• Advances in concrete construction
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• 제11권5호
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• pp.375-386
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• 2021

In this paper, a study of stability and health of a newly-built railway tunnel is presented. The field test was implemented to monitor the secondary lining due to the significant cracking behaviors influenced the stability and health of the tunnel structure. Surface strain gauges were installed for monitoring the status of crack openings, and the monitoring outputs demonstrated that the cracks were still in the developing stage. Additionally, adjacent tunnel and poor condition of surrounding rock were identified as the causes of the lining cracking by systematically characterizing the crack spatial distribution, tunnel site and surrounding rock conditions. Reconstruction of partial lining and reconstruction of the whole secondary lining were designed as the maintenance projects for different cracking regions based on the construction feasibility. For assessing the health conditions of the reinforced lining, embedded strain gauges were set up to continuously measure the strain and the internal force of the reconstructed structures. For the partially reconstructed lining, the outputs show the maximum tensile elongation is 0.018 mm during 227 days, which means the structure has no obvious deformation after maintenance. The one-year monitoring of full-section was implemented in the other two completely reconstructed cross-sections by embedded strain gauge. The outputs show the reconstructed secondary lining has undertaken the pressure of surrounding rock with the time passing. According to the calculated compressive and tensile safety factors, the completely reconstructed lining has been in reliable and safe condition during the past year after reinforcement. It can conclude that the aforementioned maintenance projects can effectively ensure the stability and health of this tunnel.

• 터널과지하공간
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.58-64
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• 1997

A pilot plant of underground cold storage for food has been excavated as a R&D program. For the stability assessment of underground cold storage opeinengs in shallow jointed rocks, three kinds of stability problems were analyzed by numerical methods. For the analysis of unstability by rock block movements, DEM was used considering the statistical distribution of rock joints. Concerning thermally induced cracking, FDM was used with thermomechanical stress analysis. Finally, in order to evaluate the joint failure during the thawing process, BE algorithm was applied. Numerical examples applied for the pilot plant show that the possibility of unstable failure of opeings exists but can be avoided with proper rock reinforcements provided.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.333-342
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• 2019

Geological dynamic hazards during coal mining can be caused by the failure of a composite system consisting of roof rock and coal layers, subject to different loading rates due to different advancing velocities in the working face. In this paper, the uniaxial compression test simulations on the composite rock-coal layers were performed using $PFC^{2D}$ software and especially the effects of loading rate on the stress-strain behavior, strength characteristics and crack nucleation, propagation and coalescence in a composite layer were analyzed. In addition, considering the composite layer, the mechanisms for the advanced bore decompression in coal to prevent the geological dynamic hazards at a rapid advancing velocity of working face were explored. The uniaxial compressive strength and peak strain are found to increase with the increase of loading rate. After post-peak point, the stress-strain curve shows a steep stepped drop at a low loading rate, while the stress-strain curve exhibits a slowly progressive decrease at a high loading rate. The cracking mainly occurs within coal, and no apparent cracking is observed for rock. While at a high loading rate, the rock near the bedding plane is damaged by rapid crack propagation in coal. The cracking pattern is not a single shear zone, but exhibits as two simultaneously propagating shear zones in a "X" shape. Following this, the coal breaks into many pieces and the fragment size and number increase with loading rate. Whereas a low loading rate promotes the development of tensile crack, the failure pattern shows a V-shaped hybrid shear and tensile failure. The shear failure becomes dominant with an increasing loading rate. Meanwhile, with the increase of loading rate, the width of the main shear failure zone increases. Moreover, the advanced bore decompression changes the physical property and energy accumulation conditions of the composite layer, which increases the strain energy dissipation, and the occurrence possibility of geological dynamic hazards is reduced at a rapid advancing velocity of working face.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제34권1호
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• pp.1-15
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• 2023

