• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 2000.11a
• /
• pp.471-478
• /
• 2000

Ground movements are inevitably caused by tunnel construction in soft ground. In the design and construction of tunnels in urban areas, the potential effects of buried pipelines by ground movements are one of the important design cosiderations. Generally, the most common modes of failure of buried pipelines due to ground movements are tensile fracture of main pipelines, rotation angle and pull-out displacement at joints. In the parametric study, a wide range of conditions were considered, including tunnel diameter(D), tunnel depth(Z$\sub$0/), volume loss(V$\sub$ι/) and inflection point(i). Based on this results, design charts, which are applicable to assess potential damage of buried pipelines associated ground movements due to tunnelling, are developed.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.57-68
• /
• 2024

Tunnels offer myriad benefits for modern countries, and understanding their behavior under loads is critical. This paper analyzes and evaluates the damage to buried horseshoe tunnels under soil pressure and traffic loading. To achieve this, a numerical model of this type of tunnel is first created using ABAQUS software. Then, fracture mechanics theory is applied to investigate the fracture and damage of the horseshoe tunnel. The numerical analysis is based on the damage plasticity model of concrete, which describes the inelastic behavior of concrete in tension and compression. In addition, the reinforcing steel is modeled using the bilinear plasticity model. Damage contours, stress contours, and maximum displacements illustrate how and where traffic loading alters the response of the horseshoe tunnel. Based on the results, the fracture mechanism proceeded as follows: initially, damage started at the center of the tunnel bottom, followed by the formation of damage and micro-cracks at the corners of the tunnel. Eventually, the damage reached the top of the concrete arch with increasing loading. Therefore, in the design of this tunnel, these critical areas should be reinforced more to prevent cracking.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.97-104
• /
• 2018

The finite difference software Flac3D is used to study the influence of tunnel burial depth, tunnel diameter and lateral pressure coefficient of original rock stress on the stress and deformation of tunnel surrounding rock under sandstone condition. The results show that the maximum shear stress, the radius of the plastic zone and the maximum displacement in the surrounding rock increase with the increase of the diameter of the tunnel. When the lateral pressure coefficient is 1, it is most favorable for surrounding rock and lining structure, with the increase or decrease of lateral pressure coefficient, the maximum principal stress, surrounding displacement and plastic zone range of surrounding rock and lining show a sharp increase trend, the plastic zone on the lining increases with the increase of buried depth.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.427-445
• /
• 2015

By means of finite element numerical simulation and pseudo-static method, the shallow-buried bilateral bias twin-tube tunnel subject to horizontal and vertical seismic forces are researched. The research includes rupture angles, the failure mode of the tunnel and the distribution of surrounding rock relaxation pressure. And the analytical solution for surrounding rock relaxation pressure is derived. For such tunnels, their surrounding rock has sliding rupture planes that generally follow a "W" shape. The failure area is determined by the rupture angles. Research shows that for shallow-buried bilateral bias twin-tube tunnel under the action of seismic force, the load effect on the tunnel structure shall be studied based on the relaxation pressure induced by surrounding rock failure. The rupture angles between the left tube and the right tube are independent of the surface slope. For tunnels with surrounding rock of Grade IV, V and VI, which is of poor quality, the recommended reinforcement range for the rupture angles is provided when the seismic fortification intensity is VI, VII, VIII and IX respectively. This study is expected to provide theoretical support regarding the ground reinforcement range for the shallow-buried bilateral bias twin-tube tunnel under seismic force.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
• /
• v.15 no.11
• /
• pp.29-42
• /
• 2014

This paper investigates the effects of micro-tunneling on buried pipelines parametrically. A simplified numerical approach was developed and various parametric studies have been conducted to evaluate the effects of ground settlements on the response of buried pipelines. The controlled parameters included the pipe stiffness, ground loss magnitude, and pipe location with respect to a micro-tunnel. Maximum settlement and curvature along a pipeline have been investigated and compared among others for different conditions. In addition, the numerical results have been compared with a theoretical method by Attewell et al. (1986), which is based on a Winkler type linear-elastic solution. The comparison indicated that the response of buried pipes to micro-tunneling-induced ground settlements highly depends on the soil-pipe interaction including the separation and slippage of pipe from soil with the effects of the investigated parameters. Therefore, rather than using the theoretical method directly, it would be a better assessment of the response of buried pipelines to consider the soil-pipe interaction in more realistic conditions.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.6 no.5
• /
• pp.455-467
• /
• 2014

As the traffic increased, the original capacity of the tunnel has been unable to meet the needs, so it must be expanded. Based on the features of tunnel, the intermittent trough method must be supposed for tunnel enlarging. Under the situation on the buried deep of the tunnel, it could be used the reasonable arch axis model to descript the past covered rock pressure for mechanism calculating of self-bearing arch. Then establish the three-arch combination effectible model for the analysis which is relied on the tunneling enlarging to Chongqing Yu-Zhou tunnel. It has determined the proper width for the intermittent trough in shallow buried tunnel enlarging.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.253-267
• /
• 2016

