Effects of Karst Cave Shape on the Stability and Minimum Safety Thickness of Tunnel Surrounding Rock
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 21, Issue 9
Abstract
Karst caves are often encountered during karst tunnel excavation, and the shape of the karst cave has an impact on the stability of the tunnel surrounding rock. This paper focused on the effects of karst cave shape on the stability and minimum safety thickness of tunnel surrounding rock. First, the 3D water-filled karst cave and tunnel models were established, and the tunnel excavation simulation under the different height–span ratios of the karst cave was carried out. Second, the stress and displacement fields of the surrounding rock were analyzed, and the change laws of stress and displacement with tunnel excavation were revealed. Third, on the basis of simulation results, the formulas for the minimum safety thickness of surrounding rock resisting water inrush were derived based on the catastrophe theory and strength theory. Finally, the numerical simulation and theoretical formulas were verified by contrastive analysis of the specific engineering project. The results showed that (1) as the height–span ratio of the top karst cave increases, the principal stress of the surrounding rock increases gradually, as well as the Y-displacement of tunnel vault and bottom; (2) the influence of height–span ratios of the top karst cave on the maximum principal stress and displacement of the tunnel vault is the largest; and (3) the formula for the minimum safety thickness of rock resisting water inrush is obtained based on the catastrophe theory. The research results have certain reference significance and engineering application value for the prevention and control of water inrush disasters in karst tunnels and other similar underground engineering construction.
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 42007234 and 41977222), the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (Grant No. ZR2020QE263), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2019M652384), and the Open Research Fund of State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. Z019009).
Notation
The following symbols are used in this paper:
- B
- cross section width of rock resisting water inrush;
- c
- cohesion;
- d
- distance between the tunnel and cave;
- E
- modulus of elasticity;
- g
- gravitational magnitude;
- gi
- gravitational vector;
- H
- tunnel depth;
- h
- tunnel height;
- h′
- karst cave height;
- h′:s
- height–span ratio;
- h0
- thickness of the rock stratum resisting water inrush;
- I
- moment of inertia of the beam;
- k
- osmotic coefficient;
- L
- tunnel span;
- M
- maximum bending moment of the beam;
- p
- karts water pressure;
- p′
- sum of the geostatic stress and the karst water pressure;
- Q
- maximum shear stress of beam;
- q
- horizontal crustal stress;
- r
- radius;
- S
- thickness of rock resisting water inrush;
- s
- karst cave span;
- sw
- saturation;
- u
- deflection;
- W
- tunnel span;
- unit weight;
- γw
- unit weight of water;
- μ
- Poisson's ratio;
- ρd
- drained density;
- ρs
- undrained (saturated bulk) density;
- ρw
- density of water;
- [σc]
- compressive strength;
- [σh]
- horizontal crustal stress;
- [σt]
- tensile strength;
- [τ]
- shear strength;
- φ
- internal friction angle;
- ϕh
- piezometric head; and
- ϕs
- porosity of rock.
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Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 21 • Issue 9 • September 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 8, 2020
Accepted: Feb 7, 2021
Published online: Jun 16, 2021
Published in print: Sep 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Nov 16, 2021
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