faces to satisfy 3 safety levels were presented. In addition, the effects of horizontal seismic force, vertical seismic force and correlation of k_h-k_v on the reliability of pressurized tunnel faces were also performed. The method of this work can give a new idea for anti-seismic design of pressurized tunnel faces.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
• /
• 2006.11b
• /
• pp.1354-1363
• /
• 2006

Until now, NATM(New Austrian Tunneling Method) has been increasingly developed based on concept of making use of ground as support. Also, NATM in its essence is a method of risk based on monitoring behaviour of tunnel. This Monitoring is irreplaceable for the quality construction of tunnel, and safety of tunnel itself. Pre-reinforcement ahead of a tunnel face using long steel pipes in NATM, known as the RPUM(Reinforced Protective Umbrella Method), is the auxiliary method to sustain the stability of a tunnel face and reduce the ground settlements. Since design of RPUM has been dependent on the empirical design, it is necessary to develop the improved design methods. In this study, to understand behaviour of steel pipes, it is monitored displacement of tunnel crown, axial force of rock bolt, displacement and axial stress of steel pipes. Also, in order to clarify the mechanical behaviour and RPUM effects, 3-Dimensional numerical analysis is performed that various cases of different parameter combinations including original length and repeated length of steel pipes, installation width and angle, repeated length of steel. In the results of comparison monitoring with analysis, it is suggested more economical and efficient design technique than empirical design methods.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
• /
• v.20 no.6
• /
• pp.1003-1022
• /
• 2018

In the current work, a series of three-dimensional finite element analyses were carried out to understand the behaviour of a pre-existing single pile to the changes of the tunnel face pressures when a shield TBM tunnel passes underneath the pile. The numerical modelling analysed the results by considering various face pressures (25~100% of the in-situ horizontal stress prior to tunnelling at the tunnel springline). In the numerical modelling, several key issues, such as the pile settlements, the axial pile forces, the shear stresses have been thoroughly analysed for different face pressures. The head settlements of the pile with the maximum face pressure decreased by about 44% compared to corresponding settlement with the minimum face pressure. Furthermore, the maximum axial force of the pile developed with the minimum face pressure. The tunnelling-induced axial pile force at the minimum face pressure was found to be about 21% larger than that with the maximum face pressure. It has been found that the ground settlements and the pile settlements are heavily affected by the face pressures. In addition, the influence of the piles and the ground was analysed by considering characteristics of the soil deformations. Also, the apparent safety factor of the piles are substantially reduced for all the analyses conducted in the current simulation, resulting in severe effects on the adjacent piles. Therefore, the behaviour of the piles, according to change the face pressures, has been extensively examined and analysed by considering the key features in great details.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.441-455
• /
• 2015

In the present study, a face safety monitoring system was developed that will enable judging collapse risks on faces during tunnel construction to secure workers' safety. This system enables detecting abnormal behaviors of faces by analyzing the displacement of faces measured in real time using the x-MR control chart technique. In addition, an algorithm to judge false alarms was developed so that abnormal behaviors of faces and errors occurring in the process of work can be distinguished from each other by comparing the number of measured values exceeding the management criteria and moving range k. The results of the present study are applicable to real-time monitoring of behavior on the face in dangerous ground sections to minimize damage to workers.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.335-341
• /
• 2005

In construction of a large cross section NATM tunnel, to keep the tunnel face stability by the ground itself bench cut method is commonly used. In order to necessity of partial face excavation method, we have to look for more enhanced method that can maintain better stress intensity. This paper presents a stress distribution of the Center Diaphragm Method from the partial face excavation methods, with the numerical analysis, and induced the optimal face distance, which is minimizing stress concentration and the optimal excavation step. Commerical 3 dimensional continuum analyzing FLAC-3D Ver. 2.1 program is used for the analysis. Analyses were performed to investigate ground behavior for tunnels with variable bench-length varying from 2m to 40m.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
• /
• 2011.10a
• /
• pp.1162-1170
• /
• 2011

