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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Earth Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2023) | Viewed by 19897

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Prof. Dr. Helin Fu

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Guest Editor

School of Civil Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410075, China
Interests: tunnel and underground engineering; geotechnical engineering; tunnel construction; special geological environment
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Dr. Zhen Huang

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Guest Editor

School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Interests: tunnel engineering; prefabricated tunnel; geotechnical engineering; underground structure safety; numerical simulation; tunnel construction; special geological environment
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Dr. Jiabing Zhang

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Guest Editor

School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Interests: tunnel; freeze–thaw damage; rock mechanics; creep characteristics; numerical simulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is devoted to publishing research results of important geotechnical problems involved in the field of tunnel and underground engineering. In recent years, with the rapid development of population and economy in various countries, new tunnel projects have begun to be built. However, the geological environment of tunnel construction is complex and changeable. Landslides, collapses, rock piles, unsymmetrical strata, karst, high stress, high strength strata, loose strata, soft soil sections, special rock and soil, strong permeable strata, and other unfavorable geological environments are often encountered. Various unfavorable geological environments have led to frequent engineering accidents, which has brought great challenges to tunnel construction. This Special Issue mainly focuses on the important geotechnical problems involved in the design and construction of highway, railway, subway, and municipal tunnels, but it is not limited to tunnels in the above fields. High-quality research papers and engineering cases focusing on low-carbon environmental protection technology, energy saving and consumption reduction technology, advanced methods, machine learning technology, artificial intelligence methods, etc. applied in tunnels are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Helin Fu
Dr. Zhen Huang
Dr. Jiabing Zhang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

tunnel engineering
tunnel excavation stability
large deformation of surrounding rock
special geological environment
waterproof and drainage of tunnel
deep rock mass
special rock and soil
trenchless technology
intelligent prediction method
intelligent monitoring technology
carbon saving technology
green construction method
machine learning technology

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Research

14 pages, 5839 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dynamic Responses of a Coupled Tunnel with Large Span and Small Clear Distance under Blasting Load of the Construction of Transverse Passage

by Wu Zhang, Guanglin Liang, Yu Liang, Zhongjie Zhang and Chuanyu Xiao

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(15), 8599; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13158599 - 26 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1063

Abstract

In order to investigate the law of the dynamic responses of a coupled tunnel with a large span and a small clear distance induced by the blasting load applied on the excavation face of the new horizontal adit for vehicles, a dynamic 3D finite element model was established based on the blasting excavation project of Yonghe tunnel’s new transverse passage in Guangzhou, China. The laws of the induced vibration velocity and dynamic stress of the existing tunnel are systematically analyzed according to the numerical calculation results. The results show that the main affected area of the existing lining is the lower arch waist facing the blast, where both the maximum vibration velocity and the maximum tensile stress appear. The horizontally radial vibration velocity (along the axis of the transverse passage) is the main contributor in the resulting vibration velocity of the lining. The distributed law and varying trend of the dynamic stress of the lining are similar to the vibration velocity, and there appears to be a satisfied positive linear correlation between the two indexes. When the distance from the excavation face of the horizontal adit to the existing tunnel is 10 m, the blasting-load-induced maximal vibration velocity and dynamic tensile stress of the tunnel are only 2.96 cm/s and 0.20 MPa, respectively, which are far less than that stipulated by the related technical code. A negative power exponential relationship between the peak vibration velocity of the existing tunnel lining and the distance from the excavation face of the transverse passage to the tunnel was also found. According to this relationship, the induced vibration velocity will exceed the threshold stipulated by the standard, i.e., 8 cm/s, if the distance decreases to 5.9 m. To improve the safety redundancy of the construction, the threshold of the distance from the excavation face of the horizontal adit to the existing tunnel is suggested to be 10 m under the current construction scheme. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Geotechnical Engineering)

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11 pages, 2960 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application of the Kinematic Assessment of Multi-Faced Slopes Using Stereographic Projection: The Case Study of a Planar Failure on the Spondylus Coast, Ecuador

by Cesar Patricio Borja Bernal and Luis Jordá Bordehore

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(14), 8245; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13148245 - 16 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1121

