• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.25-31
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• 2023

Wide tunnels,such as those with high filling, can suffer limited applicability and also reduced structural stability. Therefore, to improve these limitations of precast cut-and-cover tunnel segments, this study proposes rib reinforcement of the vaults of the precast segments. Large-sized experiments assess the effectiveness of the various rib-reinforced precast arch cut-and-cover tunnel structures, and compare them against otherwise similar non-rib-reinforced specimens. The results show that the rib-reinforced precast cut-and-cover segments are suitable for building wide tunnels with high filling.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.89 no.1
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• pp.47-59
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• 2024

In this study, a new sustainable material was proposed to prepare precast tunnel lining segments (TLS), which were produced using a fiber-reinforced slag-based geopolymer composite. Slag was used as the geopolymer binder. In addition, polypropylene and carbon fibers were added to reinforce TLSs. TLSs were examined in terms of flexural performance, load-deflection response, ductility, toughness, crack characteristics, and tunnel boring machine (TBM) thrust force. Simultaneously, numerical simulation was performed using finite element analysis. The mechanical characteristics of the geopolymer composite with a fiber content of 1% were used. The results demonstrated that the flexural performance and load-deflection response of the precast TLSs were satisfactory. Furthermore, the numerical results were capable of predicting and realistically capturing the structural behavior of precast TLSs. Therefore, fiber-reinforced slag-based geopolymer composites can be applied as precast TLSs.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.69-79
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• 2022

For long underground box utility tunnels, post-tensioned precast concrete is often used. Between precast tunnel segments, sealed waterproof flexible joints are often specified. Fault displacement can lead to excessive deformation of the joints, which can lead to reduction in waterproofing due to diminished contact pressure between the sealant strip and the tunnel segment. This paper authenticates utilization of a finite element model for a prefabricated tunnel fault-crossing founded on ABAQUS software. In addition, material parameter selection, contact setting and boundary condition are reviewed. Analyzed under normal fault action are: the influence of fault displacement; buried depth; soil friction coefficient, and angle of crossing at the fault plane. In addition, distribution characteristics of the utility tunnel structure for vertical and longitudinal/horizontal relative displacement at segmented interface for the top and bottom slab are analyzed. It is found that the effect of increase in fault displacement on the splice joint deformation is significant, whereas the effects of changes in burial depth, pipe-soil friction coefficient and fault-crossing angle on the overall tunnel and joint deformations were not so significant.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.13-18
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• 2023

Cast-in-place concrete lining is commonly used in tunnel lining, but cast-in-place concrete lining has problems with construction and quality control. Precast segment lining is being used to solve these problems. In general, precast segment lining is known to have improved durability and easy maintenance such as rehabilitation of structures. This study compared the durability of 22 tunnel linings constructed with precast segments or cast-in-place reinforced concrete.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.95-105
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• 2014

Reinforced concrete (RC) shield tunnel lining must be designed for fireproof performance because the lining is sometimes exposed to very high temperature due to traffic accidents. Both experimental and numerical studies are carried out to evaluate fire resistance performance of precast RC tunnel lining systems. In the experimental studies, six full-scale precast RC tunnel segments are exposed to fire in order to examine the influence of various parameters on the fire resistance performance of precast RC tunnel lining. We used the temperature curve of the RABT criteria, which are severe conditions of fire temperatures. The fire test showed that the explosive spalling was not observed by substituting concrete to PP fiber reinforced concrete. A transient heat flow analysis was carried out in consideration of the material properties that change with temperature, and the results showed good agreement with the test results.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.215-223
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• 2013

An experimental research on the possibility of using fiber reinforced concrete precast tunnel segments instead of traditional reinforced concrete(RC) segment has been performed in europe. This solution allows removing the traditional reinforcement with several advantages in terms of quality and cost reduction. Full-scale bending tests were carried out in order to compare the behaviour of the segments under flexural actions on both rebar reinforced concrete and rebar-fiber reinforced elements. The test results showed that the fiber reinforced concrete can substitute the traditional reinforcement; in particular the segment performance is improved by the fiber presence, mainly in terms of crack.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.84 no.2
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• pp.285-293
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• 2022

