Study on the Effect of Flexible Layer on Support Structures of Tunnel Excavated in Viscoelastic Rocks
Publication: Journal of Engineering Mechanics
Volume 145, Issue 10
Abstract
Support is one of the most important aspects that contribute to long-term stability and tunnel safety. Lining cracking and even failure often occur during tunneling construction, especially for soft rock tunnels. To address such a problem, a supporting scheme that a flexible layer is adopted and placed between the first lining and second lining is proposed in this study. An exact closed form solution is derived for the mechanical behavior of a circular tunnel supported by such a supporting scheme. Analytical formulas are provided for displacements and pressures of linings, taking into account the installation delay of the second lining. Numerical results of the finite element method validate the results calculated from these formulas. Further, a parametric study is performed to investigate the effects of thickness, Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio for the flexible layer on supporting effect. It is concluded that the flexible layer plays a good role in absorbing deformations due to rock rheology. The displacement and pressure can achieve a good improvement, and this improvement is dramatically affected by the thickness and deformability of the reserved flexible layer.
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Acknowledgments
This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11872287), the Found of Shaanxi Science & Technology Co-ordination & Innovation Project (No. 2015TZC-G-8-9). The authors are grateful to the reviewers for their excellent comments and advice, which were helpful for the improvement of this paper.
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Published In
Journal of Engineering Mechanics
Volume 145 • Issue 10 • October 2019
Copyright
©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 7, 2018
Accepted: Feb 19, 2019
Published online: Jul 26, 2019
Published in print: Oct 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Dec 26, 2019
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