• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.575-587
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• 2024

The contact pressure between the surrounding rock and the support is an important indicator of the surrounding rock pressure. There has been a bottleneck in the prediction of contact loads between surrounding rock and primary support in deep-buried mountain tunnels. The main reason is that a reliable method wasn't existed to quantify the contact loads. This study had been taken into account the flexible support role of the primary support, and the fitting curve of surrounding rock deformation for dynamic tunnel construction was proposed. New formulas for the calculation of contact loads between surrounding rock and primary support were obtained by inversion. Comparative analysis of the calculation results with numerical simulation verified the reliability of the calculation method in this study. It can be seen from the analyses that the contact load between surrounding rock and primary support increases, remains unchanged and decreases during acceleration, uniform velocity and deceleration, respectively, and the deformation of the surrounding rock in the acceleration and deceleration stages cannot completely converted into contact loads. The contact loads between surrounding rock and primary support of medium-strength and weak surrounding rock tunnels are generally within 150 kPa and 1 MPa, respectively. For tunnels with weak surrounding rock, advanced support can be installed to reduce the unique release coefficient λ₀ and the value of the constant D, with the purpose of reducing the contact loads between surrounding rock and primary support. Changes in support parameters have a small effect on the contact loads between surrounding rock and primary support, but increase or decrease the safety factor, resulting in a waste of resources or a situation that threatens the safety of the support. The results of this research provide guidance for the prediction of contact loads between surrounding rock and primary support for dynamic tunnel construction.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.51-69
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• 2024

Currently, composite lining mountain tunnels in China are generally classified based on the [BQ] method for the surrounding rock grade. Increasingly, tunnel field construction is replicated indoors for scale down model tests. However, the development of analogous materials for model tests of composite lining tunnels with different surrounding rock grades is still unclear. In this study, typical Class III and V surrounding rock analogous materials and corresponding composite lining support materials were developed. The whole processes of excavation-support dynamics of the mountain tunnels were simulated. Data on the variation of deformations, contact pressures and strains on the surrounding rock were obtained. Finally, a comparative analysis between model tests and numerical simulations was performed to verify the rationality of analogous material development. The following useful conclusions were obtained by analyzing the data from the tests. The main analogous materials of Class III surrounding rock are barite powder, high-strength gypsum and quartz sand with fly ash, quartz sand, anhydrous ethanol and rosin for Class V surrounding rock. Analogous materials for rockbolts, steel arches are replaced by aluminum bar and iron bar respectively with both shotcrete and secondary lining corresponding to gypsum and water. In addition, load release rate of Class V surrounding rock should be less than Class III surrounding rock. The fenestration level had large influence on the load sharing ratio of the secondary lining, with a difference of more than 30%, while the influence of the support time was smaller. The Sharing ratios of secondary lining in Class III surrounding rock do not exceed 12%, while those of Class V surrounding rock exceed 40%. The overall difference between the results of model tests and numerical simulations is small, which verifies the feasibility of similar material development in this study.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.97-104
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• 2018

The finite difference software Flac3D is used to study the influence of tunnel burial depth, tunnel diameter and lateral pressure coefficient of original rock stress on the stress and deformation of tunnel surrounding rock under sandstone condition. The results show that the maximum shear stress, the radius of the plastic zone and the maximum displacement in the surrounding rock increase with the increase of the diameter of the tunnel. When the lateral pressure coefficient is 1, it is most favorable for surrounding rock and lining structure, with the increase or decrease of lateral pressure coefficient, the maximum principal stress, surrounding displacement and plastic zone range of surrounding rock and lining show a sharp increase trend, the plastic zone on the lining increases with the increase of buried depth.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.319-334
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• 2024