Abstract

This manuscript presents a relevant practical application of the stability analysis of multi-face slopes that uses the concept of the restricted daylight envelope in multi-faced slopes (MFS). The methodology was applied to the back analysis of a case study of a failed slope in mudstones and sandstones on the Spondylus coast in Ecuador. The instabilities analyzed included several rock cliffs with dihedral rock faces in mudstones. It is interesting to analyze the failure mechanism of these natural coastal slopes because, on the Spondylus coast, several hotels and tourist spots are located near the upper parts of some similar regions. The stereographic projection methodology can simulate complex geometries and simplify the analysis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Geotechnical Engineering)

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27 pages, 24848 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Shield Tunnels Undercrossing an Existing Building and Tunnel Reinforcement Measures

by Ping Lou, Weixiong Huang and Xinde Huang

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(9), 5729; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13095729 - 6 May 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1618

Abstract

Research on tunnel excavation has rarely considered the effect of the tunnel excavation on a complete building. Therefore, this paper considered a building with a double basement and piles, and a three-dimensional finite-element model for shield tunnels undercrossing an existing building was established to study the effects of the excavation of double-shield tunnels on the displacement and internal forces of soil, segments, piles, and buildings. Grouting reinforcement technology was used in the model to analyze the effect of grouting reinforcement on pile displacement and building subsidence. The results showed that for every 100 kPa increase in grouting pressure, the maximum subsidence of the soil was reduced by 3.512 mm. The successive excavation of double-shield tunnels resulted in elliptical segments. The longitudinal and transverse stresses of the segments were effectively reduced by grouting pressure of 250 kPa. The excavation of tunnels had an obvious nonlinear effect on the maximum lateral displacement of the piles along the direction of excavation and the maximum subsidence of the building. When using deep-hole grouting reinforcement, the maximum lateral displacement of piles and the maximum subsidence of the building were effectively reduced by increasing the radial grouting reinforcement radius and adjusting the reinforcement range. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Geotechnical Engineering)

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18 pages, 13409 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Mechanical Characteristics and Ground Surface Settlement Influence of the Rise–Span Ratio of the Pile–Beam–Arch Method

by Jianbing Lv, Jianjun Lu and Hao Wu

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(9), 5678; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13095678 - 5 May 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1785

Abstract

The pile–beam–arch method (PBA) method is increasingly being used in the construction of metro stations with complex traffic conditions. The rise–span ratio of the arch not only affects the height of the station, but also affects the rationality of the design of subway stations and the safety of construction. The mechanical response of steel pipe piles with different rise–span ratios and the effect of controlled surface settlement have been investigated in the interactions involved in pile–soil system. In this paper, the finite element model of each rise–span ratio was established, and the rationality of the model was demonstrated by comparing the numerical simulation calculation with the field surface settlement monitoring data. The mechanical characteristics and influence analysis of the surface deformation during the excavation of the cave pile method were investigated. The results show that the maximum axial force of the central pile first decreases and then increases with the increase in the rise–span ratio. The maximum bending moment of the arch decreases as the rise–span ratio increases, and the maximum axial force of the arch is negatively correlated with the rise–span ratio. The maximum axial force of the central pile is located at the bottom plate. Due to the symmetry of the structure, the bending moment of the centre pile is small, but the maximum bending moment of the whole station is located at the side wall of the bottom plate. As the rise–span ratio increases, the surface settlement first decreases and then increases. The construction of the pilot tunnel and the upper arch is the most important factor leading to the surface settlement, so it is necessary to strengthen the soil layer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Geotechnical Engineering)

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22 pages, 8212 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Loose Surrounding Rock Deformation and Slope Stability at Shallow Double-Track Tunnel Portal: A Case Study

by Chenguang Li, Huanyu Zheng, Zhaojian Hu, Xiaofei Liu and Zhen Huang

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(8), 5024; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13085024 - 17 Apr 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1759