Since there is 70% of the land in South Korea is forest, tunnel constructions by blasting are common for building railways and roads. The damage to the bedrock and the development of overbreak near the face of the tunnel during the blasting directly affect the safety of the tunnel and the maintenance after the construction. Therefore, there is a need to investigate the damage zone in the bedrock after the blasting. The damage zone changes the properties of the bedrock and decreases the safety. Especially, the coefficient of permeability of the damaged bedrock increases dramatically, which is considered very important in construction. There is a lack of research on the damage that bedrock is received with respect to the amount of explosives in blasting, which is required for the design of optimum support in blast excavation that maximizes the support of the bedrock. Therefore, in this research, numerical analysis was performed based on the field experiment data in order to understand the mechanical characteristics of the bedrock after to the blast load and to analyze the damage that the bedrock receives from the blast load. In addition, a method was proposed for selecting the optimum blast pressure for train tunnel design with respect to the damage zone.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.29-39
• /
• 2023

As the intensity of urban underground space development increases, more and more tunnels are planned and constructed, and sometimes it is inevitable to encounter situations where tunnels have to underpass the river embankments. Most previous studies involved tunnels passing river embankments perpendicularly or with large intersection angle. In this study, a project case where two EPB shield tunnels with 8.82 m diameter run parallelly underneath a river embankment was reported. The parallel length is 380 m and tunnel were mainly buried in the moderate / slightly weathered clastic rock layer. The field monitoring result was presented and discussed. Three-dimensional back-analysis were then carried out to gain a better understanding the interaction mechanisms between shield tunnel and embankment and further to predict the ultimate settlement of embankment due to twin-tunnel excavation. Parametrical studies considering effect of tunnel face pressure, tail grouting pressure and volume loss were also conducted. The measured embankment settlement after the single tunnel excavation was 4.53 mm ~ 7.43 mm. Neither new crack on the pavement or cavity under the roadbed was observed. It is found that the more degree of weathering of the rock around the tunnel, the greater the embankment settlement and wider the settlement trough. Besides, the latter tunnel excavation might cause larger deformation than the former tunnel excavation if the mobilized plastic zone overlapped. With given geometry and stratigraphic condition in this study, the safety or serviceability of the river embankment would hardly be affected since the ultimate settlement of the embankment after the twin-tunnel excavation is within the allowable limit. Reasonable tunnel face pressure and tail grouting pressure can to some extent suppress the settlement of the embankment. The recommended tunnel face pressure and tail grouting pressure are 300 kPa and 550 kPa in this study, respectively. However, the volume loss plays the crucial role in the tunnel-embankment interaction. Controlling and compensating the tunneling induced volume loss is the most effective measure for river embankment protection. Additionally, reinforcing the embankment with cement mixing pile in advance is an alternative option in case the predicted settlement exceeds allowable limit.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.383-392
• /
• 2015

In subsea tunnelling, prediction of the fractured zone (or water bearing zone) ahead of tunnel face saturated by seawater with high water pressure has been a key factor for safe construction. This study verified the feasibility of utilizing induced polarization (IP) survey at tunnel face for predicting the ground condition ahead of the subsea tunnel face. A pore model was proposed to compute chargeability in granular material, and the relationship correlating chargeability with the variables affecting the chargeability was derived from the model. Parametric study has been performed on the variables to figure out the most influential factors affecting the chargeability. The results of the parametric study show that the size of narrow pores ($r_1$) and the salinity of pore water are the most influential factors on chargeability. Laboratory tests were conducted on various types of ground condition by changing the salinity of pore water, the thickness of the fracture zone and the existence of gouge (weathered granite) within the joints of the fractured zone to figure out the effect of the ground characteristics on the IP phenomenon. Test results show that the chargeability of the fractured zone saturated by seawater increases if the joints in the fractured zone are filled with gouge since the infilled gouge will decrease the size of narrow pores ($r_1$).

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.166-174
• /
• 1996

Stability of rock slope is greatly affected by the geometry and strength of discontinuities developed in the rock mass. In this study an analytical method which is capable of analyzing the effect of relative orientation between the discontinuities and the slope face on the safety of slope by assessing their vector components was used to evaluate the stability and the maximum cut-angle for the proposed slope design. The results of computerized vector analysis revealed that slope area under investigation might be divided into 3 sections of different face directions. The safety factors for benches in each 3 sections were calculated using the limit-equilibrium theory. Then, by utilizing the concept of probabilistic risk analysis, the susceptibility of entire slope failure was estimated. Based on the distribution of safety factor in each bench, the maximum cut angle of each section could be selected differently ot achieve the permanent stability of the entire slope.