• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.181-187
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• 2003

This paper describes a study of the influence of shield tunnel construction on the displacements and stresses induced in the linings of existing nearby parallel tunnels. The paper presents a brief review of a set of laboratory scale model research programme investigating the influence of tunnel proximity and alignment, liner stiffness on the nature of the interactions between closely spaced tunnels in clay. A total of two sets of carefully controlled physical model tests were performed. A cylindrical test tank was developed and used to produce clay samples of Speswhite kaolin. In each of the tests, three model tunnels were installed in order to conduct two interaction exts that have been carried out to investigate the interaction problem between parallel tunnels. The results of these tests are compared with the results of finite element analysis to investigate the techniques that must be used to obtain reliable numerical solutions to this type of problem.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.531-546
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• 2022

Ground displacements caused by the construction of overlapping twin shield tunnels with small turning radius are complex, especially under special geological conditions of construction. To investigate the ground displacements caused due to shield machines in the unique calcareous sand layers in Israel for the first time and determine the main factors affecting the ground displacements, field monitoring, laboratory geological analysis, theoretical calculations, and parameter studies were adopted. By using rod extensometers, inclinometers, total stations, and automatic segment-displacement monitors, subsurface tunneling-induced displacement, surface settlement, and displacement of the down-track tunnel segments caused by the construction of an up-track tunnel were analyzed. The up-track tunnel and the down-track tunnel pass through different stratum, resulting in different construction parameters and ground displacements. The laws of variation of thrust and torque, soil pressure in the chamber, excavated soil quantity, synchronous grouting pressure, and grout volume of the two tunnels from parallel to fully overlapping orientations were compared. The thrust and torque of the shield in the fine sand are larger than those in the Kurkar layer, and the grouting amount in fine sand is unstable. According to fuzzy statistics and Gaussian curve fitting of the shield tunneling speed, the tunneling speed in the Kurkar stratum is twice that in the fine-sand stratum.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.215-224
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• 2019

Excavation of long tunnels by shielded TBMs is a safe, fast, and efficient method of tunneling that mitigates many risks related to ground conditions. However, long-distance tunneling in great depth through adverse geological conditions brings about limitations in the application of TBMs. Among various harsh geological conditions, squeezing ground as a consequence of tunnel wall and face convergence could lead to cluttered blocking, shield jamming and in some cases failure in the support system. These issues or a combination of them could seriously hinder the performance of TBMs. The technique of excavation has a strong influence on the tunnel response when it is excavated under squeezing conditions. The Golab water conveyance tunnel was excavated by a double-shield TBM. This tunnel passes mainly through metamorphic weak rocks with up to 650 m overburden. These metamorphic rocks (Shales, Slates, Phyllites and Schists) together with some fault zones are incapable of sustaining high tangential stresses. Prediction of the convergence, estimation of the creeping effects and presenting strategies to overcome the squeezing ground are regarded as challenging tasks for the tunneling engineer. In this paper, the squeezing potential of the rock mass is investigated in specific regions by dint of numerical and analytical methods. Subsequently, several operational solutions which were conducted to counteract the challenges are explained in detail.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.84 no.5
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• pp.699-706
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• 2022

Settlement control techniques are critical for the safety of shield tunnel constructions, especially for facing complex situations. In this study, the shield tunnel structure from Huaita east road station to Heping Road station in Xuzhou metro No.3 line (China) is taken as engineering background, which has various complex problems of the upper-soft and lower-hard composite stratum conditions, twin curve shield tunnels, and underpass the foundation of the piled raft. The deformation characteristics of shield tunnelling passing through buildings are explored. Subsequently, comprehensive research methods of numerical simulation and field measurement are adopted to analyzing the effectiveness of settlement control by using the top grouting technique. The results show that the settlement of the buildings has obvious spatial characteristics, and the hysteresis effect can be obviously observed in soil deformation caused by shield construction. Meanwhile, the two shield constructions can cause repeated disturbances, reducing the soil deformation's hysteresis effect. Moreover, the shield tunnel's differential settlement is too large when a single line passes through, and the shield construction of the outer curve can cause more significant disturbance in the tunnel than the inside curve. Notably, the proposed process control parameters and secondary topgrouting method can effectively control the deformation of the shield tunnel, especially for the long-term deformation.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.201-220
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• 2023

Power cable tunnels is one of the underground structures meant for electricity transmission and are constructed using shield TBM method when transitting across urban and subsea regions. With the increasing shaft depth for tunnels excavation when the shield TBM excavated the rock mass, the review of selecting closed-type shield TBM in rocks becomes necessary. A simplified shield TBM design method is also necessary based on conventional geotechnical survey results. In this respect, design method and related design program are developed based on combined results of full-scale tests, considerable amount of accumulated TBM data, and numerical simulation results. In order to validate the program results, excavation data of a completed power cable tunnel project are utilized. Thrust force, torque, and power of shield TBM specification are validated using Kernel density concept which estimates the population data. The robustness of design expertise is established through this research which will help in stable provision of electricity supply.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.325-337
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• 2021

