• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.131-144
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• 2010

The design and construction of tunnels has been followed an large parallel tunnels with a small clearance because of the various conditions. Rock pillar between each single tunnel is supposed to be under heavy load by rock mass. The stability of pillar is very important for the ensure the stability of the large parallel tunnels. In this study, the analysis of stress state of pillar at various construction cases is reviewed to investigate the mechanical behaviour of tunnels and stability of the pillar.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.35-39
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• 2016

Influence of rock fall from upper-level roofs to lower-level roofs and pillars at a multi layered room and pillar mine was numerically simulated by using AUTODYN. The analysis results showed that the maximum displacement and stress in the roof of the lower-level stope are respectively 0.001 mm and 36 MPa, and those in the pillars of the lower-level stope are 0.0003 mm and 3 MPa. The maximum damage levels in the roof and pillar of the lower-level stope were evaluated to be about 0.03 when a half of the roof rock of the upper-level stope was assumed to be fallen to the floor.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.109-119
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• 2001

Up to now single large cavern was excavated for each undergroud hydraulic powerhouse in Korea. But the Yangyang underground hydraulic powerhouse consists of two large caverns; a powerhouse cavern and main transformer cavern. In this carte, the structural stability of the caverns, especially the rock pillar formed between two large caverns, should be guaranteed to be sound to make the caverns permanently sustainable. In this research, the Distinct Element Method(DEM) was used to analyze the structural stability of two caverns and the rock pillar. The Barton-Bandis joint model was used as a constitutive model. The moot significant parameters such as in-site stress, JRC of in-situ natural joints, and spatial distribution characteristics of discontinuities were acquired through field investigation. In addition, two different cases; 1) with no support system and 2) with a support system, were analysed to optimize a support system and to investigate reinforcing effects of a support system. The results of analysis horizontal displacement and joint shear displacement proved to be reduced with the support system. The relaxed zone in the rock pilar also proved to be reduced in conjunction with the support system. Having a support system in place provided the fact that the non zero minimum principal stresses were still acting in the rock pillar so that the pillar was not under uniaxial compressive condition but under triaxial compressive condition. The structural stability f an approximately 36 m wide rock pillar between two large caverns was assured with the appropriate support system.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.109-119
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• 2017

A lot of twin tunnels were modelled with different pillar widths, rock mass classes and stress ratios in order to consider various site conditions, and the stabilities of the pillars were estimated by numerical analyses and scaled model tests. The strength-stress ratios of the pillar were obtained from three different methods which were using the stresses appeared at the middle point, the whole average and the left/right edges of the pillar. The strength-stress ratio of the pillar edges showed relatively conservative values among them, and it was also practically consistent with the tunnel excavating steps comprising the construction sequence analyses which included the partial excavation and the support system. Scaled model tests were also performed to investigate the tunnel stability, where it was found that cracks were progressively generated from the pillar edges toward the middle point of the pillar. Therefore, in order to both prevent the local damage of pillar and conservatively estimate the tunnel stability, it was thought to be an appropriate method using the strength-stress ratio obtained from the left/right edges of the pillar.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.22-31
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• 2012

In this study, scaled model tests were performed to investigate the stability of an asymmetrical twin tunnels constructed in rock mass comprising alternating layers of sandstone and shale. Each of tunnels had a differently shaped section, where the one was already constructed tunnel including lining structure but the other was planned to be under construction. Four types of test models which had respectively different pillar widths and loading conditions were experimented, where both crack initiating pressures and deformation behaviors around tunnels were investigated. The cracks of pillar mainly began to appear at the interfaces of alternating layers, following additional shear displacement between layers was confirmed as one of the most important factors of pillar failure in case of the model of pillar width 0.5D. The models with shallower pillar widths proved to be unstable because of lower crack initiating pressures and more tunnel convergences than the models with thicker pillar widths. The failure and deformation behaviors of tunnels were also dependent on the loading conditions, where the model of coefficient of lateral pressure 1.0 was more stable than the other model. Futhermore, the results of FLAC analysis were qualitatively coincident with the experimental results.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.423-434
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• 2015

Scaled model tests were performed to investigate the influence of pillar width, rock strength and isotropy/anisotropy on the stability of twin tunnels. Test models had respectively different pillar widths, uniaxial compressive strengths of modelling materials and model types, where both the deformation behaviors around tunnels and the biaxial pressure data at a time of pillar cracking were analysed. The cracking pressures of the higher strength models were higher than the lower strength models, whereas the percentage of cracking pressure to uniaxial compressive strength of modelling materials showed an opposite tendency. The cracking pressures of the shallower pillar width models were lower than the thicker models, moreover the percentage of that showed a same tendency. It has been found that the pillar width was one of the main factors influencing on the stability of twin tunnels. Model types such as isotropy/anisotropy also influenced on the stability of twin tunnels. The anisotropic models showed lower values of both cracking pressures and the percentage of that than the isotropic models, where the pillar cracks of anisotropic models were generated with regard to the pre-existing joint planes.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.211-221
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• 2003

