Monitoring of Three-dimensional Additional Stress and Strain in Shield Segments of Former Tunnels in the Construction of Closely-Spaced Twin Tunnels

In recent years, with the development of urbanization, the construction of closely-spaced twin tunnels is becoming more and more common. How to ensure the safety of the former tunnel during the construction of the later tunnel has become the focus of the construction of closely-spaced twin tunnels. To study the safety of the former tunnel segment structure, this paper analyzed the field monitoring data of practical engineering (the section with the minimum separation (4.5 m) between the twin tunnels from Anyuanxi station to Chunshenhu station on the Suzhou Metro Line 4 in Jiangsu, China) and obtained the dynamic change law of additional stress and strain of the former tunnel segment under the influence of the construction of later tunnel. Based on this research, the following conclusions were drawn: (1) The maximum circumferential tensile stress on the segmental structures was shown to be 2.62 MPa at the horizontal position on Section S2 in the side adjacent to the later tunnel, which should be main monitored. (2) The maximum values of the vertical deformation and peripheral convergence of the segments were 16.21 and 17.39 mm, separately, both of which were less than two-thirds of the allowable deformation. Therefore, the shield tunnel deformations were within allowable limits. This research results can provide guidance for similar engineering.     

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.     

Pile responses to side-by-side twin tunnelling in stiff clay: Effects of different tunnel depths relative to pile

In densely built areas, the development of underground transportation systems often involves twin tunnels, which are sometimes unavoidably constructed adjacent to existing piled foundations. Because soil stiffness degrades with induced stress release and shear strain during tunnelling, it is vital to investigate the pile responses to subsequent tunnels after the first tunnel in a twin-tunnel transportation system. To gain new insights into single pile responses to side-by-side twin tunnelling in saturated stiff clay, a three-dimensional coupled-consolidation numerical parametric study is carried out. An advanced hypoplasticity (clay) constitutive model with small-strain stiffness is adopted. The effects of each tunnel depth relative to pile are investigated by simulating the twin tunnels either near the mid-depth of the pile shaft or adjacent to or below the pile toe. The model parameters are calibrated against centrifuge test results in stiff clay reported in literature. It is found the second tunnelling in each case resulted in larger settlement than that due to the first tunnelling with a maximum percentage difference of 175% in the case of twin tunnelling near the mid-depth of the shaft. This is because of the degradation of clay stiffness around the pile during the first tunnelling. Conversely, the first tunnelling-induced bending moment was reduced substantially during the second tunnelling. The most critical location of twin tunnels relative to the pile was found to be the tunnels below the pile toe. This is because the entire pile was located within the major influence zone of the twin tunnelling. Two distinct load transfer mechanisms can be identified in the pile, namely downward load transfer in case of tunnels near mid-depth of the pile shaft and next to the pile toe and upward load transfer in case of twin-tunnelling below the pile toe. These two transfer mechanisms can be useful for practitioner to assess the pile performance due to twin tunnelling.     

大断面小净距隧道围岩稳定性数值分析 大断面小净距隧道围岩稳定性数值分析

结合小净距隧道工程特点,分别建立不同跨度小净距隧道有限元计算模型,对隧道施工过程力学特征及围岩稳定性进行对比分析,以研究三车道大断面小净距隧道区别于两车道小净距隧道的基本力学特征。分析结果表明,对应不同隧道跨度、隧道净距和围岩级别对隧道施工过程中围岩稳定性的影响有显著差别,相同隧道净距条件下,三车道小净距隧道围岩应力状态比两车道隧道差,净距越小,差别越大,而围岩质量越低,差别也越显著;另外,在质量较差的围岩中,大断面小净距隧道围岩受力最薄弱部位主要集中在岩柱雁形部,而两车道小净距隧道则为岩柱中部。研究结果可为大断面小净距隧道的设计、施工提供有益的参考。     

Excavation of the Aica-Mules pilot tunnel for the Brenner base tunnel: information gained on water inflows in tunnels in granitic massifs