On the road and rail tunnels, the evacuation pathway and facilities such as smoke-control and fire suppression system are essential in tunnel fire. In the long twin tunnels, the cross-connection tunnel is usually designed to evacuate from the tunnel where the fire broke out to the other tunnel. In twin shield tunnels, the segment lining has to be demolished to construct the cross-connection tunnel. Considering the modern shield TBM is mostly the closed chamber type, the exposure of underground soil induced by removal of steel segment lining is the most danger construction step in the shield tunnel construction. This case study introduces the excavation method using the thrust of large steel pipe and reviews the measured data after the construction. The large steel pipe thrust method for the cross-connection tunnel can stabilize the excavated face with the two mechanisms. Firstly, the soil in front of excavated face is cylindrically pre-supported by the large steel pipe. Secondly, the excavated face is supported by the plugging effect caused by the soil pressed into the steel pipe. It was reviewed that the large steel pipe thrust method in the cross-connection tunnel is enough to secure the construct ability and stability in soil from the measurement results about the deformation and stress of steel pipe.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.29-39
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• 2023

As the intensity of urban underground space development increases, more and more tunnels are planned and constructed, and sometimes it is inevitable to encounter situations where tunnels have to underpass the river embankments. Most previous studies involved tunnels passing river embankments perpendicularly or with large intersection angle. In this study, a project case where two EPB shield tunnels with 8.82 m diameter run parallelly underneath a river embankment was reported. The parallel length is 380 m and tunnel were mainly buried in the moderate / slightly weathered clastic rock layer. The field monitoring result was presented and discussed. Three-dimensional back-analysis were then carried out to gain a better understanding the interaction mechanisms between shield tunnel and embankment and further to predict the ultimate settlement of embankment due to twin-tunnel excavation. Parametrical studies considering effect of tunnel face pressure, tail grouting pressure and volume loss were also conducted. The measured embankment settlement after the single tunnel excavation was 4.53 mm ~ 7.43 mm. Neither new crack on the pavement or cavity under the roadbed was observed. It is found that the more degree of weathering of the rock around the tunnel, the greater the embankment settlement and wider the settlement trough. Besides, the latter tunnel excavation might cause larger deformation than the former tunnel excavation if the mobilized plastic zone overlapped. With given geometry and stratigraphic condition in this study, the safety or serviceability of the river embankment would hardly be affected since the ultimate settlement of the embankment after the twin-tunnel excavation is within the allowable limit. Reasonable tunnel face pressure and tail grouting pressure can to some extent suppress the settlement of the embankment. The recommended tunnel face pressure and tail grouting pressure are 300 kPa and 550 kPa in this study, respectively. However, the volume loss plays the crucial role in the tunnel-embankment interaction. Controlling and compensating the tunneling induced volume loss is the most effective measure for river embankment protection. Additionally, reinforcing the embankment with cement mixing pile in advance is an alternative option in case the predicted settlement exceeds allowable limit.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.217-223
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• 1999

Mostly, water leakage took place in construction joints. In case of cable tunnels constructed by open-cut method, waterstops have been used to prevent the water leakage. But, we haven't any experience to install the waterstops in NATM cable tunnels. So, it is necessary to develope the waterstops and test the performance of it in laboratory. We manufactured cable tunnel lining quarter scale model by pouring concrete, and installed the waterstops. After filling the inside of concrete lining about two-third with water, we put the air pressure on the water, In addition, it is also carried out water leakage test for concrete lining model without waterstops. As a result, we confirmed the performance of waterstops and its adaptability. It is also tested that the performance of rubber gaskets used in concrete segments of Shield tunnelling. In addition, we determined the allowable infiltration rate for cable tunnel with non-drainage system.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.32-35
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• 2004

In recent years a number of catastrophic tunnel fires, the Euro tunnel, the Mont Blanc tunnel, the Tauem tunnel and the Gotthard tunnel, have occurred and inflicted serious damages to European countries. If a fire occurs in shield tunnels, the reinforced concrete segment linings playing as an important structural member is expected to damage severely and finally can be caused the collapse of tunnel. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of concrete segment lining under heat exposure and to obtain information to assist a new technical approach to fighting fires in tunnels. In order to evaluate the fire-resistance performance of concrete segment by adding Polypropylene fibers, fire tests using the RABT heat-load curve is carried out. The temperature rise of this curve is very rapid up to $1200^{\circ}C$ within 5 minutes, and duration time of the $1200^{\circ}C$ exposure is 55 minutes. From the fire test, it was found that the explosive spalling was rapidly reduced by adding polypropylene fibers and this method is considered as an effective fireproof material to upgrade fire safety in tunnels economically.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.55-65
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• 2014

Most shield tunnels are designed based on the assumption of a undrained condition. But they are operated as drained tunnels in which underground water flows and passes through a drainage facility. Therefore, it is necessary that the drainage condition be considered in the shield tunnel design. In this research, new testing device which can simulate the underground tunnel located below ground water level, was developed. Total stress and pore water pressure were examined and an inflow water into an inner pipe was measured using the testing device. Test results showed that the total stress, which was the sum of effective stress and pore pressure, increased more in an undrained condition and an inflow water into an inner pipe was proportional to the water pressure but inversely proportional to the loading stress. Consequently, if the drainage is considered in the shield tunnel design, the more economical design can be expected because of the stress reduction of the lining.