Excavation Problem in Mixed Ground Conditions at the Kabatas–Mecidiyekoy Metro (Istanbul) Tunnels

Mechanized tunnelling is a well-established tunnel construction method which allows constructing tunnels in various conditions including mixed ground conditions as well as tunnels in vulnerable urban areas. The selection of the excavator suitable for the geological structure is important in terms of realizing an efficient tunnel excavation. Tunnel excavation studies of Istanbul Kabatas–Mecidiyeköy Metro tunnels are implemented as a double tube. Geology in this section is composed of sandstone, siltstone, mudstone interbedded or as separate units along with dyke intrusions. Calcareous clay, clayey limestone, clayey sand are also rarely observed. Between the Kabatas–Mecidiyekoy tunnels includes two types of mechanical excavation methods namely tunnel boring machine (TBM) and new Austrian tunnelling method (NATM). Main purpose of this study is mixed ground and their impacts on mechanized tunnelling. At the end, some issues have been presented which seems to be important for the success of TBM and NATM in the mixed grounds. As the tunnel excavation studies continued, the problem of collapse on the ground surface of Barbaros Boulevard in Besiktas station increased the importance of tunnel excavation under mixed ground conditions.     

偏压小间距公路隧道施工的三维数值模拟

以云南平年隧道为工程背景,采用MARC三维非线性有限元法程序,对新奥法修建的偏压、错台、浅埋小间距隧道模拟了先行隧道不同超前距离情况下的动态施工过程。掌子面距离的变化对洞室的横向位移的影响大于竖向位移,且对于左洞更为显著;随着左右洞掌子面距离的增大,洞周位移、中间岩柱位移均减小,但部分范围内地表沉降值有所增大,局部区域受力、变形恶化。     

Interaction of longitudinal surface settlements for twin tunnels in shallow and soft soils: the case of Istanbul Metro

Increasing demands on infrastructures increases the attention on shallow soft ground tunneling methods in urbanized areas. Especially, in metro tunnel excavations, it is important to control the surface settlements observed before and after excavation, which may cause damage to surface structures. To solve this problem, earth pressure balance machines (EPBMs) have widely been used throughout the world. This study focuses on surface settlement measurements, the interaction of twin tunnel surface settlement, and the relationship between shield parameters and surface settlement for parallel tunnels using EPBM shields in clay and sand soils. In this study, the tunnels were excavated using two EPBMs. The tunnels were 6.5 m in diameter, as twin tubes with a 14 m distance from center to center. The EPBM in the first tube followed about 100 m behind the other tube. Segmental lining with 1.4 m of length was employed as a final support. The results from this study showed that (1) the most important parameters for the maximum surface settlements are the face pressure and backfill; (2) in twin tunnel excavation with EPBM for longitudinal profile, the settlement rate reached its peak value when the shield came to the monitoring section and this peak value continued until the shield passed the monitoring section; (3) every shield affected the other tunnel’s longitudinal surface settlement profile by approximately 35–36.8 %; (4) S _A, S _B and S _C values were found to be 38.0, 35.8 and 26.2 %, respectively for an EPBM, and (5) ensuring good construction quality is a very effective way to control face stability and minimize surface settlement.     

求水山隧道下穿机荷高速段新奥法施工有限元计算

结合求水山隧道的暗挖法施工方案,对软土地区浅埋隧道下穿高速公路的施工过程进行了有限元模拟,以用于评价按该施工方案施工时对其上部高速公路的影响。由于该段隧道最小埋深仅4 m,且上部还有高速公路车辆荷载,因此,在设计时采用了新奥法结合管棚工法的方案。有限元建模使用平面应变单元,通过引入应力释放分析步和使用追踪单元等方法充分体现了新奥法的特点,并通过设置耦合和弹簧的方法实现了管棚工法的模拟,在计算中还考虑了开挖顺序和支护顺序的影响。研究结果表明：对于上部有荷载的浅埋暗挖隧道,控制衬砌的水平向变形能改善衬砌环的工作状态,因此,可显著减少开挖引起的隧道顶面沉降,新奥法结合管棚工法可较好地控制该类型隧道开挖引起的地表沉降变形。     