The current theories on the interaction between surrounding rock and support in deep-buried tunnels do not consider the form of pre-reinforcement support or the flexibility of primary support, leading to a discrepancy between theoretical solutions and practical applications. To address this gap, a comprehensive mechanical model of the tunnel with pre-reinforced rock was established in this study. The equations for internal stress, displacement, and the radius of the plastic zone in the surrounding rock were derived. By understanding the interaction mechanism between flexible support and surrounding rock, the three-dimensional construction analysis solution of the tunnel could be corrected. The validity of the proposed model was verified through numerical simulations. The results indicate that the reduction of pre-deformation significantly influences the final support pressure. The pre-reinforcement support zone primarily inhibits pre-deformation, thereby reducing the support pressure. The support pressure mainly affects the accelerated and uniform movement stage of the surrounding rock. The generation of support pressure is linked to the deformation of the surrounding rock during the accelerated movement stage. Furthermore, the strength of the pre-reinforcement zone of the surrounding rock and the strength of the shotcrete have opposite effects on the support pressure. The parameters of the pre-reinforcement zones and support materials can be optimized to achieve a balance between surrounding rock deformation, support pressure, cost, and safety. Overall, this study provides valuable insights for predicting the deformation of surrounding rock and support pressure during the dynamic construction of deep-buried weak rock tunnels. These findings can guide engineers in improving the construction process, ensuring better safety and cost-effectiveness.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.291-303
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• 2020

The deformation of the rock surrounding a tunnel manifests due to the stress redistribution within the surrounding rock. By observing the deformation of the surrounding rock, we can not only determine the stability of the surrounding rock and supporting structure but also predict the future state of the surrounding rock. In this paper, we used grey system theory to analyse the factors that affect the deformation of the rock surrounding a tunnel. The results show that the 5 main influencing factors are longitudinal wave velocity, tunnel burial depth, groundwater development, surrounding rock support type and construction management level. Furthermore, we used seismic prospecting data, preliminary survey data and excavated section monitoring data to establish a neural network learning model to predict the total amount of deformation of the surrounding rock during tunnel collapse. Subsequently, the probability of a change in deformation in each predicted section was obtained by using a Bayesian method for detecting change points. Finally, through an analysis of the distribution of the change probability and a comparison with the actual situation, we deduced the survey mark at which collapse would most likely occur. Surface collapse suddenly occurred when the tunnel was excavated to this predicted distance. This work further proved that the Bayesian method can accurately detect change points for risk evaluation, enhancing the accuracy of tunnel collapse forecasting. This research provides a reference and a guide for future research on the probability analysis of tunnel collapse.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.427-445
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• 2015

By means of finite element numerical simulation and pseudo-static method, the shallow-buried bilateral bias twin-tube tunnel subject to horizontal and vertical seismic forces are researched. The research includes rupture angles, the failure mode of the tunnel and the distribution of surrounding rock relaxation pressure. And the analytical solution for surrounding rock relaxation pressure is derived. For such tunnels, their surrounding rock has sliding rupture planes that generally follow a "W" shape. The failure area is determined by the rupture angles. Research shows that for shallow-buried bilateral bias twin-tube tunnel under the action of seismic force, the load effect on the tunnel structure shall be studied based on the relaxation pressure induced by surrounding rock failure. The rupture angles between the left tube and the right tube are independent of the surface slope. For tunnels with surrounding rock of Grade IV, V and VI, which is of poor quality, the recommended reinforcement range for the rupture angles is provided when the seismic fortification intensity is VI, VII, VIII and IX respectively. This study is expected to provide theoretical support regarding the ground reinforcement range for the shallow-buried bilateral bias twin-tube tunnel under seismic force.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.277-290
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• 2020

