Centrifuge Modeling Study of the Response of Piled Structures to Tunneling
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 144, Issue 2
Abstract
Tunneling beneath piled structures may compromise the stability and serviceability of the structure. The assessment of potential structure damage is a problem being faced by engineers across the globe. This paper presents the outcomes of a series of geotechnical centrifuge experiments designed to simulate the effect of excavating a tunnel beneath piled structures. The stiffness and weight effects of piled structures are examined independently using aluminum plates of varying stiffness (equivalent beam approach) and the addition of weights supported by aluminum piles. Greenfield displacement patterns and results from pile loading tests are also provided. The variation of structure displacement profiles with plate stiffness, weight, and tunnel volume loss are used to illustrate the main effects of tunnel-pile interaction and the contribution of the superstructure to the global tunnel-pile-structure interaction. Results indicate that piles have a detrimental role in tunnel-structure interaction problems, whereas the superstructure stiffness and weight can, respectively, reduce and increase structure distortions and settlements. Finally, the potential for structural damage is evaluated by comparing structure and greenfield deflection ratios as well as resulting modification factors. The paper presents a unique set of results and insights that provide valuable guidance to engineers working across the ground and structural engineering disciplines.
Formats available
You can view the full content in the following formats:
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) (EP/K023020/1, 1296878; EP/N509620/1). The research materials supporting this publication can be accessed from Franza and Marshall (2017a).
References
Amorosi, A., Boldini, D., De Felice, G., Malena, M., and Sebastianelli, M. (2014). “Tunnelling-induced deformation and damage on historical masonry structures.” Géotechnique, 64(2), 118–130.
Basile, F. (2014). “Effects of tunnelling on pile foundations.” Soils Found., 54(3), 280–295.
Bolton, M. D., et al. (1999). “Centrifuge cone penetration tests in sand.” Géotechnique, 49(4), 543–552.
Boscardin, M. D., and Cording, E. J. (1989). “Building response to excavation-induced settlement.” J. Geotech. Eng., 1–21.
Burland, J. B., Broms, B. B., and De Mello, V. F. B. (1977). “Behaviour of foundations and structures.” Proc., 9th Int. Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Foundations Engineering, Vol. 2, Japanese Society of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Tokyo, 495–546.
Burland, J. B., Mair, R. J., and Standing, J. R. (2004). “Ground performance and building response due to tunnelling.” Advances in Geotechnical Engineering: The Skempton Conf., R. J. Jardine, D. M. Potts, and K. G. Higgins, eds., Vol. 1, Thomas Telford Services, London, 291–344.
Camós, C., and Molins, C. (2015). “3D analytical prediction of building damage due to ground subsidence produced by tunneling.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol., 50, 424–437.
Cheng, C. Y., Dasari, G. R., Chow, Y. K., and Leung, C. F. (2007). “Finite element analysis of tunnel-soil-pile interaction using displacement controlled model.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol., 22(4), 450–466.
Devriendt, M., and Williamson, M. (2011). “Validation of methods for assessing tunnelling-induced settlements on piles.” Ground Eng., 2011(Mar), 25–30.
Dias, T. G. S., and Bezuijen, A. (2015). “Data analysis of pile tunnel interaction.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 04015051.
Dimmock, P. S., and Mair, R. J. (2008). “Effect of building stiffness on tunnelling-induced ground movement.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol., 23(4), 438–450.
Fargnoli, V., Gragnano, C. G., Amorosi, A., and Boldini, D. (2015). “3D numerical modelling of soil-structure interaction during EPB tunnelling.” Géotechnique, 65(1), 23–37.
Farrell, R. (2010). “Tunnelling in sands and the response of buildings.” Ph.D. thesis, Cambridge Univ., Cambridge, U.K.
Farrell, R., Mair, R., Sciotti, A., and Pigorini, A. (2014). “Building response to tunnelling.” Soils Found., 54(3), 269–279.
Finno, R. J., Voss, F. T., Rossow, E., and Blackburn, J. T. (2005). “Evaluating damage potential in buildings affected by excavations.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 1199–1210.
Fleming, W. G. K., Weltman, A. J., Randolph, M. F., and Elson, W. K. (2009). Piling engineering, 3rd ed., Taylor & Francis, Abingdon, VA.
Franza, A. (2016). “Tunnelling and its effects on piles and piled structures.” Ph.D. thesis, Univ. of Nottingham, Nottingham, U.K.