At Aspo hard rock laboratory in Sweden, an in-situ heater experiment called "$\"{A}"{s}"{p}"{o}$ Pillar Stability Experiment (APSE)" is prepared to assess capability to predict spatting and stability in a rock mass between deposition holes for radioactive waste. To Predict reasonably fracturing process at rock pillar under a planned configuration before testing, a boundary element code FRACOD has been applied for modelling. The code has been improved to simulate explicitly fracture evolution both at rock boundaries and in intact rocks. A new inverse stress reconstruction technique using boundary element has been also developed to transfer stress field by excavation and thermal loading into the FRACOD model. This article presents the results from predictive modelling far the planned in-situ test condition. Excavation induced stresses might cause slight fracturing in the pillar walls. Typical shear fractures have been initiated and propagated near central pillar walls during 120 days of heating, but overall rock mass remained stable under the considered configuration. The effects of pre-existing joints and properties of fractures are also discussed. It is found from the results that FRACOD can properly model essential rock spatting and propagation at deep tunnels and boreholes.at deep tunnels and boreholes.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.244-251
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• 2003

A two-dimensional BEM code, $FRACOD^{2D}$, was applied to simulate fracture initiation and propagation processes in a rock pillar during an in situ heater test of a rock pillar planned at the $\"{A}sp\"{o}$ Underground Rock laboratory of SKB, in Southern Sweden. To take the advantage of conventional BEM for simulating fracturing processes, but without efforts for domain integral transformation, a hybrid approach is developed to simulate the fracturing processes in rock pillar under coupled thermo-mechanical loading. The code FRACOD was used for simulating the fracture initiation and propagation processes with its boundary tractions reflecting the effects of the initial and redistributed thermomechanical stresses in the domain of interest at multiple excavation and heating steps were produced by a special algorithm of stress inversion, based on resultant thermo-mechanical stress fields at each excavation and heat loading step by a FEM code without considering fracturing processes. This hybrid approach can take the advantages of both types of numerical methods and avoids their shortcomings for fracturing process simulation and domain effects, respectively. In this paper, we present the hybrid approach for the stress, displacements, and fracturing processes at sequential excavation and heating steps of the in situ heater test as a predictive modelling, the formulation of the fracturing models and the predictive results. Two sections of borehole depth, 0.5 m and 1.5 m below the tunnel floor are considered. The pillar area is modelled with the FRACOD and the stress field produced by excavation and heating is transferred with corresponding boundary stresses. From the modelling results, the degree of fracturing and damage are evaluated for 120 days of heating. Dominated shear fracturing in the vicinity of the central pillar was observed from the models at both sections, but spalled area appears to be limited. Based on the modelling results, a sensitivity study for the effect of pre-existing fractures in the vicinity of the holes is also conducted, and the initiation and evolution of EDZ around the deposition holes are investigated using this particular numerical technique.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.377-390
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• 2022

The stability of the roof rock-coal pillar-floor rock composite structure is of great significance to coal mine safety production. The cracks existing in the composite structure seriously affect the stability of the roof rock-coal pillar-floor rock composite structure. The numerical simulation tests of rock-coal-rock composite structures with different crack characteristics were carried out to reveal the composite structures' mechanical properties and failure mechanisms. The test results show that the rock-coal-rock composite structure's peak stress and elastic modulus are directly proportional to the crack angle and inversely proportional to the crack length. The smaller the crack angle, the more branch cracks produced near the main control crack in the rock-coal-rock composite structure, and the larger the angle between the main control crack and the crack. The smaller the crack length, the larger the width of the crack zone. The impact energy index of the rock-coal-rock composite structure decreases first and then increases with the increase of crack length and increases with the increase of crack angle. The functional relationships between the different crack characteristics, peak stress, and impact energy index are determined based on the sensitivity analysis. The determination of the functional relationship can fully grasp the influence of the crack angle and the crack length on the peak stress and impact energy index of the coal-rock composite structure. The research results can provide a theoretical basis and guidance for preventing the instability and failure of the coal pillar-roof composite structure.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.352-359
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• 2010

Stability of twin tunnels depends on the pillar width and the ground condition. In this study, large scale model tests were conducted for investigating the influence of the pillar width of twin tunnels on their behavior in the regular horizontal jointed rock mass. Jointed rocks was composed of concrete blocks. Pillar width of twin tunnels varied in 0.29D, 0.59D, 0.88D and 1.18D, where D is the tunnel width. During the test, pillar stress, lining stress, tunnel distortion, and ground displacement were measured. Lateral earth pressure coefficient was kept in a constant value 1.0. As a result, it was found that the pillar stress and the displacement of the ground and tunnel were increased by decreasing pillar width. The maximum displacement rate was measured just after the upper excavation in each construction sequence. And the maximum influence position was the right shoulder of the preceeding tunnel at the pillar side. It was also found that for the stability assessment the inner displacement was more critical than the crown displacement. The influence zone was formed at the pillar width 0.59D~0.88D that was smaller than 0.8D~2.0D, which was proposed by experience for a good ground condition. And it would be concluded that horizontal joints could also influence on the stability of the twin tunnels.