Failure Modes of Tunnels with Improved Soil Surrounds
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 143, Issue 11
Abstract
This paper presents the study of possible failure mechanisms and stability of large-diameter tunnels in cement-treated soil surrounds. The failure modes and critical tunnel support pressure of tunnels with varying strength and thickness were observed from centrifuge model tests. The results of the centrifuge model tests were used to develop a numerical model in geotechnical finite-element software. Both centrifuge and numerical studies were conducted for the plane-strain condition. The results show that the improved soil surround may fail before a generalized plastic collapse occurs in the soft soil. Three failure modes were identified using centrifuge and numerical modeling: shear failure in weak and thin tunnels, multiple cracks or rupture in medium-strength tunnels, and tension failure in higher strength and thicker tunnels. Taken together, these failure modes define a transition from shear failure in thin, weak improved soil surrounds to tension failure in thick, strong improved soil surrounds. A failure map and stability chart have been proposed to enable some form of preliminary design for such cement-treated soil surrounds.
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Acknowledgments
This research is supported by the National Research Foundation Singapore under its Competitive Research Programme (CRP award no. NRF-CRP 6-2010-03) and the NUS Research Scholarship.
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Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 143 • Issue 11 • November 2017
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©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 15, 2016
Accepted: Jun 2, 2017
Published online: Sep 15, 2017
Published in print: Nov 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Feb 15, 2018
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