Laboratory Test of EPB Shield Tunneling in Mixed-Face Conditions
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 21, Issue 9
Abstract
Field measurements and laboratory tests were carried out to study the mechanical behaviors of soil in response to earth pressure balance (EPB) shield tunneling in mixed-face conditions, i.e., layers of granite and sand. Specifically, an experimental investigation was carried out using a laboratory-scale model to replicate the EPB tunneling operations in such ground conditions. The effects of the ratio of rock/sand at the tunnel face (Tr/Ts) and the cover-to-diameter ratio (C/D) on the soil pressure in the chamber, ground displacement, and volume loss were examined. The results show that the soil's response to the mixed-face conditions differs significantly from that in the homogenous ground and highly depends on the ratio of rock/sand, especially for relatively shallow tunnels. As the ratio of rock/sand at the tunnel face increased, the pressure gradient in the chamber became more inconsistent. The translated cumulative curve does not always provide a good fit in the mixed-face conditions, particularly in cases when the rock/sand ratios are high. A smaller width of settlement trough has been observed for cases with a large rock/sand ratio compared to that in clay and cohesionless soil.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the National National Science Foundation of China (No. 52078428) and the Sichuan Outstanding Yong Science and Technology Talent Project (2020JDJQ0032).
Notation
The following symbols are used in this paper:
- C
- cover distance from the surface to the crown of tunnel;
- c
- cohesion force;
- D
- diameter of the tunnel;
- D50
- average diameter;
- E
- tangential Young's modulus;
- e
- void ratio of the soil;
- g
- gravitational acceleration;
- Id
- relative density;
- i
- distance between the centerline and the inflection point;
- k
- width parameter of the settlement trough;
- Qc
- volume of the excavated soil from the screw conveyor;
- Rc
- cutting wheel rotational speed;
- Rs
- screw conveyor rotational speed;
- Sface
- surface settlement directly above the tunnel face;
- Smax
- final ground settlement;
- Tr
- thickness of rock at the face;
- Ts
- thickness of sand at the face;
- Us
- uniaxial compressive strength;
- Va
- advancement speed;
- Vloss
- ratio of the volume loss at face;
- Z
- depth to the tunnel axis;
- Z0
- depth measured from the ground surface;
- γ
- unit weight of the soil;
- ρ
- density of the soil; and
- φ
- internal friction angle.
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International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 21 • Issue 9 • September 2021
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 2, 2020
Accepted: Mar 10, 2021
Published online: Jun 21, 2021
Published in print: Sep 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Nov 21, 2021
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