This paper presents an elastic-plastic solution for the circular tunnel of elastic-strain softening behavior considering the pressure-dependent Young's modulus and the nonlinear dilatancy. The proposed solution is verified by the results of the field measuring and numerical simulation from a practical project, and a published closed-form analysis solution. The influence of each factor is discussed in detail, and the ability of Young's modulus and dilatancy characterizing the mechanical response of surrounding rock is investigated. It is found that, in low levels of support pressure, adopting the constant Young's modulus model will seriously misestimate the surrounding rock deformation. Using the constant dilatancy model will underestimate the surrounding rock deformation. When adopting the constant dilatancy model, as the dilation angle increases, the range of the plastic region increases, and the surrounding rock deformation weakens. When adopting the nonlinear dilatancy, the plastic region range and the surrounding rock deformation are the largest. The surrounding rock deformation using pressure-dependent Young's modulus model is between those resulted from two constant Young's modulus models. The constant α of pressuredependent Young's modulus model is the main factor affecting the tunnel displacement. The influence of α using a constant dilatancy model is much more apparent than that using a nonlinear dilatancy model.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.72 no.2
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• pp.275-291
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• 2019

In a super-large underground with "large span and high side wall", it is buried in mountains with uneven lithology, complicated geostress field and developed geological structure. These surrounding rocks are more susceptible to stability issues during the construction period. This paper takes the left bank of Baihetan hydropower station (span is 34m) as a case study example, wherein the deformation mechanism of surrounding rock appears prominent. Through analysis of geological, geophysical, construction and monitoring data, the deformation characteristics and factors are concluded. The failure mechanism, spatial distribution characteristics, and evolution mechanism are also discussed, where rock mechanics theory, $FLAC^{3D}$ numerical simulation, rock creep theory, and the theory of center point are combined. In general, huge underground cavern stability issues has arisen with respect to huge-scale and adverse geological conditions since settling these issues will have milestone significance based on the evolutionary pattern of the surrounding rock and the correlation analyses, the rational structure of the factors, and the method of nonlinear regression modeling with regard to the construction and development of hydropower engineering projects among the worldwide.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.179-194
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• 2021

In this paper, to study the stability of surrounding rock during roadway excavation in different rock mass structures, the physical model test for roadway excavation process in three types of intact rock mass, layered rock mass and massive rock mass were carried out by using the self-developed two-dimensional simulation testing system of complex underground engineering. Firstly, based on the engineering background of a deep mine in eastern China, the similar materials of the most appropriate ratio in line with the similarity theory were tested, compared and determined. Then, the physical models of four different schemes with 1000 mm (height) × 1000 mm (length) × 250 mm (width) were constructed. Finally, the roadway excavation was carried out after applying boundary conditions to the physical model by the simulation testing system. The results indicate that the supporting effect of rockbolts has a great influence on the shallow surrounding rock, and the rock mass structure can affect the overall stability of the surrounding rock. Furthermore, the failure mechanism and bearing capacity of surrounding rock were further discussed from the comparison of stress evolution characteristics, distribution of stress arch, and failure modes in different schemes.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2024

The construction adit plays a pivotal role in enhancing the working face during the excavation of long-distance and deep hydraulic tunnels. However, the intersection zone between the main tunnel and the construction adit exhibits more intricate deformation patterns in surrounding rock, posing a significant threat to stability during excavation. Taking the Xianglushan tunnel in Yunnan Province, China, as a case study, the FLAC3D software is employed to simulate the excavation process at the intersection. The simulation results are verified combined with the field deformation monitoring results, and the spatial distribution of tunnel rock deformation in the intersection area are analyzed. Five excavation conditions with different intersection angles are simulated, and the surrounding rock deformation of the tunnel intersection area with different intersection angles is analyzed, and its influence range is discussed. The results show that: (1) The surrounding rock deformation in the intersection area increases rapidly during the tunnel excavation. With the increase of construction distance, the deformation of intersection area is gradually stable. (2) The deformation distribution of the tunnel rock is uneven, and the deformation of main tunnel near the intersection area is larger than that far away from the intersection area. (3) With the increase of the intersection angle, the surrounding rock deformation of the tunnel intersection and its influence range decreases gradually. The research results have certain guiding significance for the construction safety of the tunnel intersection area.