The stability of surrounding rock will be poor when the tunnel is excavated through nearly horizontal stratum. In this paper, the instability mechanism of local nearly horizontal stratum in super-large section and deep buried tunnel is revealed by the analysis of the macro failure and micro fracture. A structural model is proposed to explain the mechanics of surrounding rock collapse under the action of stress redistribution and shed light on the macroscopic analytical approach of the stability of surrounding rock. Then, some highly effective formulas applied in the tunnel engineering are developed according to the theory of mixed-mode micro fracture. And well-documented field case is made to demonstrate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed analytical methods of mixed-mode fracture. Meanwhile, in order to make the more accurate judgment about yield failure of rock mass, a series of comprehensive failure criteria are formed. In addition, the relationship between the nonlinear failure criterion and $K_I$ and $K_{II}$ of micro fracture is established to make the surrounding rock failure criterion more comprehensive and accurate. Further, the influence of the parameters related to the tension-shear mixed-mode fracture and compression-shear mixed-mode fracture on the propagation of rock crack is analyzed. Results show that ${\sigma}_3$ changes linearly with the change of ${\sigma}_1$. And the change rate is related to ${\beta}$, angle between the cracks and ${\sigma}_1$. The proposed simple analytical approach is economical and efficient, and suitable for the analysis of local nearly horizontal stratum in super-large section and deep buried tunnel.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.33 no.5
• /
• pp.439-451
• /
• 2023

The construction of shield tunnelling in urban sites is facing serious risks from complex and changeable underground conditions. Construction problems in the sand-clay mixed ground have been more reported in recent decades for its poor control of soil loss in tunnel face, ground settlement and supporting pressure. Since the limitations of observation methods, the conventional physical modelling experiments normally simplify the tunnelling to a plane strain situation whose results are not reliable in mixed ground cases which exhibit more complicated responses. We propose a new method for the study of the mixed ground tunnel through which mixed lays are simulated with transparent soil surrogates exhibiting different mechanical properties. An experimental framework for the transparent soil modelling of the mixed ground tunnel was established incorporated with the self-developed digital image correlation system (PhotoInfor). To understand better the response of face stability, ground deformation, settlement and supporting phenomenon to tunnelling excavation in the sand-clay mixed ground, a series of case studies were carried out comparing the results from cases subjected to different buried depths and mixed phenomenon. The results indicate that the deformation mode, settlement and supporting phenomenon vary with the mixed phenomenon and buried depth. Moreover, a stratigraphic effect exists that the ground movement around mixed face reveals a notable difference.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.131-143
• /
• 2024

Shield tunneling construction commonly crosses underground pipelines in urban areas, resulting in soil loss and followed deformation of grounds and pipelines nearby, which may threaten the safe operation of shield tunneling. This paper investigated the pipeline deformation caused by double curved shield tunnels in soil-rock composite stratum in Nanjing, China. The stratum settlement equation was modified to consider the double shield tunneling. Moreover, a three dimensional finite element model was established to explore the effects of hard-layer ratio, tunnel curvature radius, pipeline buried depth and other influencing factors. The results indicate the subsequent shield tunnel would cause secondary disturbance to the soil around the preceding tunnel, resulting in increased pipeline and ground surface settlement above the preceding tunnel. The settlement and stress of the pipeline increased gradually as buried depth of the pipeline increased or the hard-layer ratio (the ratio of hard-rock layer thickness to shield tunnel diameter within the range of the tunnel face) decreased. The modified settlement calculation equation was consistent with the measured data, which can be applied to the settlement calculation of ground surface and pipeline settlement. The modified coefficients a and b ranged from 0.45 to 0.95 and 0.90 to 1.25, respectively. Moreover, the hard-layer ratio had the most significant influence on the pipeline settlement, but the tunnel curvature radius and the included angle between pipeline and tunnel axis played a dominant role in the scope of the pipeline settlement deformation.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.193-205
• /
• 2022

The face stability of shield tunnelling is the most important control index for safety risk management. Based on the reliability of the transparent clay (TC) model test, a series of TC model tests under different buried depth were conducted to investigate the progressive failure mechanism of tunnel face. The support pressure was divided into the rapid descent stage, the slow descent stage and the basically stable stage with company of the local failure and integral failure in the internal of the soil during the failure process. The relationship between the support pressure and the soil movement characteristics of each failure stage was defined. The failure occurred from the soil in front of the tunnel face and propagated as the slip zone and the loose zone. The fitted formulas were proposed for the calculation of the failure process. The failure mode in clay was specified as the basin shape with an inverted trapezoid shape for shallow buried and appeared as the basin shape with a teardrop-like shape in deep case. The implications of these findings could help in the safety risk management of the underground construction.