The construction of the Aica-Mules tunnel, completed in 2010, provides a relevant case history for improving the knowledge of hydrogeological issues related to the excavation of deep tunnels in granitic massifs. The Aica-Mules tunnel is a 10 km-long structure, forming part of the high-speed railway connection between Austria and Italy across the Alpine chain, located at an average depth of 500–1,000 m below the surface. Prior to and during the construction, intense hydrogeological monitoring was set up, allowing the collection of abundant data concerning: (1) the evolution of water inflows into the tunnel; (2) the chemistry and temperature of drained groundwater; and (3) the influence of tunnel drainage on springs. Based on detailed analysis of geological/hydrogeological data, this article provides an insight into the permeability distribution in granitic rocks affected by relevant brittle tectonic deformation, and the consequences of water inflow during excavation. The available time series from the principal water discharges in the tunnel have been used in order to test the reliability of some of the most commonly applied analytical methods for the forecast of water inflows into tunnels.     

Differential Hydrogeological Effects of Draining Tunnels Through the Northern Apennines,Italy

Water inflows are a major challenge in tunnelling and particularly difficult to predict in geological settings consisting of heterogeneous sedimentary rock formations with complex tectonic structure. For a high-speed railway line between Bologna and Florence (Italy), a series of seven railway tunnels was drilled through turbiditic formations, ranging from pelitic rocks with thin arenitic layers over sequences including thick-bedded sandstone to calcareous rocks showing chemical dissolution phenomena (karstification). The tunnels were built as draining tunnels and caused significant impacts, such as drying of springs and base-flow losses at mountain streams. A comprehensive hydrological monitoring programme and four multi-tracer test were done, focusing on four sections of the tunnel system. The tracer tests delivered unprecedented data on groundwater flow and transport in turbiditic aquifers and made it possible to better characterize the differential impacts of tunnel drainage along a geological gradient. The impact radius is 200 m in the thin-bedded sequences but reaches 2.3–4.0 km in calcareous and thick-bedded arenitic turbidites. Linear flow velocities, as determined from the peaks of the tracer breakthrough curves, range from 3.6 m/day in the thin-bedded turbidites to 39 m/day in the calcareous rocks (average values from the four test sites). At several places, discrete fault zones were identified as main hydraulic pathways between impacted streams and draining tunnels. This case shows that ignoring the hydrogeological conditions in construction projects can cause terrible damage, and the study presents an approach to better predict hydraulic impacts of draining tunnels in complex sedimentary rock settings.     

Improving the existing roadway tunnels capacity by adding new tunnels—a structural approach

The roadway tunnel is considered a good solution for the success of modern roadway networks. It can help to overcome possible traffic congestion and considerably reduce journey time. The continuous growth of traffic volumes leads to increase congestion and decrease safety. This leads to the need for extra tunnel space. The extra tunnel space can be achieved either by the widening of the existing tunnel or by adding a new one. The choice of the suitable method is dependent on many factors like tunnels alignment, site conditions, construction method, tunnel operation, risk assessment…etc. The current research investigates the second alternative through a specific case study as an example. The method comprises adding two new tunnels to an existing twin roadway tunnels. The investigated problem considers the new tunnels to be added vertically or horizontally. The influence of the new tunnel construction on the existing tunnels is investigated considering both the variation of relative position and spacing distance in a parametric study context. Several numerical models are employed to check the construction sequence and the tunnelling safety. These models are used to evaluate the induced stresses in surrounding ground for two different soil types, straining actions in tunnels’ liner and deformations of both ground and liner. The result demonstration shows how to find out the minimum practical and safe spacing distance between the driven new tunnels and the existing ones without the need for the relatively expensive soil strengthening techniques.     

