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Innovative Techniques in Underground Excavation
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Innovative Techniques in Underground Excavation

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "H: Geo-Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 August 2022) | Viewed by 10115

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Martina Inmaculada Álvarez Fernández

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Mining Exploitation Department, EIMEM, University of Oviedo, 33003 Oviedo, Spain
Interests: mining engineering; advanced excavation techniques; rock mechanics; forensic analysis; underground modelling and monitoring
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. María Belén Prendes-Gero

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Construction Department, EPM, University of Oviedo, 33003 Oviedo, Spain
Interests: mining engineering; advanced excavation techniques; artificial intelligence techniques

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Currently, the need for more surface space is generating a great demand for underground infrastructures. The underground space provides long-term sustainable solutions for the development of road infrastructure, the industrial sector or the urban environment. Regarding the mining sector, there are not only economic conditions when choosing underground mining as a productive solution, but also environmental and social pressures.

This demand is accompanied with a huge growth of innovative techniques which affect all levels of the project, from geomechanical investigation or design to the entire construction process, including the adaptation for the re-use of old underground infraestructures. On the other hand, the technological revolution that the entire industry is experiencing cannot be forgotten. New developments are being introduced in underground projects, many of them based on sensorization, IoT or big data.

Papers are welcomed on innovative techniques or technological applications for geoinvestigation, geomechanics, design, modelling, excavation, support, ground improvement, planning, construction and monitoring, environmental protection, as well as maintenance, rehabilitation or re-use of underground space.

We want to provide an international forum for theoretical developments, analytical methods, numerical methods, testing advances, site investigation and case studies, both in mining and civil engineering underground projects, including tunnels, large underground structures, or basements.

Prof. Dr. Martina Inmaculada Álvarez Fernández
Prof. Dr. María Belén Prendes-Gero
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Advanced underground excavation techniques
  • Support and ground improvement
  • Modelling and monitoring in underground projects
  • Innovative techniques for underground testing
  • IoT in underground construction

