• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.431-440
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• 2003

A modeling was performed to predict the groundwater recovery in the vicinity of the waterway tunnel area using a groundwater flow model MODFLOW. The model was calibrated to reproduce measured groundwater levels and observed flow rates into the tunnel prior to lining, and then used for flow simulation under transient condition. Model predictions under steady-state condition revealed that if tunnel conductance had been reduced by 25% to 90%, groundwater levels would recover between 8% and 72.4% of their initial levels and flow into the tunnel will decrease between 5.5% and 82.7%. In case of 75% tunnel condutance ruduction in transient simulation. most of wells were predicted to recover within 20 years or so. The complete recovery for the wells with the groundwater level over 70 m was found to be impossible. For the 90% tunnel conductance reduction, all wells were found to be recovered within 15 years.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.187-196
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• 2016

We conducted three-dimensional finite element analysis to predict the presence of upcoming fault zones during tunneling. The analysis considered longitudinal displacements measured at tunnel face, and used 28 numerical models with various fault attitudes. The x-MR (moving range) control chart was used to analyze quantitatively the effects of faults distributed ahead of the tunnel face, given the occurrence of a longitudinal displacement. The numerical models with fault were classified as fault gouge, fault breccia, and fault damage zones. The width of fault cores was set to 1 m (fault gouge 0.5 m and fault breccia 0.5 m) and the width of fault damage zones was set to 2 m. The results, suggest that fault centers could be predicted at 2~26 m ahead of the tunnel face and that faults could be predicted earliest in the 45° dip model. In addition, faults could be predicted earliest when the angle between the direction of tunnel advance and the strike of the fault was smallest.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.649-659
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• 2010

In this study, a tunnel information database system was developed to optimize the process of assessing and analyzing geological information from the life cycle of tunnel construction. All data from every stage in tunnel construction can be put into the system and be utilized for the decision making. In the system, tunnel face mapping information can be managed by digital format which can be easily transformed into 3D visualization module and thus help analyzing geological discontinuities. The system was applied to waterway and road tunnel in domestic area to verify its effectiveness.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.643-654
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• 2018

Tunnel excavation leads to a disturbance on the initial stress balance of surrounding soils, which causes convergences around the tunnel and settlements at the ground surface. Considering the effective impact of settlements on the structures at the surface, it is necessary to estimate them, especially in urban areas. In the present study, ground settlements due to the excavation of East-West Line 7 of the Tehran Metro (EWL7) and the Abuzar tunnels are evaluated and the effect of the lateral earth pressure coefficient ($K_0$) on their extension is investigated. The excavation of the tunnels was performed by TBMs (Tunnel Boring Machines). The coefficient of lateral earth pressure ($K_0$) is one of the most important geotechnical parameters for tunnel design and is greatly influenced by the geological characteristics of the surrounding soil mass along the tunnel route. The real (in-situ) settlements of the ground surface were measured experimentally using leveling methods along the studied tunnels and the results were compared with evaluated settlements obtained from both semi-empirical and numerical methods (using the finite difference software FLAC3D). The comparisons permitted to show that the adopted numerical models can effectively be used to predict settlements induced by a tunnel excavation. Then a numerical parametric study was conducted to show the influence of the $K_0$ values on the ground settlements. Numerical investigations also showed that the shapes of settlement trough of the studied tunnels, in a transverse section, are not similar because of their different diameters and depths of the tunnels.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.483-492
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• 2009

During construction of a tunnel and underground structure, it is very important to acquire accurate information of the rock mass will be excavated. In this study, the drill monitoring method was applied for rapid prediction of geological condition ahead of the tunnel face. Mechanical data(speed, torque and feed pressure) from drilling process using a hydraulic drilling machine were analyzed to assess rock mass characteristics. Rock mass information acquired during excavation from drilling monitoring were compared with results from horizontal boring and tunnel seismic profiling(TSP). As the result, the drilling monitoring method is useful to assess rock mass condition such as geological structures and physical properties ahead of the tunnel face.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.417-422
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• 2009

Tunnels that have recently been constructed are characterized by longer length than ever before and furthermore they frequently go through the ground area with poor conditions such as fractured zones. If ground strength is weak, plastic deformation of tunnel occurs, and occasionally a big fall may be brought about. Up to now, the construction work of tunneling has been executed as a sequential method placing the lining concrete after completion of excavation. Such a method requires a long time and much money to complete the tunnel. It is hard to ensure the stability of tunnel if tunnel is left undone for a long time after excavation in fracture zones or plastic grounds. For this reason, we tried to take simultaneous construction of tunnel excavation and lining concrete in order to not only shorten construction schedule but also stabilize the tunnel at the highly fractures zone as soon as possible. As preliminary consideration for simultaneous construction, in-situ tests are performed to calculate the isolation distance over which blasting vibration does not influence the strength of lining concrete. Improvement of ling form, placing method of concrete, ventilation using a dust collector, together with equipment arrangement, was made to assure the simultaneous construction work.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.343-351
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• 2014

Tunnel face mapping plays an important role in risk analysis and infrastructure support decisions during tunnel construction. In this study, a digital mapping system using a mobile device is employed instead of existing face-mapping methods that rely upon face mapping sheets. The mobile device is then connected to the main server in the field, where a tunnel-specific database is compiled automatically. This information provides real-time feedback on the tunnel face to construction personnel and engineers, thus allowing for rapid assessment of tunnel face stability and infrastructure needs. The Douglas-Peucker algorithm, among others, is employed to resolve problems arising from the detailed mapping and speed problem by data accumulation. This system is expected to raise program optimization through field verification and additional functional improvements.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.17 no.2 s.52
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• pp.263-270
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• 2007

Tunnel behavior measured by monitoring during construction is a main item for safety evaluation and it depends widely upon local geological characteristics. To assess in this study how much the geological factors influence on tunnel behavior for each RMR factor, a quantification analysis was carried out using tunnel face maps and measurements as explanatory variables and dependent variables, respectively. The results showed that average significance of the influence of RMR factors - R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5, on tunnel displacements are 17.0%, 20.4%, 20.4%, 11.6% and 30.6%, respectively, and this probably indicates that the groundwater condition played a significant role for the tunnel displacement.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.16 no.3 s.49
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• pp.265-273
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• 2006

Face mapping during tunnel construction is useful and critical to predict the characteristics and stability condition of following tunneling sections and to select optimum support pattern. Therefore, a detailed geological survey of the tunnel faces, as important as a routine underground survey and a RMR evaluation, should provide critical information of the tunnel face condition in terms of the engineering geological condition and the safety of working environment for the following tunneling section. But the results of the face investigation have not been applied satisfactorily during tunneling due to limitation of technique, experience and time. This study analyze problems of face mapping in tunnel construction site by using statistical results of face mapping sheets obtained from completed tunnels, and suggest several opinions to improve face mapping during tunnel construction.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.197-205
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• 2008

Total displacement under non-reinforcement is a quantitative index of rock mass behavior during tunnel excavation and depends widely upon geological characteristics. The primary purpose of this study is to suggest a rock mass evaluation method, well representing tunnel behavior during excavation, according to rock type. A 3-D numerical analysis was carried out, with consideration of the shape of tunnel section, excavation condition and so forth, in a sedimentary rock-based tunnel, and total displacements under non-reinforcement according to rock mass class were calculated. Finally, quantification analysis was carried out to assess correlation of the total displacement with RMR parameters. As the result, a modified RMR system fer quantification of rock mass behavior during tunnel excavation is suggested.