Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Model Testing on Failure Mechanism of Tunnel Face in Sandy Cobble Stratum

  • Research Article-Civil Engineering
  • Published:
Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

One of the universal problems in shield tunneling is face collapse caused by the sudden change of the soil in front of the tunnel face in weak sandy pebble stratum. In order to control the sudden change of the soil, the model test method is used to study the stability of the tunnel face in the sandy pebble stratum. The results indicate that (1) in sandy pebble stratum, the instability mode of the tunnel face can be divided into four stages of slow development stage, transition stage, rapid development stage and instability stage; (2) the influence of the ratio of the soil depth and the support pressure on the instability of the tunnel face can be divided into three stages of the insensitive stage, the sensitive stage and the failure stage; (3)finally, the instability failure shape of the sand–pebble stratum is upward developing in the lower part “chimney shape,” while the upperpart of the surface presents “spiral shape” subsidence and ultimately presents “crater shape”; (4) when excavation face is unstable, the surface horizontal settlement groove meets the normal distribution curve proposed by Peck and is similar to the settlement shape measured by the test. The study also found that the bamboo sticks with sand inserted in the soil in front of the tunnel face can increase the friction between the bamboo sticks and compact the soil, make the soil more prone to form soil arches, and effectively control the deformation of the soil in front of the tunnel face.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Broms, B.B.; Bennermark, H.: Stability of clay at vertical openings. J. Soil Mech. Found. Div. ASCE 96(1), 71–94 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Broere, W.: Tunnel Face Stability and New CPT Applications. Delft University, Delft (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Comejo, L.: Instability at the face: its repercussions for tunneling technology. Tunn. Tunn. 21, 69–74 (1989)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Hernández, Y.Z.; Farfán, A.D.; de Assis, A.P.: Three-dimensional analysis of tunnel face stability of shallow tunnels. Tunn. Undergr. Sp. Technol. 92, 103062 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Kavvadas, M.; Litsas, D.; Vazaios, I.; Fortsakis, P.: Development of a 3D finite element model for shield EPB tunneling. Tunn. Undergr. Sp. Technol. 65, 22–34 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Paternesi, A.; Schweiger, H.F.; Scarpelli, G.: Numerical analyses of stability and deformation behavior of reinforced and unreinforced tunnel faces. Comput. Geotech. 88, 256–266 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Lü, X.; Zhou, Y.; Huang, M.; Zeng, S.: Experimental study of the face stability of shield tunnel in sands under seepage condition. Tunn. Undergr. Sp. Technol. 74, 195–205 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Berthoz, N.; Branque, D.; Wong, H.; Subrin, D.: TBM soft ground interaction: experimental study on a 1 g reduced-scale EPBS model. Tunn. Undergr. Sp. Technol. 72, 189–209 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Min, F.; Zhu, W.; Lin, C.; Guo, X.: Opening the excavation chamber of the large-diameter size slurry shield: a case study in Nanjing Yangtze River Tunnel in China. Tunn. Undergr. Sp. Technol. 46, 18–27 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Kamata, H.; Mashimo, H.: Centrifuge model test of tunnel face reinforcement by bolting. Tunn. Undergr. Sp. Technol. 18(2), 205–212 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Chen, R.; Li, J.; Kong, L.; Tang, L.: Experimental study on face instability of shield tunnel in sand. Tunn. Undergr. Sp. Technol. 33, 12–21 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Kirsch, A.: Experimental investigation of the face stability of shallow tunnels in sand. Acta Geotech. 5(1), 43–62 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Zhu, H.H.; Xu, Q.W.; Fu, D.M.; et al.: Study on design principle of shield machine applicable to differerent strata. Rock Soil Mech. 27(9), 1437–1441 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Xu, Q.W.; Zhu, H.H.; Fu, S.M.; et al.: Design on model test of tunnel excavation with EPB shield machine in sand stratum. Chin. J. Undergr. Sp. Eng. 2(3), 361–364 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Le, B.T.; Taylor, R.N.: Response of clay soil to three-dimensional tunneling simulation in centrifuge models. Soils Found. 58, 808–818 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Chambon, P.; Corté, J.: Shallow tunnels in cohesionless soil: stability of tunnel face. J. Geotech. Eng. 120(7), 1148–1165 (1994)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Mair, R.J.; Taylor, R.N.: Theme lecture: bored tunneling in the urban environment. In: Proceedings of the Fourteenth International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Rotterdam, pp. 2353–2385 (1997)

Download references

Acknowledgements

This paper was supported by Basic Applied Research Projects of Sichuan Science and Technology Department, No. 2019YJ0349, C1 Team of Underground Space Development and Utilization, No. X151563, and Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 41702340, 41602290).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geosciences and Technology, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500, Sichuan, China

    Junwei Zhang, Ling Huang, Taixin Peng, Haoquan Wang, Yichong Zhang & Liang Guo

Authors
  1. Junwei Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ling Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Taixin Peng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Haoquan Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yichong Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Liang Guo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Junwei Zhang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhang, J., Huang, L., Peng, T. et al. Model Testing on Failure Mechanism of Tunnel Face in Sandy Cobble Stratum. Arab J Sci Eng 45, 4077–4089 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-020-04385-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-020-04385-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation