• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.411-424
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• 2019

In this study, a numerical model of a shield tunnel with an assembled segmental lining was built. The seismic response of the segmental lining of the section of the shield tunnel in Line 1 of the Chengdu Metro is analyzed as it passes through the interface of sand-cobble and mudstone layers. To do so, the node-stress seismic-motion input method was used to input the seismic motion measured during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, and the joint openings and dislocations associated with the earthquake action were obtained. With reference to the Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer (EPDM) sealing gaskets used in the shield tunnels in the Chengdu Metro, numerical simulation was applied to analyze the contact pressure along the seepage paths and the waterproof property under different joint openings and dislocations. A laboratory test on the elastic sealing gasket was also conducted to study its waterproof property. The test results accord well with the numerical results and the occurrence of water seepage in the section of the shield tunnel in Line 1 of the Chengdu Metro during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake was verified. These research results demonstrate the deformation of segmental joint under earthquake, also demonstrate the relationship between segmental joint deformation and waterproof property.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.417-426
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• 2024

Shield tunneling method is widely used to build tunnels in complex geological environment. Stability control of tunnel face is the key to the safety of projects. To improve the excavation efficiency or perform equipment maintenance, the excavation chamber sometimes is not fully filled with support medium, which can reduce the load and increase tunneling speed while easily lead to ground collapse. Due to the high risk of the face failure under non-fully support mode, the tunnel face stability should be carefully evaluated. Whether compressive air is required for compensation and how much air pressure should be provided need to be determined accurately. Based on the upper bound theorem of limit analysis, a non-fully support rotational failure model is developed in this study. The failure mechanism of the model is verified by numerical simulation. It shows that increasing the density of supporting medium could significantly improve the stability of tunnel face while the increase of tunnel diameter would be unfavorable for the face stability. The critical support ratio is used to evaluate the face failure under the nonfully support mode, which could be an important index to determine whether the specific unsupported height could be allowed during shield tunneling. To avoid of face failure under the non-fully support mode, several charts are provided for the assessment of compressed air pressure, which could help engineers to determine the required air pressure for face stability.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.453-463
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• 2007

Terzaghi's tunnel pressure theory is generally used to estimate primary design pressures on tunnel support for shield and urban NATM tunnels until now. A trial is made in this paper to investigate the interaction between the ground deformation behavior and Terzaghi's tunnel pressure, which assumes pound's limit (or critical) state, by considering results of 'Terzaghi's tunnel pressure theory. two-dimensional reduced-scale model tunnel tests and nonlinear numerical analysis based on strain softening modeling. A full understanding between tunnel pressure and ground deformation behavior under the tunnel excavation and an effective utilization of this interaction lead to an economical tunnel support design and a safe construction of tunnel.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.61 no.5
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• pp.593-603
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• 2017

A high-efficiency simplified modelling approach is proposed for investigating the nonlinear responses of reinforced concrete linings of shield tunnels. Material and geometric nonlinearities are considered in the analysis of the lining structures undergoing large deformation before ultimately losing the load-carrying capacity. A beam-spring element model is developed to capture the force-transfer mechanism between lining segments and radial joints. The developed model is validated by comparing analyzed results to experimental results of a single-ring lining structure under two loading conditions: the ground overloading and the lateral unloading respectively. The results show that the lining structure under the lateral unloading due to excavation on the both sides of the tunnel is more vulnerable compared to the case of ground overloading on the top of the tunnel. A parameter study is conducted and results indicate that the lateral pressure coefficient has the greatest influence on the behaviour of the lining structure.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.59-73
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• 2021

There frequently exists inadequacy regarding the number of boreholes installed along tunnel alignment. While geophysical imaging techniques are available for pre-tunnelling geological characterization, they aim to detect specific object (e.g., water body and karst cave). There remains great motivation for the industry to develop a real-time identification technology relating complex geological conditions with the existing tunnelling parameters. This study explores the potential for the use of machine learning-based data driven approaches to identify the change in geology during tunnel excavation. Further, the feasibility for machine learning-based anomaly detection approaches to detect the development of clayey clogging is also assessed. The results of an application of the machine learning-based approaches to Xi'an Metro line 4 are presented in this paper where two tunnels buried in the water-rich sandy soils at depths of 12-14 m are excavated using a 6.288 m diameter EPB shield machine. A reasonable agreement with the measurements verifies their applicability towards widening the application horizon of machine learning-based approaches.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.91-111
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• 2024

Most of utility cable tunnels are constructed utilizing shield TBM as part of the underground transmission line project. The TBM chamber is the only space inside the tunnel that encounters rock and soil, and is the place with the highest frequency of accident exposure, such as collapse and collision accidents. Since there is currently no way to measure the disc cutter wear from outside the chamber, frequent inspection by workers is essential. Accordingly, in this study, in order to prevent safety accidents inside the TBM chamber and expect the effect of shortening the construction period by reducing the number of chamber openings, the concept of disk cutter wear measurement technology was established and a prototype was produced. By considering prior technology and determining that magnetic sensors are most suitable for the excavation environment, wear measurement sensor package were developed integrating magnetic sensors, wireless communication modules, power supply, external casing, and monitoring systems. To verify the performance of the prototype in an actual excavation environment, a full-scale tunnelling test was performed using a 3.6 m EPB shield TBM. Based on the full-scale tests, five prototypes were operated normally among eight prototypes. It was analyzed that sensor measurement, wireless communication, and durability performance were secured within a maximum thrust of 3,000 kN and a rotation speed of 1.5 RPM.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.513-525
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• 2018

