• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.571-581
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• 2024

Concrete linings in tunnels constructed by drilling and blasting such as NATM serve as a secondary support structure. However, these linings can face unexpected earth pressures if the primary support deteriorates or if ground conditions become unfavorable. It is crucial to determine the loosening earth pressure that allows the lining to maintain its structural integrity and prevent damage caused by this pressure. This study proposes a numerical model for simulating the trapdoor test and developing a method for calculating the loosening earth pressure. The discrete element method (DEM) was employed to describe the soil characteristics around the tunnel. Using this numerical model, a sequence of experimental trapdoor steps was simulated, and the loosening earth pressure was analyzed. Contact parameters were calibrated based on an analysis of a triaxial compression test. The reliability of the developed model was confirmed through a comparison between simulation results and laboratory test findings. The model was used to calculate the contact force applied to the trapdoor plate and to assess the settlement of soil particles. Furthermore, the model accounted for the soil-arching effect, which effectively redistributes the load to the surrounding areas. The proposed model can be applied to analyze the tunnel's cross-sectional dimensions and design stability under various ground conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.13-24
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• 2014

A series of trapdoor model tests was systematically performed in order to investigate soil arching. The mobilized soil arching was clearly observed by change of the vertical earth pressure loaded on trapdoor of soil container box. A slow decent of the loading plate at the trapdoor results in loosening zone over the trapdoor and the stress in this loosening zone was transferred to the stationary zone in the vicinity of the trapdoor. In particular, it was observed that the vertical earth pressure rapidly decreased in the loosening zone and increased in the stationary zone at the trapdoor. Both the maximum decreasing rate of the vertical earth pressure in the loosening zone and the increasing rate of the vertical earth pressure in the stationary zone were not influenced by the ground density, but affected by the size of the trapdoor. The loosening zone could be defined by the elliptical configuration, in which the major axis was twice as long as the height of the loosening zone at the center of trapdoor and the minor axis was the same as the width of trapdoor. The height of loosening zone at the center of trapdoor was one and a half times as long as the width of trapdoor loading plate.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.65-80
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• 2014

This study conducted Trapdoor tests with actual tunnel shape, investigated the mechanical behavior of ground and loosening load on tunnels, and evaluated the mechanism of progressive failure by numerical simulation. The loosening load sharply decreased initially, but it generally increased and reached the stabilized level exhibiting the arching effect, and loose sand showed relatively higher values than those of dense sand. The shear band started from the tunnel shoulder with $63^{\circ}$ (loose sand) to $69^{\circ}$ (dense sand), and gently curved inward to the ground surface. The widths of shear band formation above the tunnel showed a range from 1.8b to 1.9b (b=Tunnel width), which are similar to those values calculated from existing formular. The vertical height of this shear band for deep tunnel was turned out to be a bit lower than that from existing studies (3.0*Tunnel Height).

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.31-40
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• 2016

In order to investigate the change in soil arch structure developed within the soil subjected to trapdoor movement, various responses in the deformed particle assembly were observed via photoelastic measurement technique. The particle assembly was composed of the regularly stacked model particles coated by thin photoelastic material. Variation of the internal structure transmitting contact forces were observed by taking images showing the photoelastic responses and compared with the change in slip lines and pressures measured by load cells placed beneath the assembly. Initial soil arch structure established immediately after the trapdoor movement collapsed progressively and meanwhile a new extended structure was developed against further movement of the trapdoor. For the sufficient movement of the trapdoor, initially identical regions bounded by the soil arch structure and slip lines were separated and the region enclosed by slip lines became a part of the region loosing the transmitting contact forces identified by photoelastic measurement.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.341-358
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• 2024

This paper reports several plane-strain trapdoor tests conducted to investigate the effects of reinforcement on soil arching development under localized surface loading with a loading plate width three times the trapdoor width. An analogical soil composed of aluminum rods with three different diameters was used as the backfill and Kraft paper with two different stiffness values was used as the reinforcement material. Four reinforcement arrangements were investigated: (1) no reinforcement, (2) one low stiffness reinforcement R1, (3) one high stiffness reinforcement R2, and (4) two low stiffness reinforcements R1 with a backfill layer in between. The stiffness of R2 was approximately twice that of R1; therefore, two R1 had approximately the same total stiffness as one R2. Test results indicate that the use of reinforcement minimized soil arching degradation under localized surface loading. Soil arching with reinforcement degraded more at unloading stages as compared to that at loading stages. The use of stiffer reinforcement had the advantages of more effectively minimizing soil arching degradation. As compared to one high stiffness reinforcement layer, two low stiffness reinforcement layers with a backfill layer of certain thickness in between promoted soil arching under localized surface loading. Due to different states of soil arching development with and without reinforcement, an analytical multi-stage soil arching model available in the literature was selected in this study to calculate the average vertical pressures acting on the trapdoor or on the deflected reinforcement section under both the backfill self-weight and localized surface loading.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.407-416
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• 2010

