Face Stability Analysis of Shield Tunnel in Cohesive–Frictional Soils Considering Soil Arch Evolution
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 24, Issue 12
Abstract
Face instability models considering the gradual evolution of the soil arching effect and the characteristics of face instability under different cover-to-diameter ratios are proposed in this paper. The face instability combined-model includes the upper cylinder and lower logarithmic spiral for shallow buried shield tunnels considering the overall soil slipping failure. The two-phase face instability model is proposed for deep buried shield tunnels based on the evolution of the upper soil arching shape and soil local slipping failure. The first-phase combined model is composed of the upper catenary and lower logarithmic spiral. The second-phase combined model consists of the upper cone and lower logarithmic spiral. The earth pressures on the bottom of the upper cylinder, physical catenary, and cone arch are calculated based on the Terzaghi loose earth pressure calculation method and the arch theory, respectively. The carrying capacity at the top surface of the lower logarithmic spiral was calculated according to the slicing method considering the intersection between the logarithmic spiral and tunnel section is in full-section contact. The limit equilibrium equation is established and the calculation model derived by using MATLAB is used to obtain the numerical solution for the limit face supporting pressure of the shield tunnel. The reliability of the theoretical calculation method based on arch theory and the validity of face instability combined model are verified by comparing the calculated values with the measured values of centrifuge model tests and literatures. The influence of cohesion, inner friction angle, and cover-to-diameter ratio on limit face supporting pressure is analyzed. The results provide a basis for determination of limit face supporting pressure at different phases during face instability.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or codes that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52078334) for funding this work.
References
Ahmed, M., and M. G. Iskander. 2012. “Evaluation of tunnel face stability by transparent soil models.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol. 27 (1): 101–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2011.08.001.
Anagnostou, G. 2012. “The contribution of horizontal arching to tunnel face stability.” Geotechnik 35 (1): 34–44. https://doi.org/10.1002/gete.201100024.
Anagnostou, G., and K. Kovári. 1996. “Face stability condition with earth pressure balanced shields.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol. 11 (2): 165–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/0886-7798(96)00017-X.
Broms, B. B., and H. Bennermark. 1967. “Stability of clay at vertical opening.” J. Soil Mech. Found. Div. 93 (1): 71–94. https://doi.org/10.1061/JSFEAQ.0000946.
Chambon, P., and J.-F. Corté. 1994. “Shallow tunnels cohesionless soil: Stability of tunnel face.” J. Geotech. Eng. 120 (7): 1148–1165. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9410(1994)120:7(1148).
Chen, Q. 2018. Experimental study and mechanism analysis on soil arching in sandy soil based on the indoor model test. [In Chinese.] Nanchang: East China Univ. of Technology.
Chen, R., J. Li, Y. Chen, and L. Kong 2011a. “Large-scale tests on face stability of shield tunnelling in dry cohesionless soil.” [In Chinese.] Chin. J. Geotech. 33 (1): 117–122.
Chen, R.-P., J. Li, L.-G. Kong, and L.-J. Tang. 2013. “Experimental study on face instability of shield tunnel in sand.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol. 33: 12–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2012.08.001.
Chen, R.-P., X.-T. Lin, and H.-N. Wu. 2019. “An analytical model to predict the limit support pressure on a deep shield tunnel face.” Comput. Geotech. 115: 103174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2019.103174.
Chen, R. P., L. J. Tang, D. S. Ling, and Y. M. Chen. 2011b. “Face stability analysis of shallow shield tunnels in dry sandy ground using the discrete element method.” Comput. Geotech. 38 (2): 187–195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2010.11.003.
Funatsu, T., T. Hoshino, H. Sawae, and N. Shimizu. 2008. “Numerical analysis to better understand the mechanism of the effects of ground supports and reinforcements on the stability of tunnels using the distinct element method.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol. 23 (5): 561–573. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2007.10.003.
Horn, N. 1961. “Horizontal earth pressure on the vertical surfaces of the tunnel tubes.” [In German.] In Proc., of National Conf. of the Hungarian Civil Engineering Industry, pp. 7–16. Budapest, Hungary: Hungarian Association of Engineers.
Iglesia, G. R., H. H. Einstin, and R. V. Whitman. 2014. “Investigation of soil arching with centrifuge tests.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 140 (2): 04013005. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000998.
Ji, X., P. Ni, M. Barla, W. Zhao, and G. Mei. 2018. “Earth pressure on shield excavation face for pipe jacking considering arching effect.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol. 72: 17–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2017.11.010.
Jia, H.-L., C.-H. Wang, and J.-H. Li. 2003. “Discussion on some issues in theory of soil arch.” [In Chinese.] J. Southeast Jiaotong Univ. 38 (4): 398–402.
Kim, S. H., and F. Tonon. 2010. “Face stability and required support pressure for TBM driven tunnels with ideal face membrane-drained case.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol. 25 (5): 526–542. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2010.03.002.
Kirsch, A. 2010. “Experimental investigation of the face stability of shallow tunnels in sand.” Acta Geotech. 5 (1): 43–62. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-010-0110-7.
Leca, E., and L. Dormieux. 1990. “Upper and lower bound solutions for the face stability of shallow circular tunnels in frictional material.” Géotechnique 40 (4): 581–606. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1990.40.4.581.
Lee, C. J., B. R. Wu, H. T. Chen, and K. H. Chiang. 2006. “Tunnel stability and arching effects during tunneling in soft clayey soil.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol. 21 (2): 119–132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2005.06.003.