Franza, A., and Marshall, A. M. (2016). “Centrifuge modelling of piled structure response to tunnelling.” Proc., 3rd European Conf. on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (Eurofuge 2016), L. Thorel, A. Bretschneider, M. Blanc, and S. Escoffier, eds., IFFSTAR, Nantes, France, 313–318.
Franza, A., and Marshall, A. M. (2017a). “ASCE_JGGE_A centrifuge modelling study of the response of piled structures to tunneling.” ⟨https://doi.org/10.17639/nott.74⟩ (May 15, 2017).
Franza, A., and Marshall, A. M. (2017b). “Centrifuge modelling of tunnelling beneath axially loaded displacement and non-displacement piles in sand.” Proc., Geotechnical Frontiers. GSP 277: Transportation Facilities, Structures, and Site Investigation, T. L. Branson and R. J. Valentine, eds., ASCE, Reston, VA, 576–586.
Franza, A., Marshall, A. M., Haji, T., Abdelatif, A. O., Carbonari, S., and Morici, M. (2017). “A simplified elastic analysis of tunnel-piled structure interaction.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol., 61(Jan), 104–121.
Franzius, J. N., Potts, D. M., and Burland, J. B. (2006). “The response of surface structures to tunnel construction.” Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng. Geotech. Eng., 159(1), 3–17.
GeoPIV [Computer software]. University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia.
Giardina, G., DeJong, M. J., and Mair, R. J. (2015). “Interaction between surface structures and tunnelling in sand: Centrifuge and computational modelling.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol., 50(Aug), 465–478.
Goh, K. H., and Mair, R. J. (2014). “Response of framed buildings to excavation-induced movements.” Soils Found., 54(3), 250–268.
Hong, Y., Soomro, M., and Ng, C. (2015). “Settlement and load transfer mechanism of pile group due to side-by-side twin tunnelling.” Comput. Geotech., 64(Mar), 105–119.
Jacobsz, S. W., Bowers, K. H., Moss, N. A., and Zanardo, G. (2005). “The effects of tunnelling on piled structures on the CTRL.” Proc., 5th Int. Symp. on Geotechnical Aspects of Underground Construction in Soft Ground, Balkema, Leiden, Netherlands, 115–121.
Jacobsz, S. W., Standing, J. R., Mair, R. J., Hagiwara, T., and Sugiyama, T. (2004). “Centrifuge modelling of tunnelling near driven piles.” Soils Found., 44(1), 49–56.
Jongpradist, P., et al. (2013). “Development of tunneling influence zones for adjacent pile foundations by numerical analyses.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol., 34(Feb), 96–109.
Kaalberg, F. J., Teunissen, E. A. H., van Tol, A. F., and Bosch, J. W. (2005). “Dutch research on the impact of shield tunnelling on pile foundations.” Proc., 5th Int. Symp. on Geotechnical Aspects of Underground Construction in Soft Ground, K. J. Bakker, A. Bezuijen, W. Broere, and E. A. Kwast, eds., Taylor & Francis, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 123–131.
Kitiyodom, P., Matsumoto, T., and Kawaguchi, K. (2005). “A simplified analysis method for piled raft foundations subjected to ground movements induced by tunnelling.” Int. J. Numer. Anal. Methods Geomech., 29(15), 1485–1507.
Lee, C. J., and Jacobsz, S. W. (2006). “The influence of tunnelling on adjacent piled foundations.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol., 21(3–4), 430.
Lee, C.-J., and Chiang, K.-H. H. (2007). “Responses of single piles to tunneling-induced soil movements in sandy ground.” Can. Geotech. J., 44(10), 1224–1241.
Loganathan, N., and Poulos, H. G. (1998). “Analytical prediction for tunneling-induced ground movements in clays.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 846–856.
Loganathan, N., Poulos, H. G., and Xu, K. J. (2001). “Ground and pile-group responses due to tunnelling.” Soils Found., 41(1), 57–67.
Losacco, N., Burghignoli, A., and Callisto, L. (2014). “Uncoupled evaluation of the structural damage induced by tunnelling.” Géotechnique, 64(8), 646–656.
Mair, R. (2013). “Tunnelling and deep excavations: Ground movements and their effects.” Proc., 15th European Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, A. Anagnostopoulos, M. Pachakis, and C. Tsatsanifos, eds., IOS Press, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 39–70.