利用ABAQUS模拟NATM隧道施工过程

在分析了NATM(新奥法)施工理念的基础上,详细地说明了隧道施工中的2个关键问题：隧道开挖后洞周应力的计算和隧道的开挖施工过程。然后在此基础上,利用大型非线性有限元软件ABAQUS对隧道的施工过程进行显示模拟,从计算得到的结果可以看出,利用有限元方法可以非常清晰直观地模拟隧道的施工过程,并能计算得到相应的应力、位移等计算结果,为设计隧道和施工提供了比较合理的理论支持。     

水底隧道饱水地层衬砌作用荷载研究

与山岭隧道所不同,采用矿山法修建水底隧道,二次衬砌将承受很大外水压力,特别是穿越饱水破碎地层时,具有很大的施工风险。以厦门翔安海底隧道为工程背景,针对F4风化深槽地层,研究不同水位条件下,衬砌荷载与排放流量及排放方式之间相关关系。研究得出：当控制排放量为全排条件流量1/3左右时,可卸掉80%外水压力;从环境和经济角度考虑,可将出现拐点折减系数0.2作为水底隧道限量排放的设计基准值;从支护结构体系组成考虑,对于F4强风化深槽破碎围岩,必须施作注浆圈,才可以保证在水压、土压共同作用下衬砌结构安全,结果显示施作注浆圈能够减少衬砌作用荷载30%～40%,提高安全系数几乎一倍;从主体结构受力特征看,水底隧道最不利受力位置在墙脚和仰拱,因此,无论是防水型还是排水型隧道,均应对仰拱形式及支护参数加强设计。     

地铁循环荷载作用下交叉隧道沉降分析

采用FLAC3D软件建立了交叉隧道的三维有限差分模型,以人工数定激励力模拟列车荷载,计算列车动荷载作用下土体的变形和应力。采用修正动偏应力长期沉降计算模型,结合分层总和法计算软土的沉降,预测交叉隧道的长期沉降规律。分析3种不同行车工况下地基长期沉降,工况1为一辆列车单独通过1#隧道,工况2为一辆列车单独通过2#隧道,工况3为两辆列车同时通过1#和2#隧道。对比不同的列车行驶速度、隧道衬砌刚度及厚度对隧道地基的长期影响。结果表明,由列车荷载引起的地基沉降主要集中在距隧道中心轴20 m范围内;在工况3下土体沉降大于工况1、2沉降之和;车速越快,沉降越小;衬砌刚度和厚度越小,沉降越大,且衬砌厚度对沉降的影响较大,衬砌刚度影响较小。     

A new approach for estimating the transverse surface settlement curve for twin tunnels in shallow and soft soils

Increasing demand on infrastructures has led to increased attention to shallow soft ground tunneling methods in urbanized areas. Especially in metro tunnel excavations, it is important to control the surface settlements which are observed before and after excavation, which may cause damage to surface structures. Unlike motorway, sewage and other infrastructure tunnels, metro tunnels generally have to be excavated as twin tunnels and must have a larger diameter. Metro tunnels also have shallow depth. Due to their shallow depth, metro tunnels generally have been constructed in weak rocks or weak soils in cities. The construction of twin tunnels will generate ground movements which have the potential to cause damage to existing surface and subsurface structures. To solve this settlement problem, experts have used the Earth pressure balance machine (EPBM) and the slurry balance machine. In such excavations, especially in twin tunnels, the main challenges for constructers are estimating the maximum surface settlement, controlling the interaction of transverse surface settlement and shaping the settlement curve. Incorrect estimation of these parameters can lead to significant problems above the tunnels and in nearby structures. This paper focuses on surface settlement measurements, on the interaction of twin tunnel transverse surface settlement and on the relationship between shield parameters and transverse surface settlement for parallel tunnels using EPBM shields in clay and sand soils in shallow depth. Also, a new equation is proposed for estimating the transverse settlement curve of twin tunnels. The results from this proposed equation are compared with the results of field observations. The transverse settlement curve values obtained from the proposed equation have good agreement with the actual results for the Otogar–Kirazli metro case studies.     