Lin, H. 2016. Study on the face stability around shield tunnels and numerical simulation of PFC. Nanjing: Nanjing Univ.
Lin, X.-T., R.-P. Chen, H.-N. Wu, and H.-Z. Cheng. 2019. “Three-dimensional stress-transfer mechanism and soil arching evolution induced by shield tunneling in sandy ground.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol. 93: 103104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2019.103104.
Liu, X., S. S. C. Congress, G. Cai, L. Liu, S. Liu, J. P. Anand, and W. Zhang. 2022b. “Development and validation of a method to predict the soil thermal conductivity using thermal piezocone penetration testing (T-CPTU).” Can. Geotech. J. 59 (4): 510–525. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2021-0034.
Liu, X., S. S. C. Congress, G. Cai, L. Liu, and A. J. Puppala. 2022a. “Evaluating the thermal performance of unsaturated bentonite–sand–graphite as buffer material for waste repository using an improved prediction model.” Can. Geotech. J. 60 (3): 301–320. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2021-0001.
Ma, Z., J. Sun, and J. Liu. 2020. “Stability of tunnel excavation surface based on experiments of transparent soil.” Rock. Soil Mech. 41 (s2): 1–5.
Mollon, G., D. Dias, and A.-H. Soubra. 2013. “Continuous velocity fields for collapse and blowout of a pressurized tunnel face in purely cohesive soil.” Int. J. Numer. Anal. Met. Geomech. 37 (13): 2061–2083. https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.2121.
Mollon, G., R. Dias, and R.-H. Soubra. 2010. “Face stability analysis of circular tunnels driven by a pressurized shield.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 136 (1): 215–229. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000194.
Murayama, S., M. Endo, T. Hashiba, K. Yamamoto and H. Sasaki. 1966. “Geotechnical aspects for the excavating performance of the shield machines.” In Proc., 21th Annual Lecture in Meeting of Japan Society of Civil Engineers, pp. 134–140. Tokyo, Japan: Japan Society of Civil Engineers.
Rui, R., J. Han, S. J. M. Van-Eekelen, and Y. Wan. 2019. “Experimental investigation of soil-arching development in unreinforced and geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported embankments.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 145 (1): 04018103. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002000.
Rui, R., F. van Tol, X.-L. Xia, S. van Eekelen, G. Hu, and Y.-Y. Xia. 2016. “Evolution of soil arching: 2D DEM simulations.” Comput. Geotech. 73: 199–209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2015.12.006.
Rui, R., F. van Tol, Y.-Y. Xia, S. van Eekelen, and G. Hu. 2018. “Evolution of soil arching: 2D analytical models.” Int. J. Geomech. 18 (6): 04018056. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0001169.
Schofield, A. N. 1980. “Cambridge geotechnical centrifuge operation.” Géotechnique 30 (3): 227–268. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1980.30.3.227.
Senent, S., and R. Jimenez. 2015. “A tunnel face failure mechanism for layered ground, considering the possibility of partial collapse.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol. 47: 182–192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2014.12.014.
Senent, S., G. Mollon, and R. Jimenez. 2013. “Tunnel face stability in heavily fractured rock masses that follow the Hoek–Brown failure criterion.” Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. 60: 440–451. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2013.01.004.
Soubra, A.-H. 1999. “Upper-bound solutions for bearing capacity of foundations.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. 125 (1): 59–68. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(1999)125:1(59).
Subrin, D., and H. K. K. Wong. 2002. “Tunnel face stability in frictional material: A new 3D failure mechanism.” [In French.] C. R. Mecanique 330 (7): 513–519. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1631-0721(02)01491-2.
Sun, X., L. Miao, and H. Lin. 2017. “Arching effect of soil ahead of working face in shield tunnel in sand with various depths.” Rock. Soil Mech. 38 (10): 2980–2988.
Terzaghi, K. 1943. Theoretical soil mechanics. New York: Wiley.
Vermeer, P. A., N. Ruse, and A. Dolatimehr. 2002. “Tunnel heading stability in drained ground.” Felsbau 20 (6): 8–18.
Wan, T., P. Li, H. Zheng, and M. Zhang. 2019. “An analytical model of loosening earth pressure in front of tunnel face for deep-buried shield tunnels in sand.” Comput. Geotech. 115: 103170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2019.103170.
Wang, D. H., S. H. He, X. B. Liu, and J. W. Zhang. 2019. “A modified method for determining the overburden pressure above shallow tunnels considering the distribution of the principal stress rotation and the partially mobilized arching effect.” Chin. J. Rock Mech. Geotech. 38 (6): 1284–1296. https://doi.org/10.13722/j.cnki.jrme.2018.0798.
Zhang, Z. X., X. Y. Hu, and K. D. Scott. 2011. “A discrete numerical approach for modeling face stability in slurry shield tunneling in soft soils.” Comput. Geotech. 38 (1): 94–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2010.10.011.
Zhou, Y., Y. Zhu, S. Wang, H. Wang, and Z. Wang. 2019. “Rotational failure mechanism for face stability of circular shield tunnels in frictional soils.” Adv. Civ. Eng. 2019: 7167802. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/7167802.
Zou, J., G. Chen, and Z. Qian. 2019. “Tunnel face stability in cohesion-frictional soils considering the soil arching effect by improved failure models.” Comput. Geotech. 106: 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2018.10.014.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 6, 2023
Accepted: Jun 3, 2024
Published online: Sep 23, 2024
Published in print: Dec 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Feb 23, 2025
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.