Numerical Simulation of Explosion in Twin Tunnel System

Rapid growth of urban population in Indian cities have led traffic congestion leading to demand for scientific utilization of underground space. Immediate underground level and deep level underground below the major arterial roads are the sustainable spaces available for meeting the demand of the future traffic/transport. Due to recent increased transit activities it has become one of the soft targets by terrorists or prone to catastrophic accidents in recent years which have increased the importance of rock structures study under explosive loading. In this paper, the response of a underground metro tunnel subjected dynamic loads have been investigated including explosive capacity (30 kg TNT), ground characteristics, liner thickness and blast pressure characteristics. Blast pressure representing CONWEP air blast loading model with positive over pressure phase was applied to lining of tunnel. A three dimensional explicit finite element method was used to analyze dynamic response and damage in twin tunnels of underground metro. It is found that liner of thickness 28 cm will start deforming at the explosive loading of more than 65 kg TNT.     

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.     

Leaking behavior of shield tunnels under the Huangpu River of Shanghai with induced hazards

The Quaternary deposits in Shanghai primarily consists of a phreatic aquifer group (Aq0) and five artesian aquifers (AqI–AqV) that are separated by six aquitards (AdI–AdVI). In the basin of the Huangpu River, the first artesian aquifer (AqI) is connected to the second artesian aquifer (AqII), forming a 50-m-thick artesian aquifer with a very high groundwater level. The highway tunnels under the Huangpu River of Shanghai are constructed at a maximum depth up to 45 m, within the artesian aquifer. These tunnels are lined with precast reinforced concrete segments without a second lining. Under high water pressure, it is difficult for the single shell linings to achieve water tightness. Different degrees of groundwater leakage have been observed in road tunnels under the Huangpu River. The tunnels constructed before the 1990s have had very serious groundwater leakage (e.g., >1 L/m²/day), and the recently constructed tunnels have leaked less than 0.1 L/m²/day. The factors influencing groundwater leakage include depth below groundwater level, differential settlement of the tunnel, and applied waterproof technologies. The increase in depth leads to a significant increase in groundwater leakage. The differential settlement causes gaps to open and offset between segments, as well as cracking of segments, which can also induce groundwater leakage. According to the analysis of recorded data, the number of leaking points tends to increase with the curvature of the settlement curve. In addition, inappropriate waterproofing materials and poor waterproofing design will also lead to groundwater leakage. Groundwater leakage causes deterioration of the structure, aging of the installations in the tunnels (e.g., facilities and pavements), as well as discomfort for users of the tunnels and adverse environmental impacts. Furthermore, groundwater leakage also causes structural deformation of the tunnel itself, leading to further leakage and hazards.     

An analytical solution for deforming twin‐parallel tunnels in an elastic half plane

The interaction between twin‐parallel tunnels affects the tunnelling‐induced ground deformation, which may endanger the nearby structures. In this paper, an analytical solution is presented for problems in determining displacements and stresses around deforming twin‐parallel tunnels in an elastic half plane, on the basis of complex variable theory. As an example, a uniform radial displacement was assumed as the boundary condition for each of the two tunnels. Special attention was paid to the effects of tunnel depth and spacing between the two tunnels on the surface movement to gain deep insight into the effect of the interaction between twin‐parallel tunnels using the proposed analytical approach. It is revealed that the influence of twin tunnel interaction on surface movements diminishes with both the increase of the tunnel depth and the spacing between the two tunnels. The presented analytical solution manifests that, similar to most of the existing numerical results, the principle of superposition can be applied to determine ground deformation of twin‐parallel tunnels with a certain large depth and spacing; otherwise, the interaction effect between the two tunnels should be taken into account for predicting reliable ground movement. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Study of the influence of geotechnical parameters on the TBM performance in Tehran–Shomal highway project using ANN and SPSS