Abstract

A low-clearance tunnel portal in the shallow-buried, joint-developed, broken, and loose surrounding rock slope deposit may cause safety issues during construction. In this study, the Guanyin Mountain Tunnel of the Chong-Ai expressway was taken as a case study, and the characteristics of the loose and broken surrounding rocks, their low clearance, and shallow buried bias were comprehensively studied. The three-dimensional numerical model of the Guanyin Mountain tunnel portal section was constructed by the Rhino, AutoCAD, and FLAC 3D software, and the whole construction process of the tunnel portal was simulated. Under the conditions of loose and broken surrounding rocks, the surrounding rock deformation, surface settlement, and slope stability at the portal of the shallow buried tunnel with a small clear distance during the construction of the center diaphragm (CD) method and circular reserved core soil method were studied. The following conclusions are drawn. During the simulated excavation of the tunnel, the maximum surface settlement is 10.74 mm, which meets the requirement of the specification. When the left tunnel is excavated, the surrounding rock deformation of the right arch shoulder should be carefully considered. The maximum deformation value can reach 14.314 mm. After excavation, the deformation rate of the right tunnel is large, and initial support should be installed in time. Since the stratum rock at the portal of the tunnel is strongly weathered, the uplift value of the arch bottom is large and gradually decreases along the axial direction. The tunnel arch bottom and arch foot are plastic areas prone to tensile damage. Therefore, it is imperative to strengthen the inverted arch support of the tunnel in the strongly weathered rock stratum. The excavation sequence of the tunnel portal section adopts the method of excavating the left tunnel first and then excavating the right tunnel, which is more conducive to ensuring the slope stability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Geotechnical Engineering)

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17 pages, 9765 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical Study on the Coupling Effect on a Retaining Structure of a Complex Deep Foundation Pit Group Excavation in a Soft-Soil Area

by Xinyu You, Qiulong Zhou, Yu Xiao, Liyuan Tong and Qiang Yang

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(5), 3263; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13053263 - 3 Mar 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1766

Abstract

Based on the complex deep foundation pit group process of the Huimin Avenue Comprehensive Reconstruction Project in Nanjing, the finite element numerical simulation method is used to analyze the deformation characteristics of the retaining structure and the coupling effect between foundation pits during the whole process of excavation and support construction of the complex foundation pit group. Meanwhile, the differences in the deformation characteristics and coupling effects of the retaining structure under different construction time sequence schemes of the foundation pit group are studied. Finally, some suggestions are put forward for the monitoring and construction in this project, which provides a reference case for the design and construction of similar foundation pit groups. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Geotechnical Engineering)

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17 pages, 5439 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Foundation Pit Excavation Deformation and Parameter Influence of Pile-Anchor-Ribbed-Beam Support System

by Quan Yin and He-Lin Fu

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(4), 2379; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13042379 - 13 Feb 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2457

Abstract

The support system is the most important part of foundation pit engineering, which mainly determines the safety of foundation pit engineering. Based on the characteristics of the foundation pit of Changsha international financial center, the original pile-anchor-beam (PAB) support system is improved into a new form of support system, the pile-anchor-ribbed-beam (PARB) support system. This study establishes a numerical simulation model to calculate the surface settlement and the deformation of the retaining structure caused by the excavation of the foundation pit by using the PAB and PARB support systems, respectively. Finally, this study analyzes the influence of pile anchorage depth, ribbed beam size and waist beam size on the support effect. The field monitoring data are in good agreement with the numerical simulation results, which verifies the validity and accuracy of the numerical calculation model. The support effect of the new PARB support system is 30% higher than that of the original PAB support system. The position of maximum surface settlement is about 0.5 times the excavation depth from the retaining structure, and the position of maximum lateral deformation of the pile is about 0.9 times the excavation depth from the pile top. The increase in pile embedded depth and ribbed beam size can significantly improve the support effect, while the change of waist beam size does not improve the support effect significantly. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Geotechnical Engineering)

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14 pages, 5405 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Clogging Prevention of Slurry–Earth Pressure Balance Dual-Mode Shield in Composed Strata with Medium–Coarse Sand and Argillaceous Siltstone

by Zhao Yang, Pengfei Liu, Peishuai Chen, Shuchen Li and Fuquan Ji

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(3), 2023; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13032023 - 3 Feb 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2187