Mair, R., and Williamson, M. (2014). “The influence of tunnelling and deep excavation on piled foundations.” Proc., 8th Int. Symp. on Geotechnical Aspects of Underground Construction in Soft Ground, C. Yoo, S.-W. Park, B. Kim, and H. Ban, eds., Taylor & Francis, Seoul, 21–30.
Mair, R. J. (1993). “Unwin memorial lecture 1992: Developments in geotechnical engineering research: Application to tunnels and deep excavations.” Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng. Geotech. Eng., 97(1), 27–41.
Mair, R. J., Taylor, R. N., Burland, J. B., and Taylor, R. N. (1996). “Prediction of ground movements and assessment of risk of building damage due to bored tunnelling.” Proc., Int. Symp. on Geotechnical Aspects of Underground Construction in Soft Ground, R. J. Mair and R. N. Taylor, eds., Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 713–718.
Marshall, A., and Mair, R. (2011). “Tunneling beneath driven or jacked end-bearing piles in sand.” Can. Geotech. J., 48(12), 1757–1771.
Marshall, A. M., Farrell, R., Klar, A., and Mair, R. (2012). “Tunnels in sands: The effect of size, depth and volume loss on greenfield displacements.” Géotechnique, 62(5), 385–399.
Marshall, A. M., and Haji, T. (2015). “An analytical study of tunnel-pile interaction.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol., 45(Jan), 43–51.
Marshall, A. M., Klar, A., and Mair, R. (2010). “Tunneling beneath buried pipes: View of soil strain and its effect on pipeline behavior.” J. Geotec. Geoenviron. Eng., 1664–1672.
Mroueh, H., and Shahrour, I. (2002). “Three-dimensional finite element analysis of the interaction between tunneling and pile foundations.” Int. J. Numer. Anal. Methods Geomech., 26(3), 217–230.
Namazi, E., and Mohamad, H. (2013). “Assessment of building damage induced by three-dimensional ground movements.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 608–618.
Ng, C., Soomro, M., and Hong, Y. (2014). “Three-dimensional centrifuge modelling of pile group responses to side-by-side twin tunnelling.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol., 43(Jul), 350–361.
Ng, C. W. W., Lu, H., and Peng, S. Y. (2013). “Three-dimensional centrifuge modelling of the effects of twin tunnelling on an existing pile.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol., 35(Apr), 189–199.
Potts, D. M., and Addenbrooke, T. I. (1997). “A structure’s influence on tunnelling-induced ground movements.” Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng. Geotech. Eng., 125(2), 109–125.
Son, M. (2015). “Response analysis of nearby structures to tunneling-induced ground movements in sandy soils.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol., 48(Apr), 156–169.
Soomro, M. A., Hong, Y., Ng, C. W. W., Lu, H., and Peng, S. (2015). “Load transfer mechanism in pile group due to single tunnel advancement in stiff clay.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol., 45(Jan), 63–72.
Takahashi, K., Fukazawa, N., Hagiwara, T., and Hosoda, M. (2004). “Observational control of slurry shield tunnels with super close spacing under the nearby bridge abutments loads.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol., 19(4), 390.
Taylor, R. N. (1995). “Tunnelling in soft ground in the UK.” Underground construction in soft ground, A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 123–126.
Vorster, T. E. B., Klar, A., Soga, K., and Mair, R. J. (2005). “Estimating the effects of tunneling on existing pipelines.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 1399–1410.
White, D., Take, W., and Bolton, M. (2003). “Soil deformation measurement using particle image velocimetry (PIV) and photogrammetry.” Géotechnique, 53(7), 619–631.
Zhang, R. J., Zheng, J. J., Zhang, L. M., and Pu, H. F. (2011). “An analysis method for the influence of tunneling on adjacent loaded pile groups with rigid elevated caps.” Int. J. Numer. Anal. Methods Geomech., 35(18), 1949–1971.
Zhou, B., Marshall, A. M., and Yu, H.-S. (2014). “Effect of relative density on settlements above tunnels in sands.” 2014 GeoShanghai Int. Congress: Tunneling and Underground Construction, Vol. 242, ASCE, Reston, VA, 96–105.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 144 • Issue 2 • February 2018
Copyright
This work is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
History
Received: Nov 16, 2016
Accepted: Mar 21, 2017
Published online: Nov 28, 2017
Published in print: Feb 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Apr 28, 2018
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.