Alborz twin tunnel along with an exploratory or service tunnel between the two main tunnels, are the longest tunnels section in Tehran–Shomal highway with 6.3 km length. The service tunnel is designed to be used for geological investigations, ventilation, transportation during the construction of main tunnels, water drainage, ground improvement by grouting, and emergency exit. An open tunnel boring machine (TBM) of Wirth Company was used to drive this service tunnel. With regard to the fact that in such mechanized tunneling projects, performance of the TBMs is of the most importance, which affects the economy and timing of the projects; on the other hand, geotechnical conditions of the region play a significant role in this respect, this effect was investigated during this study. In this study, two main elements of the TBM performance including the rate of penetration and utilization factor were investigated using artificial neural network and Statistical Package for Social Sciences. It is shown that geotechnical conditions have considerable effect on the rate of penetration. Whereas, utilization is largely affected by management and non-rock mass-related parameters including delays, wasted times, maintenance, labor, etc. With regard to the available data, four parameters including uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), friction angle, Poisson’s ratio, and cohesion were selected to be studied. Based on assessments conducted using these approaches, the rate of effectiveness of four selected parameters on penetration rate, in a descending order, was as follows: UCS, friction angle, Poisson’s ratio, and cohesion. For increasing utilization, it was concluded that minimizing time delays by good management is the most effective way. Furthermore, with regard to the relative error percentages and the coefficient of correlation of the input and output data, it was concluded that the method artificial neural network yields more reliable results than the statistical approach.     

用地球物理技术对隧道控制爆破的监测与反馈

招宝山公路隧道为大跨度并行超小净距的隧道,两隧道的净距仅为规范规定的1/7~1/10,保护两隧道间夹岩体成为关键技术。采用控制爆破保护岩体是主要措施之一。作者采用声波测量、陆地声纳等测量岩体受爆破破坏的深度及破坏情况,并监测质点振动速度来控制爆破的振动,还通过应变、位移和压力等量测的资料来监视隧道的安全,以选择和判定控制爆破的施工方案、施工顺序、爆破参数。工程获得成功,带来较大的经济效益。     

Prediction of Large Deformation Behavior in Tunnels Based on AHP–FUZZY Method and Numerical Simulation Method

In this paper, two different research methods are applied to predict large deformation behavior in tunnels and take Tianjiashan tunnel as the case study which is located in Xindianping town, Zhejiang city, Hunan province. The paper introduces the basic principle of the analytic hierarchy process and the fuzzy mathematics method, and classifies the influence factors of the large deformation in tunnels into eight kinds (C1–C8). Basing on the AHP–FUZZY method, this paper applies the results into the large deformation prediction analysis of Tianjiashan tunnel. In order to verify the accuracy of the evaluation results of AHP–FUZZY method, a numerical simulation model of DK394 + 625–DK394 + 650 section of Tianjiashan tunnel is established. The results show that the tunnel deformation is very large, and the tunnel excavation is sure to cause large deformation. The numerical simulation result is in accordance with the AHP–FUZZY method. Finally, we track record of occurrence of large deformation during the actual construction in tunnel, and the actual results are coincide with AHP–FUZZY method and numerical simulation results, which reflects the effectiveness of AHP–FUZZY method and numerical simulation method in predicting the large deformation behavior in tunnels.     

Three‐dimensional finite element analysis of the interaction between tunneling and pile foundations

This paper concerns analysis of the impact of construction of urban tunnels on adjacent pile foundations. It is carried out using an elastoplastic three‐dimensional finite element modelling. Numerical simulations are performed in two stages, which concern, respectively, the application of the pile axial loading and the construction of the tunnel in presence of the pile foundations. Analysis is carried out for both single piles and groups of piles. Results of numerical simulations show that tunneling induces significant internal forces in adjacent piles. The distribution of internal forces depends mainly on the position of the pile tip regarding the tunnel horizontal axis and the distance of the pile axis from the centre of the tunnel. Analysis of the interaction between tunneling and a group of piles reveals a positive group effect with a high reduction of the internal forces in rear piles. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electrical imaging of the geoenvironment around water infrastructures in Istanbul city