A new tunnel auxiliary method is proposed in this paper which utilizes the concept of cavity expansion for tuunel reinforcement by forming an umbrella arch on the roof of tunnel. When an inflatable pipe is inserted and expanded by pressure in the bore hole of umbrella arch, the ground around the bore hole can be compacted so that the stress condition above the tunnel perimeter is favorably changed. In order to verify the reinforcement effect of new concept, pilot-scale chamber test, trapdoor test and numerical analysis were performed and compared. In pilot-scale chamber test, three types of inflatable pipes are tested to verify the capability of expansion, and the results arc compared with analytical results obtained by applying cavity expansion theory and with results obtained from finite clement analysis, and the experimental results showed agreeable matches with analytical and numerical ones. Numerical analysis of a tunnel and trapdoor test applied with the inflatable pipes are also performed to figure out the reinforcement effect of the proposed techniques, and the results implied that the new method with 3 directional inflatable pipe (no pressure to downward direction) can contribute to reduce tunnel convergence and face settlement.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.535-544
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• 2016

Special tunnel design and construction methods have been suggested due to developments of subway and tunnel. Collapse accidents of tunnel bring enormous damage. So, observation and analysis for the safety of tunnelling and behaviour of surrounding ground are important. But, it is not economical to implement the field test in every time. Therefore, this study has measured ground behaviour due to excavation of 2-arch tunnel station according to offset between grouped pile and tunnel by laboratory model test. For the model test, trapdoor device was adopted. Tunnelling is simulated by volume loss of 2-arch tunnel. Ground displacements are observed by close range photogrammetric method and image processing. In addition, these data are compared with numerical analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.33-48
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• 2022

This paper presents illustrative examples of the application of advanced digital image correlation (DIC) technology in the geotechnical laboratory tests, such as shallow footing test, trapdoor test, retaining wall test, and wide width tensile test on geogrid. The theoretical background of the DIC technique is first introduced together with fundamental equations. Relevant reduced-scale model tests were then performed using standard sand while applying the DIC technique to capture the movement of target materials during tests. A number of different approaches were tried to obtain optimized images that allow efficient tracking of material speckles based on the DIC technique. In order to increase the trackability of soil particles, a mix of dyed and regular sand was used during the model tests while specially devised painted speckles were applied to the geogrid. A series of images taken during tests were automatically processed and analyzed using software named VIC-2D that automatically generates displacements and strains. The soil deformation field and associated failure patterns obtained from the DIC technique for each test were found to compare fairly well with the theoretical ones. Also shown is that the DIC technique can also general strains appropriate to the wide width tensile test on geogrid, It is demonstrated in this study that the advanced DIC technique can be effectively used in monitoring the deformation and strain field during a reduced-scale geotechnical model laboratory test.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.733-747
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• 2017

In the shallow tunnel, the surrounding ground could be loosened and deformed, which could be the cause of stress change in the ground. Terzaghi has clarified the development of a ground arching induced by the deformation of a tunnel crown in the trap door tests. However, he considered only the case in which that the tunnel crown deformed uniformly. He did not consider the effect of deformation shapes. Therefore, the relation between the shape of the ground relaxation above the tunnel crown and the deformation shape of the tunnel crown is not clear yet. In this study, model tests were performed for the three types of the tunnel crown, such as uniform, concave and convex shapes. As results, it was found that the vertical load would be transferred in various types depending on the deformation shapes of the tunnel crown.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.83-97
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• 2018

Tunnels are widely used for special purposes including roads, railways and culvert for power transmission, etc. Its cross-section shape is determined by uses, ground condition, environmental or economic factor. Many papers with respect to behaviours of adjacent ground and existing structure tunnelling-induced have been published by many researchers, but tunnel cross-section have rarely been considered. A collapse of tunnel causes vaster human and property damage than structures on the ground. Thus, it is very important to understand and analyse the relationship between behavoiurs of ground and cross-section type of tunnel. In this study, the behaviour of ground due to tunnel excavation for underground station below the grouped pile supported existing structure was analysed through laboratory model test using a trap-door device. Not only two cross-section types, 2-arch and box, as station for tunnel, but also, offset between tunnel and grouped pile centre (0.1B, 0.25B, 0.4B) are considered as variable of this study. In order to measure underground deformation tunnelling-induced, Close Range Photogrammetry technique was applied with laboratory model test, and results are compared to numerical analysis.