Lumped damage mechanics (LDM) is a recent nonlinear theory with several applications to civil engineering structures, such as reinforced concrete and steel buildings. LDM apply key concepts of classic fracture and damage mechanics on plastic hinges. Therefore, the lumped damage models are quite successful in reproduce actual structural behaviour using concepts well-known by engineers in practice, such as ultimate moment and first cracking moment of reinforced concrete elements. So far, lumped damage models are based in the strain energy equivalence hypothesis, which is one of the fictitious states where the intact material behaviour depends on a damage variable. However, there are other possibilities, such as the energy equivalence hypothesis. Such possibilities should be explored, in order to pursue unique advantages as well as extend the LDM framework. Therewith, a lumped damage model based on the energy equivalence hypothesis is proposed in this paper. The proposed model was idealised for reinforced concrete structures, where a damage variable accounts for concrete cracking and the plastic rotation represents reinforcement yielding. The obtained results show that the proposed model is quite accurate compared to experimental responses.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.93-106
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• 2021

In general, segment lining tunnel refers to a tunnel formed by connecting precast concrete segments as a ring and connecting such rings to each other in the longitudinal direction of the tunnel. As the structural properties of the segment lining is highly dependent on the behavior of the segment joints, thus correct modelling of joint behavior is crucial to understand and design the segment tunnel lining. When the tunnel is subjected to ground loads, the segment joint behaves like a hinge that resists rotation, and when the induced moment exceeds a certain limit of the rotation then it may enter into non-linear field. In understanding the effect of the segment joint on the lining behavior, a moment-rotation relationship of the segment joint was explored based on the Japanese practice and Janssen's approach commonly used in the actual design. This study also presents a method to determine the rotational stiffness of joint refer to the bearing strength. The rotation of the segment joint was estimated in virtual design conditions based on the existing models and the proposed method. And the sectional force of the segment lining and joint were calculated along with the estimated rotation. As the rotation at the segment joint increases, the joint contact area decreases, so the designer have to verify the segment joint for bearing strength as well. This paper suggests a consistent method to determine the rotational stiffness and bearing strength of joints.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1125-1146
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• 2018

Segment lining applied to the TBM tunnel is mainly made of concrete, and it requires sufficient structural capacity to resist loads received during the construction and also after the completion. When segment lining is design to the Limit State Design, both Ultimate Limit State (ULS) and Service Limit State (SLS) should be met for the possible load cases that covers both permanent and temporary load cases - such as load applied by TBM. When design segment lining, it is important to check structural capacity at the joints as both temporary and permanent loads are always transferred through the segment joints, and sometimes the load applied to the joint is high enough to damage the segment - so called bursting failure. According to the various design guides from UK (PAS 8810, 2016), compression stress at the joint surface can generate bursting failure of the segment. This is normally from the TBM's jacking force applied at the circumferential joint, and the lining's hoop thrust generated from the permanent loads applied at the radial joint. Therefore, precast concrete segment lining's joints shall be designed to have sufficient structural capacity to resist bursting stresses generated by the TBM's jacking force and by the hoop thrust. In this study, bursting stress at the segment joints are calculated, and the joint's structural capacity was assessed using Leonhardt (1964) and FEM analysis for three different design cases. For those three analysis cases, hoop thrust at the radial joint was calculated with the application of the most widely used limit state design codes Eurocode and AASHTO LRFD (2017). For the circumferential joints bursting design, an assumed TBM jack force was used with considering of the construction tolerance of the segments and the eccentricity of the jack's position. The analysis results show reinforcement is needed as joint bursting stresses exceeds the allowable tensile strength of concrete. This highlights that joint bursting check shall be considered as a mandatory design item in the limit state design of the segment lining.