地铁双隧道施工引起地表沉降及变形的随机预测方法

地铁施工引起地表沉降及变形的预测和控制是一个有待于深入研究的重要课题。地铁区间隧道大多为近距离的双孔平行隧道,两隧道开挖引起的地表沉降及变形往往相互叠加,导致沉降及变形预测更加困难。以随机介质理论为基础,对预测公式进行了改进,实现了双孔平行隧道施工引起的地表沉降、水平位移、水平变形、倾斜、曲率预测,研发了城市隧道开挖引起的地表沉降及变形预测系统。对多处双孔平行隧道工程进行了理论预测与验证,实测沉降证明了理论方法与预测系统的科学性和有效性。     

Correlation between ground motion parameters and lining damage indices for mountain tunnels

In order to study the interdependencies between the overall lining damage indices for mountain tunnels and ground motion parameters, a total of 89 ground motion records were selected for analysis. These records were divided into three groups: (1) near-field ground motion with velocity pulses, (2) near-field ground motion without velocity pulses, and (3) far-field ground motion. Calculations of Pearson’s linear correlation coefficient have been used to clarify the grade of interrelationships between ground motion parameters. Further, nonlinear dynamic analyses were carried out on mountain tunnels to determine overall lining damage indices under seismic actions. Based on numerical results, linear correlation coefficients between ground motion parameters and overall lining damage indices for mountain tunnels were then calculated and analyzed. Overall lining damage indices were found to be highly correlated to the velocity-related seismic parameters but not so well correlated to spectra-related parameters.     

黄土隧道施工方案的数值分析

黄土隧道围岩不同开挖与支护施工方案的数值分析,对了解黄土隧洞变形破坏机理以及黄土隧洞设计施工理论具有重要意义。对黄土隧道围岩采用中壁法和双侧壁导坑法开挖各3种不同支护顺序分别进行了模拟计算,考察了各个施工工序地表最大沉降量、隧洞拱顶最大下沉量、围岩塑性区分布、衬砌单元弯矩以及岩体总应变能变化。计算结果表明,从开挖方法来说,双侧壁导坑法要优于中壁法;从支护顺序来说,滞后支护要优于及时支护。此结果可为黄土隧道工程设计施工提供参考。     

A new equation for estimating the maximum surface settlement above tunnels excavated in soft ground

Nowadays, due to urbanization and population increase, need for metro tunnels, has been considerably increased in urban areas. Common characterization of urban area tunnels is that they are excavated in very shallow depths and soft ground. In such excavations, main challenge for tunneling is low bearing capacity and easy deformation characteristic of the ground. Tunnel face instability and the potential surface settlement are the most hazardous factors that should be considered in all tunneling methods applied in urban areas. Incorrect estimation of the maximum surface settlement value can lead to irreparable damages to the buildings and other nearby structures. There are several published relationships concerned with field measurements and analytical solutions to estimate the amount of the maximum surface settlement value due to tunneling. These relationships are not precise for calculating the aimed values. Therefore, providing accurate equations for estimation of these values is certainly useful. First purpose of this study is to determine the effective parameters such as geotechnical factors (cohesion, internal friction angle, density, Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio), and engineering factors (tunnel depth, tunnel diameter and face support pressure) on the maximum surface settlement value. In this study, three metro project constructions namely Istanbul, Tehran, Mashhad in the Middle East were chosen. FLAC3D (Itasca Consulting Group 2002) was used for detailed numerical analysis. The second aim is to present better equations in estimating the maximum surface settlement-based actual data set from several tunnel projects and numerical modeling. The results from the new estimation equation are compared with results of empirical and field observations. The maximum surface settlement values obtained from the new equation have good agreement with the actual results for three different metro case studies.     

3孔小间距浅埋暗挖隧道地表沉降控制技术研究

通过模型试验对软弱围岩下3孔小间距浅埋暗挖隧道的地表沉降控制技术进行了深入研究。结果表明：不同的预加固强度、开挖进尺,对隧道的地表沉降、围岩压力、洞周位移都有很大影响。     

Elastic analysis of ground movements around a tunnel considering a buoyant lining moving upwards

A complex variable solution is derived for the ground movements around a tunnel considering the lining at different positions in the drilled hole in a linear elastic half-plane. The soil displacements for three different convergence patterns are presented and compared. It is shown that the surface settlement trough will become flatter and wider when the lining moves upwards; the horizontal displacements are more concentrated in the region below the lining; and the region influenced by displacements is wider. Most calculated settlement troughs can be well represented by Gaussian curves with simple parameters, but the obtained width parameters are larger than the traditional empirical values. The rigorous solution can be used as a simple tool to understand the fundamental mechanism of the lining buoyancy problem and as a benchmark for numerical procedures based on more sophisticated models. The importance of buoyancy effect on the displacement field should be taken into account.     