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 6721 KiB  
Article
Field-Scale Experiment on Deformation Characteristics and Bearing Capacity of Tunnel-Type Anchorage of Suspension Bridge
by Zhijin Shen, Jianhong Jia, Nan Jiang, Bin Zhu and Wenchang Sun
Energies 2022, 15(13), 4772; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15134772 - 29 Jun 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1555
Abstract
The suspension pipe bridge has become the main span type due to its large span, light structure, and other characteristics, playing an important role in the construction of the oil and gas backbone network and energy layout. Tunnel-type anchorage (TTA) is a special [...] Read more.
The suspension pipe bridge has become the main span type due to its large span, light structure, and other characteristics, playing an important role in the construction of the oil and gas backbone network and energy layout. Tunnel-type anchorage (TTA) is a special underground structure that provides anchorage tension for the suspension bridge. Since its form and bearing mechanism are complex, there is no general design method for tunnel-type anchorage so far, and the theoretical and normative research is not mature. In this paper, a field-scale experiment was carried out to study the north side tunnel of Wujiagang Bridge in Yichang, China. According to the similarity principle, the 1:12 tunnel anchor scale model was established. The tunnel anchor scale model is selected in the area adjacent to the actual project site to ensure the similarity of stratigraphic conditions. Through the use of a displacement meter, inclinometer hole, strain gauge, micrometers, and other comprehensive monitoring methods, the design load test, overload test, overload rheological test, and ultimate bearing capacity failure test were carried out. Through the structural deformation observation and stress observation of the anchorage body and surrounding rock, the stress deformation characteristics and rheological characteristics of the anchorage body and surrounding rock in the field-scale experiment were analyzed. The deformation failure mechanism, deformation failure process, potential failure mode, and overload capacity of solid tunnel anchor were studied. The control indexes such as deformation and stress values of key parts of the solid tunnel anchor at different stages are predicted. Based on the limit equilibrium analysis results of the model, the safety and rationality of the tunnel anchorage structure design of the actual suspension bridge were evaluated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Techniques in Underground Excavation)
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19 pages, 4768 KiB  
Article
Injection Treatment for Tunneling Excavation in Sandy Soils with High Fines Content
by Johnatan González-García, Celestino González-Nicieza, Martina-Inmaculada Álvarez-Fernández and María-Belén Prendes-Gero
Energies 2021, 14(21), 6930; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14216930 - 21 Oct 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1797
Abstract
Instability and high permeability are two of the problems facing tunnelling excavations in soils with high fines content. Among the different techniques used to improve these soils, the injection of cement grouts stands out. In this work, a grouting treatment is designed to [...] Read more.
Instability and high permeability are two of the problems facing tunnelling excavations in soils with high fines content. Among the different techniques used to improve these soils, the injection of cement grouts stands out. In this work, a grouting treatment is designed to ensure the stability of the ground during the construction of two tunnels linking two municipalities in the north of Spain in Biscay, and to reduce the inflow of water from the aquifer located in the vicinity of these tunnels. First of all, the rock mass is analysed and the material to be injected is selected on the basis of the authors’ experience as well as setting time and compressive strength. Subsequently, with a test device designed by the DinRock research group of the University of Oviedo, two types of laboratory tests are carried out in order to analyse the effect of fines migration and washing on the water flows and the effect of re-injections of grouts with different densities on the permeability value. The results show that, in sandy materials, obtaining high degrees of waterproofing together with large stable zones can only be achieved by a combination of treatments and stages with different materials and densities. In addition, maximum values for both injection pressure and flow rate must be established depending on the type of grout and the permeability of the soil. Once the problem has been analysed, the injection treatment is designed and executed. The treatment consists of one pre-injection in four stages with 30 boreholes drilled in the top heading, 19–20 boreholes drilled in the bench, and one post-injection with boreholes drilled around the perimeter of the tunnel in those areas where the pre-injection does not achieve the desired degree of waterproofing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Techniques in Underground Excavation)
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14 pages, 3627 KiB  
Article
Design of a Pendulum Prototype for Dynamic Testing of Material Removal Using Picks
by María-Belén Prendes-Gero, Celestino González-Nicieza, Covadonga Betegón-Biempica and Martina-Inmaculada Álvarez-Fernández
Energies 2021, 14(20), 6831; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14206831 - 19 Oct 2021
Viewed by 1860
Abstract
The need for large and fast excavations, together with noise and vibration limitations, means that mechanical removal is increasingly used rather than blasting. In mechanical removal, the cutting tools hit the rock and penetrate it, and then move in the direction of cutting, [...] Read more.
The need for large and fast excavations, together with noise and vibration limitations, means that mechanical removal is increasingly used rather than blasting. In mechanical removal, the cutting tools hit the rock and penetrate it, and then move in the direction of cutting, dragging and detaching a portion of rock called chip. Most research on mechanical removal approaches it as a static process without taking into account the speed at which the cutting element impacts the rock. This work presents the design of a pendulum equipment capable of simulating the impact of a cutting element, specifically a pick, against a rock, reproducing the removal in a similar way to how it is carried out in real excavations. Cutting tests are carried out with concrete samples with a cement/sand ratio of 1:1 and 3:1, the volume of material that is removed is calculated using a 3D scanner and images of the tests are collected with a high-speed video camera to facilitate the interpretation of the results. The results confirm the direct relationship between impact energy, chip size and cutting depth, prove the formation of an affected zone that allows to reduce the cutting energy, and empirically obtain the optimum cutting energy with which the maximum performance in mechanical removal would be achieved. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Techniques in Underground Excavation)
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13 pages, 4479 KiB  
Article
Innovative Techniques in Underground Mining for the Prevention of Gas Dynamic Phenomena
by Martina-Inmaculada Álvarez-Fernández, María-Belén Prendes-Gero, Juan-Carlos Peñas-Espinosa and Celestino González-Nicieza
Energies 2021, 14(16), 5205; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14165205 - 23 Aug 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1694
Abstract
In the last decades, rigorous research has been carried out with the end of understanding the gas dynamic phenomenon and although different preventive techniques have been employed, even today there are numerous accidents even with the loss of life. This work analyses an [...] Read more.
In the last decades, rigorous research has been carried out with the end of understanding the gas dynamic phenomenon and although different preventive techniques have been employed, even today there are numerous accidents even with the loss of life. This work analyses an alternative and innovative method of fracturing and degassing coal, by generating CO2 with a pyrotechnic device called PYROC (Pyrotechnic Break Cartridges). Medium-scale tests of generation of CO2 into coal samples are carried out and their effect is analysed comparing the initial and final permeabilities of the coal samples once the generation of CO2 has finished. These permeabilities are calculated by injecting methane. Besides, the influence of different parameters as the length of the boreholes, the pressure of the gas or the initial permeability of the coal have been analysed with a numerical simulation of one face of one of the sublevels of a mine. The results show that the method increases the safety in mining operations because it fractures and degasses the coal, increases the permeability of the coal in the borehole of injection from 9.5 mD to 31 mD, decreases the methane gas pressure below pre-detonation levels for 1 min, achieves decompressed lengths between 8 and 10 m ahead of the face with pressures of injection of 50 MPa, relaxes the total length of the borehole for initial coal permeability values equal to or greater than 0.002 mD, and allows to work with low permeable coals with high induced stresses and high methane concentrations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Techniques in Underground Excavation)
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18 pages, 2905 KiB  
Article
Designing Cement-Based Grouting in a Rock Mass for Underground Impermeabilization
by Iñigo Escobal-Marcos, Martina-Inmaculada Álvarez-Fernández, María-Belén Prendes-Gero and Celestino González-Nicieza
Energies 2021, 14(13), 4062; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14134062 - 5 Jul 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2088
Abstract
Fractured rock masses below the water table are a problem in underground excavations because of their low strength and high permeability. Nowadays, these negative connotations can be reduced with techniques such as injection of cement, microcement, or resins grouts. These materials increase the [...] Read more.
Fractured rock masses below the water table are a problem in underground excavations because of their low strength and high permeability. Nowadays, these negative connotations can be reduced with techniques such as injection of cement, microcement, or resins grouts. These materials increase the rock mass cohesion while reducing the flow of water through the discontinuities. This paper describes the work carried out to design a waterproofing screen for a three-storey underground basement located in a building near the Bilbao estuary (Northern Spain) and with problems of water seepage from the river. First, a survey of the rock mass is carried out. This survey shows the presence of highly fractured zones and the variability of the permeability as functions of the fractures. Subsequently, the effect on permeability caused by the injection of cement grouts and microcement is studied by means of two pilot injection boreholes and eight control boreholes. Finally, a behavioural model is proposed to explain the heterogeneity observed in the radius of influence of the injection. As a result, a waterproofing screen with three types of treatment is designed: An ordinary treatment with cement grouts, an intensive treatment with microcement grouts, and an isolation treatment with cement-bentonite grouts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Techniques in Underground Excavation)
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