Subsurface structures from two different districts of Istanbul, hosting waste and freshwater transmission lines, were imaged by geoelectrical method. The environmental impact on Ka??thane-Terkos freshwater transmission line is one of the issues. That waterline underwent a substantial landslide damage. The previous site selection of Ka??thane-Terkos line was only based on surface geological observations. Even though the pipeline was positioned away from the surface scarps of landslides, the pipes were damaged. To find out the reason, we made some vertical electrical sounding measurements using Schlumberger array in the region. We inverted the electrical sounding data using 2D inversion technique. The final geoelectrical images show main landslide failures, at about 10–30 m depth, which are overlain by debris with a resistivity value of with <6 Ω m. The geoelectrical findings reveal that a buried major failure surrounds the surface landslides behind. Consequently, the water infrastructure remains under the influence of landslide. Our second application site was the area of the Sazl?dere tunnel, which will transfer wastewater, polluting Sazl?dere dam, to the treatment plant. The geoelectrical images along Sazl?dere tunnel route show resistive (<100 Ω m) and moderately conductive (≤50 Ω m) structures along the tunnel axis, representing unaltered to highly weathered rocks, respectively. Furthermore, consecutive hidden fault zones which severely affect the construction process of the tunnel are detected and located.     

浅埋大跨小净距隧道断面形态及合理间距的优化研究

对于大跨度小净距隧道而言,合理扁平率及双洞间距的设计对于节约成本,提高隧道线型规划具有至关重要的作用,因此,优化大跨度小净距隧道的扁平率及其间距是隧道设计施工面临的关键问题。利用大型有限元分析软件ABAQUS的标准设计语言Python编程,对某拟建大跨度小净距隧道不同扁平率及其间距进行参数化设计;采用精确罚函数法以及Nelder-Mead优化算法相结合的有限元优化分析计算程序,以隧道开挖面积、围岩塑性区、地表沉降和拱顶下沉等作为优化目标值,对建立的参数化模型进行计算,提出依托工程条件下扁平率及间距的最优组合。研究方法和成果对推动大断面小净距隧道的发展和应用具有重要的现实意义。     

阿里山森林铁路隧道复建工程的设计与施工探讨

2009年8月8日莫拉克台风重创南台湾,嘉义阿里山区72 h的累积雨量高达2 500 mm以上,百年历史的阿里山森林铁道因沿线路基严重流失而停驶。其中两处大崩塌路段的复建工程以顺应自然为原则,采取迂回隧道方式避开崩塌区,需克服沿线地质变化及地下水问题,评估结果是以凿岩机工法及钻爆工法进行开挖。两座隧道的西口段崩积层分别长达109.8、99 m,是隧道开挖阶段的关键地段。隧道开挖支撑设计系依据台湾岩体分类与支撑系统（PCCR系统）及新奥工法的理念,沿线采用先进支撑材料包括超前管棚钢管、桁型钢支护、钢纤维喷射混凝土及自钻式锚杆等,除了可确保施工安全外,亦可提高施工进度。目前两隧道均已贯通且变形量控制均符合安全,说明隧道采用先进支撑方式穿越破碎崩积层段的成效良好,其研究结果可为相关工程设计提供参考。     

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.     

Hydraulic conductivity distribution in crystalline rocks, derived from inflows to tunnels and galleries in the Central Alps, Switzerland

Inflow data from 23 tunnels and galleries, 136 km in length and located in the Aar and Gotthard massifs of the Swiss Alps, have been analyzed with the objective (1) to understand the 3-dimensional spatial distribution of groundwater flow in crystalline basement rocks, (2) to assess the dependency of tunnel inflow rate on depth, tectonic overprint, and lithology, and (3) to derive the distribution of fracture transmissivity and effective hydraulic conductivity at the 100-m scale. Brittle tectonic overprint is shown to be the principal parameter regulating inflow rate and dominates over depth and lithology. The highest early time inflow rate is 1,300 l/s and has been reported from a shallow hydropower gallery intersecting a 200-m wide cataclastic fault zone. The derived lognormal transmissivity distribution is based on 1,361 tunnel intervals with a length of 100 m. Such interval transmissivities range between 10^?9 and 10^?1 m²/s within the first 200–400 m of depth and between 10^?9 and 10^?4 m²/s in the depth interval of 400–1,500 m below ground surface. Outside brittle fault zones, a trend of decreasing transmissivity/hydraulic conductivity with increasing depth is observed for some schistous and gneissic geological units, whereas no trend is identified for the granitic units.