西安地铁隧道穿越饱和软黄土地段的地表沉降监测

以西安地铁一号线朝阳门站一康复路站区段饱和软黄土地铁隧道为研究对象,通过施工期现场地表沉降变形监测,分析了在饱和软黄土特殊地层条件下隧道浅埋暗挖法施工引起的该区段地表沉降变形规律以及地表沉降槽分布特征。结果表明：在饱和软黄土隧道开挖时,随着掌子面的推进,隧道顶地表沉降可分为沉降微小阶段、沉降显著发展阶段、沉降缓慢阶段和沉降稳定阶段;单线隧道开挖后的最大地表沉降量为18．89mm,双线隧道开挖后的最大地表沉降量为36．4mm;已开挖隧道对围岩土体的扰动作用使得后开挖隧道的地表沉降发展较大;双线隧道的地表沉降槽宽度接近单线隧道沉降槽宽度的2倍,因此可以将其近似为单线隧道地表沉降槽宽度与双线隧道轴线中点距离之和;单线隧道开挖后地表沉降槽宽度为8．4～9．3m,双线隧道开挖后地表沉降槽宽度为16．2～17．5m;隧道开挖施工的沉降槽宽度参数为0．435～0．467,单线隧道开挖后的地层损失率为0．765％～1．324％,双线隧道开挖后的地层损失率为1．231％～2．200％。     

Comparison of NATM and umbrella arch method in terms of cost,completion time,and deformation

In all kinds of tunnel excavations, especially those excavated in cities, it is important to control surface settlements and prevent damage to the surface and subsurface structures. For this purpose, in weak rocks and soils, the umbrella arch method (UAM) has been used in addition to the new Austrian tunneling method (NATM). NATM and UAM are the best-known classical methods used in tunnel excavation. In classical tunneling, NATM is usually preferred in normal rocks. However, in some cases, NATM may be insufficient. UAM is a very effective alternative especially in soils and weak rocks. In soil and weak rocks, UAM is especially necessary to prevent excessive deformations. Selection of UAM or NATM is based on the following factors: cost comparison of NATM and UAM, allowable deformations, quality of rock or soil, application time of NATM and UAM, availability of skilled workers, and qualification level of the workers. Therefore, selecting the excavation method in these kinds of grounds is vital in terms of achieving the project goals in time, managing the project costs effectively, and controlling the probable deformations on nearby structures. A critical issue in successful tunneling application is the ability to evaluate and predict the deformations, costs, and project time. In this paper, application times, costs, and deformation effects are compared between NATM and UAM in sensitive regions at the Uskudar-Umraniye-Cekmekoy metro project (UUCMP). Also, efficiency of the deformation control of UAM is demonstrated by using the 2D numerical analysis method. UUCMP is part of the Istanbul metro network. The tunnels have a cross section of 75.60 m² for NATM and 83.42 m² for UAM. Geology in this section is composed of weak sandstone. Diabase and andesite dykes are also rarely observed. This study shows that the construction cost of UAM are 1.7 times more expensive than NATM. Although application time of UAM is 2.5 times longer than NATM, it is 2.5 times more efficient in controlling the deformations. This efficiency in controlling the deformations is confirmed via two-dimensional numerical analyses.     

Analytical stress and displacement due to twin tunneling in an elastic semi‐infinite ground subjected to surcharge loads