Abstract

The slurry–earth pressure balance dual-mode shield has an earth pressure balance (EPB) and slurry shield functions. Based on a shield tunnel project of Guangzhou Metro Line 12 in China, this study investigates the clogging prevention of a slurry–earth pressure balance dual-mode shield in a composed stratum with medium–coarse sand and argillaceous siltstone. The results show that the slurry mode was not applicable to the composed stratum with medium–coarse sand and argillaceous siltstone. The excavated soil accumulated easily in the slurry chamber, causing shield clogging. The total thrust force of the shield increased significantly, the tunneling speed gradually decreased to 0, and the torque of the cutterhead increased slightly after the slurry shield was clogged. The fluctuation in the total thrust force, the cutterhead torque, and the tunneling speed also increased significantly. The EPB mode is recommended for composed strata with medium–coarse sand and argillaceous siltstone. The dispersible foam agent and water needed to be used for soil conditioning. The injection amount of foam and water was determined according to the status of the mud discharged by the screw conveyor. Water absorption can be used to characterize the water absorption capacity of particles larger than 0.15 mm. The ideal soil state was that the consistency index of the particles smaller than 0.15 mm was less than 0.5 to prevent the EPB shield from clogging. The water absorption of soil with a particle larger than 0.15 mm should be removed when calculating the consistency index. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Geotechnical Engineering)

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17 pages, 6231 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Engineering Properties and Environmental Impact of Soil Mixing with Steel Slag Applied in Subgrade

by Yangpeng Zhang, Tinghui Jiang, Shuyang Li and Wensheng Wang

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(3), 1574; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13031574 - 26 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2623

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of the large-scale application of steel slag (SL) in subgrade. Subgrade materials with three kinds of SL proportions were first prepared. Then, a compaction test, liquid-plastic limit combined-measurement test, and a California bearing ratio (CBR) test were applied to determine the best proportion between SL and intact soil (S), i.e., SL/S. Subsequently, static and dynamic tests and a volume stability test were carried out for soil mixed with SL at the optimum proportion (SSL). In addition, a composition analysis of infiltration fluid and a permeability test of SSL were performed. The test results showed that compared to S, the physical properties of SSL were significantly improved, especially the liquid-plastic limit, as well as the soil water stability. The optimum proportion of SL was determined as 50% of soil by mass. At the optimum proportion, SSL had the highest CBR value of 60%, which had both economic and engineering compaction performance, leading to a large-scale utilization rate of SL. The static and dynamic characteristics showed that the addition of SL would greatly improve the shear strength and dynamic modulus of soil, mainly expressed as the increase of internal friction angle. The volume stability of SSL could also meet the requirements of the Chinese specification. After adding 2% cement, the strength and stability of SSL was further improved. In addition, the environmental impact test proved that the infiltration liquid did not pollute surface water nor underground secondary water. Although the permeability coefficient of SSL with the optimum proportion of 50% was higher than that of pure soil, it still belonged to the normal value of clay and silty clay, and good impermeability would ensure the controllability of potential trace elements. Based on the test results of mechanical properties and environmental impact, SSL proved to have the potential for green road material engineering properties. This study proposes a reliable and practical method to promote the utilization of steel slag. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Geotechnical Engineering)

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20 pages, 7028 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Disturbance of Existing Subway Tunnels by Foundation Sloping Excavation

by He-Lin Fu, Huang-Shi Deng, Yi-Bo Zhao, Xiao-Bing Chang and Hai-Dong Yi

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 948; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13020948 - 10 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1556

Abstract

Urban subway tunnels are located in a very complex operating environment, and the surrounding construction disturbances can lead to the deformation of existing tunnels or even produce tunnel disease issues. The disturbance of adjacent tunnels by pit excavation is an important geotechnical issue among scholars. In our study, the two-stage method is used to derive the deformation of the existing tunnel caused by the use of sloping excavation in the foundation pit. Subsequently, the correctness of the theoretical calculation formulae and the results are verified by constructing numerical calculation models. The effects of different slope footings θ, different slope widths b and different excavation depths H on the deformation of the existing tunnel are analyzed. The results show that: the excavation of the foundation pit can effectively reduce the tunnel deformation by using the sloping excavation method. The soil directly above the tunnel is the main factor causing the deformation of that tunnel. When the foundation pit spans a single-lane existing tunnel, the sloping excavation method of excavating soil on both sides and reserving the middle core soil can be used. When the foundation pit spans a double-lane existing tunnel, the sloping excavation method of excavating the middle soil and reserving core soil on both sides can be adopted. The error between the theoretical calculation results and the numerical simulation results is small, which verifies the correctness of the theoretical calculation results. The load distribution width of the soil after sloping excavation can be taken as the median line width. The deformation of the existing tunnel is influenced, to a greater extent, by changes in the one-time excavation depth H and slope width b, and to a lesser extent, by changes in the slope angle θ. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Geotechnical Engineering)

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