This study conducts uniaxial compression tests on intact and single crack-contained rocks to investigate the time-frequency domain characteristics of acoustic emission (AE) signals monitored during the deformation failure process. A processing approach, short-time Fourier transform (STFT), is performed to obtain the evolution characteristics of time-frequency domain of AE signals. The AE signal modes at different deformation stages of rocks are different. Five modes of AE signal are observed during the cracking process of rocks. The evolution characteristics of time-frequency domain of AE signals processed by STFT can be utilized to evaluate the damage process of rocks. The difference of time-frequency domain characteristics between intact and cracked rocks is comparatively analyzed. The distribution characteristics of frequency changing from a single band-shaped cluster to multiple band-shaped clusters can be regarded as an early warning information of damage and failure of rocks. Meanwhile, the attenuation of frequency enables the exploration of rock failure trends.

• 터널과지하공간
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.235-252
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• 2016

본 연구에서는 다각형 입자 기반 개별요소모델을 이용하여 실험실 스케일에서 등방성, 횡등방성 암석의 거동과 점진적 파괴 과정을 모델링할 수 있는 시뮬레이션 기법을 구축하였다. 가압에 따른 미세균열의 개시와 성장 과정을 모니터링할 수 있는 기법을 제안하였으며, 이를 통해 전단균열과 인장균열의 개시와 성장이 암석의 점진적 파괴 과정에 미치는 영향을 살펴보았다. 다각형 입자기반 개별요소모델의 거동 및 미세균열의 발생 양상은 실험실에서 관찰되는 암석의 일반적인 특징과 상당 부분 일치하는 것으로 나타났으며, 이를 통해 상기 모델이 암석의 역학적 거동을 합리적인 수준에서 재현할 수 있음을 확인하였다. 다각형 입자기반 개별요소모델에 대한 기초연구로서 접촉면의 미시변수와 시료의 거시물성 간의 상관관계를 살펴보았으며, 미시변수를 조정함으로써 다양한 암석의 강도와 변형 특성을 재현하였다. 한편, 상기 모델을 횡등방성 암석을 모사하기 위한 방법론을 제시하였으며, 이를 국내 횡등방성 암석인 아산편마암에 적용하여 근소한 오차 범위 내에서 실내시험 결과를 재현하였다.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.285-296
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• 2020

Dams are important structures for management of water supply for irrigation or drinking, flood control, and electricity generation. In seismic regions, the structural safety of concrete gravity dams is important due to the high potential of life and economic loss if they fail. Therefore, the seismic analysis of existing dams in seismically active regions is crucial for predicting responses of dams to ground motions. In this paper, earthquake response of concrete gravity dams is investigated using the finite element (FE) method. The FE model accounts for dam-water-foundation rock interaction by considering compressible water, flexible foundation effects, and absorptive reservoir bottom materials. Several uncertainties regarding structural attributes of the dam and external actions are considered to obtain the fragility curves of the dam-water-foundation rock system. The structural uncertainties are sampled using the Latin Hypercube Sampling method. The Pine Flat Dam in the Central Valley of Fresno County, California, is selected to demonstrate the methodology for several limit states. The fragility curves for base sliding, and excessive deformation limit states are obtained by performing non-linear time history analyses. Tensile cracking including the complex state of stress that occurs in dams was also considered. Normal, Log-Normal and Weibull distribution types are considered as possible fits for fragility curves. It was found that the effect of the minimum principal stress on tensile strength is insignificant. It is also found that the probability of failure of tensile cracking is higher than that for base sliding of the dam. Furthermore, the loss of reservoir control is unlikely for a moderate earthquake.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제23권6호
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• pp.587-600
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• 2020

Shear-induced instability of jointed rock mass has greatly threatened the safety of underground openings. To better understand the failure mechanism of surrounding rock mass under shear, the flawed specimens containing a circular opening and two open joints are prepared and used to conduct direct shear tests. Both experimental and numerical results show that joint inclination (β) has a significant effect on the shear strength, dilation, cracking behavior and stress distribution around flaws. The maximum shear strength, occurring at β=30°, usually corresponds to a unifrom stress state around joint and an intense energy release. However, a larger joint inclination, such as β=90°~150°, will cause a more uneven stress distribution and a stronger stress concentration, thus a lower shear strength. The stress distribution around opening changes little with joint inclination, while the magnitude varys much. Both compression and tension around opening will be greatly enhanced by the 30°-joints. In addition, a higher normal stress tends to enhance the compression and suppress the tension around flaws, resulting in an earlier generation and a larger proportion of shear cracks.