The construction of twin tunnels at shallow depth has become increasingly common in urban areas. In general, twin tunnels are usually near each other, in which the interaction between tunnels is too significant to be ignored on their stability. The equivalent arbitrarily distributed loads imposed on ground surface were considered in this study, and a new analytical approach was provided to efficiently predict the elastic stresses and displacements around the twin tunnels. The interaction between 2 tunnels of different radii with various arrangements was taken into account in the analysis. We used the Schwartz alternating method in this study to reduce the twin‐tunnel problem to a series of problems where only 1 tunnel was contained in half‐plane. The convergent and highly accurate analytical solutions were achieved by superposing the solutions of the reduced single‐tunnel problems. The analytical solutions were then verified by the good agreement between analytical and numerical results. Furthermore, by the comparison on initial plastic zone and surface settlement between analytical solution and numerical/measured results of elastoplastic cases, it was proven that the analytical solution can accurately predict the initial plastic zone and its propagation direction and can qualitatively provide the reliable ground settlements. A parametric study was finally performed to investigate the influence of locations of surcharge load and the tunnel arrangement on the ground stresses and displacements. The new solution proposed in this study provides an insight into the interaction of shallow twin tunnels under surcharge loads, and it can be used as an alternative approach for the preliminary design of future shallow tunnels excavated in rock or medium/stiff clay.     

Modeling tunneling-induced ground surface settlement development using a wavelet smooth relevance vector machine

Accurate prediction of ground surface settlement is necessary for effectively controlling the settlement that develops during tunneling. Many models have been established for this purpose by extracting the relationship between the settlement and the factors that influence it. However, most of the models focused on the maximum ground surface settlement and do not involve dynamic and real-time predictions. This paper investigated how tunneling-induced ground surface settlement developed using a smooth relevance vector machine with a wavelet kernel (wsRVM). Various factors that affect this settlement, including geometrical, geological and shield operational parameters were considered. The model was applied to earth pressure balance (EPB) shield-driven tunnels. The results indicate that the prediction model performs well and that the distribution of the predictions can provide a measure of the prediction uncertainty. Unlike conventional methods that requireadditional efforts to determine relevant model parameters, the proposed method can optimize the parameters in the training process. The results of the parametric study conducted show that the model performance can be improved by the optimization and that the method can serve as a simple tool for practitioners to use in estimating ground surface settlement development during tunneling.     

2D Tunnel Numerical Investigation: The Influence of the Simplified Excavation Method on Tunnel Behaviour

Tunnel excavation is a three-dimensional (3D) problem. However, despite recent advances in computing resources, 3D models are still computationally inefficient and two-dimensional (2D) simulations are therefore often used. Modelling the tunnelling process in a 2D plane strain analysis requires a specific approach that allows a 3D tunnelling effect to be taken into consideration. As far as the urban tunnels are concerned, most cases reported in the literature have focused on estimating the applicability of these equivalent approaches that are based on the evaluation of the settlement that develops on the ground surface, without considering the influence of segment joints. The main objective of this study was to provide a 2D numerical investigation to highlight the influence of two equivalent approaches, that is, the convergence-confinement method (CCM) and the volume loss method (VLM), on the behaviour of a tunnel built in an urban area, in terms of not only the surface settlement but also the structural lining forces, taking into account the effect of segment joints. A technique that can be used to simulate the tunnel wall displacement process, based on the principles of the VLM, has been developed using the FLAC^3D finite difference program (Itasca in FLAC fast Lagrangian analysis of continua, version 4.0; User’s manual, http.itascacg.com, 2009). A comparison with 3D numerical results has been introduced to estimate the precision of these 2D equivalent approaches. The results have shown a significant influence of the tunnel boundary deconfinement technique and segment joints on the tunnel lining behaviour and surface settlements. The structural forces obtained by means of the CCM are often smaller than those determined with the VLM for the same surface settlement. Generally, the structural lining forces determined by the CCM are in better agreement with the 3D numerical results than the ones obtained with the VLM. However, in order to obtain an accurate estimation of the structural forces, the impact of the construction loads during tunnelling should be taken into account.     

Stability analysis of an advanced vault excavation with unlined invert according to the finite element method

This paper attempts to present questions associated with the stability of advanced vault excavations which are driven according to the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) without lining of the temporary invert. The dimensions of the investigated cross-section correspond to those of the tunnels driven on the new high-speed tracks for the German Federal Railways. Two possible modes of failure are investigated with the aid of continuum mechanics analyses according to the finite element method. Reference is made to structural measures which may positively influence the stability of this construction stage. Furthermore, the manner in which the stress-strain behaviour of a horizontal alternating sequence with open vertical discontinuities may be taken into consideration in a continuum mechanics analysis is also demonstrated. The analysis results presented clearly show that the load-carrying action of the rock mass which characterizes the NATM may be better described by rock mechanics analyses according to the finite element method than by conventional procedures.