A 3 dimensional numerical analysis for shield TBM tunnel should take into account various characteristics of the shield TBM excavation, such as gap, tail void, segment installation, and backfill injection. However, analysis method considering excavation characteristics are generally mixed with various method, resulting in concern of consistency and reliability degradation of the analytical results. In this paper, a parametric study is carried out by using actually measured ground settlement data on various methods that can be used for 3 dimensional numerical analysis of shield TBM tunneling. As a result, we have analyzed and arranged an analytical method to predict similarly the behavior of ground settlement and tunnel face pressure at the design stage. Skin plate pressure, backfill pressure and soil model have been identified as the most significant influences on the ground settlement. The grout pressure model is considered to be applicable when there is no volume loss information on the excavated ground, such as seabed tunnels, or when it is important to identify the behavior around a tunnel, such as surface settlement as well as face pressure. And it is considered that designers can use these guidelines as a base material to perform a reasonable 3 dimensional numerical analysis that reflects the ground conditions and the features of the shield TBM tunneling.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.583-603
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• 2023

Recently, the advancement of mechanical tunnel boring machine (TBM) technology and the characteristics of subsea railway tunnels subjected to hydrostatic pressure have led to the widespread application of shield TBM methods in the design and construction of subsea railway tunnels. Subsea railway tunnels are exposed in a constant pore water pressure and are influenced by the amplification of seismic waves during earthquake. In particular, seismic loads acting on subsea railway tunnels under various ground conditions such as soft ground, soft soil-rock composite ground, and fractured zones can cause significant changes in tunnel displacement and stress, thereby affecting tunnel safety. Additionally, the dynamic response of the ground and tunnel varies based on seismic load parameters such as frequency characteristics, seismic waveform, and peak acceleration, adding complexity to the behavior of the ground-tunnel structure system. In this study, a finite difference method is employed to model the entire ground-tunnel structure system, considering hydrostatic pressure, for the investigation of dynamic behavior of subsea railway tunnel during earthquake. Since the key factors influencing the dynamic behavior during seismic events are ground conditions and seismic waves, six analysis cases are established based on virtual ground conditions: Case-1 with weathered soil, Case-2 with hard rock, Case-3 with a composite ground of soil and hard rock in the tunnel longitudinal direction, Case-4 with the tunnel passing through a narrow fault zone, Case-5 with a composite ground of soft soil and hard rock in the tunnel longitudinal direction, and Case-6 with the tunnel passing through a wide fractured zone. As a result, horizontal displacements due to earthquakes tend to increase with an increase in ground stiffness, however, the displacements tend to be restrained due to the confining effects of the ground and the rigid shield segments. On the contrary, peak compressive stress of segment significantly increases with weaker ground stiffness and the effects of displacement restrain contribute the increase of peak compressive stress of segment.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.375-393
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• 2022

This study was deal with blow-out and buoyancy stability evaluation method for slurry shield TBM. When applying a slurry shield TBM for the construction of a shallow tunnel under river or sea, the stability of slurry blow-out and segment lining buoyancy should be evaluated. However, there is a problem in that the currently applied theoretical formula is somewhat complicated, making it inconvenient to calculate in practice. In this study, some simple charts were proposed to easily evaluate the stability of slurry blow-out and segment lining buoyancy. In addition, the buoyancy safety factor of segment lining using the strength reduction method was evaluated and compared with the buoyancy safety factor based on the theoretical formula. The buoyancy safety factor by the theoretical formula was evaluated to be rather small, and it was confirmed that it was on the safe side. The simplified charts for the evaluation of slurry blow-out and buoyancy stability presented in this study are expected to be usefully utilized in the planning and design of undersea tunnels.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.305-330
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• 2023

Unlike NATM tunnels, Shield TBM tunnels have split linings. Therefore, the stress distribution of the lining is different even if the lining is under the same load. Representative methods for analyzing the stress generated in lining in Shield TBM tunnels include Non-joint Mode that does not consider connections and a 2-ring beam-spring model that considers ring-to-ring joints and segment connections. This study is an analysis method by Break-joint Mode. However, we do not consider the structural role of segment lining connections. The effectiveness of the modeling is verified by analyzing behavioral characteristics against vibration loads by modeling with segment connection interfaces to which vertical stiffness and shear stiffness, which are friction components, are applied. Unlike the Non-joint mode, where the greatest stress occurs on the crown for static loads such as earth pressure, the stress distribution caused by contact between segment lining and friction stiffness produced the smallest stress in the crown key segment where segment connections were concentrated. The stress distribution was clearly distinguished based on segment connections. The results of static analysis by earth pressure, etc., produced up to seven times the stress generated in Non-joint mode compared to the stress generated by Break-joint Mode. This result is consistent with the stress distribution pattern of the 2-ring beam-spring model. However, as for the stress value for the train vibration load, the stress of Break-joint Mode was greater than that of Non-joint mode. This is a different result from the static mechanics concept that a segment ring consisting of a combination of short members is integrated in the circumferential direction, resulting in a smaller stress than Non-joint mode with a relatively longer member length.