• 터널과지하공간
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.101-121
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• 1996

The thermomechanical characteristics of rocks such as temperature dependency of strength and deformation were experimentally investigated using Iksan granite, Cheonan tonalite and Chung-ju dolomite for proper design and stability analysis of underground structures subjected to temperature changes. For the temperature below critical threshold temperature $T_c$, the variation of uniaxial compressive strength, Young's modulus, Brazilian tensile strength and cohesion with temperature were slightly different for each rock type, but these mechanical properties decreased at the temperatures above $T_c$ by the effect of thermal cracking. Tensile strength was most affected by $T_c$, and uniaxial compressive strength was least affected by $T_c$. To the temperature of 20$0^{\circ}C$ with the confining prressure to 150 kg/$\textrm{cm}^2$, failure limit on principal stress plane and failure envelope on $\sigma$-$\tau$ plane of Iksan granite were continuously lowered with increasing temperature but those of Cheonan tonalite and Chung-ju dolomite showed different characteristics depending on minor principal stress on principal stress plane and normal stress on $\sigma$-$\tau$ plane. The reason for this appeared to be the effect of rock characteristics and confining pressure. Young's modulus was also temperature and pressure dependent, but the variation of Young's modulus was about 10%, which was small compared to the variation of compressive strength. In general, Young's modulus increased with increasing confining pressure and increased or decreased with increasing temperature to 20$0^{\circ}C$ depending on the rock type.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.371-377
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• 2020

There are currently three common methods for selecting excavation supports in Polish hard coal mines. While many factors are considered when choosing appropriate support, these do not include layering or cracking in the excavation ceiling. Although global classifications of rock mass are rarely used in hard coal mines, they are utilised much more frequently during the construction of underground structures such as tunnels. Mining classifications of rock mass have been developed (e.g., in Germany) and they rely on a number of factors but are often related to local mining and geological conditions. This paper discusses the selected findings of a study carried out on seven excavation sites with diverse mining and geological characteristics. Based on the collected data, two indicators were developed to describe rock mass quality. The first indicator is referred to as the roof lithology index WL and describes the quality of the excavation roof in terms of its layering and lithology. The second indicator is the crack intensity factor n and represents the amount of cracks in an excavation's roof. The correctness of the developed indicators was supported by reliable data from the excavation in which the designed support did not fulfill its task but was changed at a later stage, after calculating the proposed indicators.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.345-352
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• 2022

When rock burst occurs, the damaged coal, rock and other fragments can be ejected to the roadway at a speed of up to 10 m/s. It is extremely harmful to personnel and mining equipment, and seriously affects the mining activities. In order to study the energy evolution characteristics, especially kinetic energy, in the process of rock mass failure, this paper first analyzes the energy changes of the rock in different stages under uniaxial compression. The formula of the kinetic energy of rock sample considering the energy from the indenter of the testing machine is obtained. Then, the uniaxial compression tests with different stiffness ratios of the indenter and rock sample are simulated by numerical simulation. The kinetic energy U_d, elastic strain energy U_e, friction energy U_f, total input energy U and surface energy U_θ of crack cracking are analyzed. The results show that: The stiffness ratio has influence on the peak strength, peak strain, U_d, U_e, U_θ, U_f and U of rock samples. The variation trends of strength, strain and energy with stiffness are different. And when the stiffness ratio increases to a certain value, if the stiffness of the indenter continues to increase, it will have no longer effect on the rock sample.