Analysis of a Field Study on Drainage Design and Control of Water Inrushes into Hongtu Tunnel, China
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 38, Issue 6
Abstract
Serious water inrush accidents occur frequently in the fault-prone area around Hongtu Tunnel, which encompasses several reservoirs and large bodies of water. In this study, a field test was used to identify the water inrush mechanism and the design characteristics of the tunnel’s drainage system, the impact of water gushing through the tunnel on the surrounding environment was analyzed, and the results were used effectively to guide the design and construction of a supporting engineering drainage system. The specific conclusions are as follows. The supply source of the water causing the inrush accident was far away from the tunnel. The groundwater flowed to the site of the burst through a groundwater network connecting a fault and rock fracture. Full-section curtain grouting reinforcement with a thin grouting ring was carried out first to meet the construction requirements of the tunnel face before further excavation in the water-rich fault zone, followed by postgrouting of the weak section after blasting for further construction of the new roadway to strengthen the water-blocking capacity of the excavated part. The use of curtain grouting and postgrouting together reduced the disruption to construction near the tunnel face and thereby sped up the new construction. The seepage pressure calculated using the equivalent penetration coefficient method was weaker than the water pressure borne by the support structure in the middle of the two rows of the annular blind pipes, which was an important reason the support structure cracked during the operational period; thus, a higher safety factor should be considered when using the equivalent permeability coefficient. These research results can serve as a useful reference for the design and construction of drainage systems in similar cases.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
All data, models, or code generated or used during the study are available from the corresponding author by request.
Acknowledgments
This paper is jointly funded by the Guangxi Science and Technology Base and Talent Project (AD23026104), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52268062), and the Provincial Natural Science Foundation [DFH (201904) ys1-001]. The authors are grateful to these organizations for their financial assistance.
References
Cao, R. L., and S. X. Feng. 2021. “Detection methods for unfavorable geology and soil caves before grouting in karst terrains.” Soil Mech. Found. Eng. 58 (4): 308–313. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11204-021-09744-w.
Chen, G. H., J. F. Zou, X. X. Wei, and F. Q. Guo. 2022. “Three-dimensional blow-out stability analysis of shield tunnel face in anisotropic and heterogeneous soils.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol. 131 (Jun): 104851. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2022.104851.
Fu, H. L., P. T. An, K. Li, G. W. Cheng, J. Li, and X. H. Yu. 2020. “Grouting design of rich water tunnels and the calculation of distance between annular blind pipes.” Adv. Civ. Eng. 2020 (1): 8873971. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8873971.
Fu, H. L., P. T. An, K. Li, J. Li, X. H. Yu, and L. Chen. 2021. “Research on the prediction of water inflow near tunnel face.” [In Chinese.] J. Railway Eng. Soc. 38 (9): 41–47.
Hornero, J., M. Manzano, and E. Custodio. 2021. “Deciphering the origin of groundwater inflow into the Talave tunnel (SE Spain).” Sci. Total Environ. 789 (Sep): 147904. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147904.
Huang, Z., K. Zhao, X. Z. Li, W. Zhong, and Y. Wu. 2021. “Numerical characterization of groundwater flow and fracture-induced water inrush in tunnels.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol. 116 (Mar): 104119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2021.104119.
Ibrahim, A., and M. A. Meguid. 2022. “CFD-DEM modeling of geotextile clogging in tunnel drainage systems.” Geotext. Geomembr. 50 (5): 932–945. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2022.06.001.
Jiang, Y. J., B. Li, Q. X. Yang, J. M. Zhao, and G. Q. Li. 2020. “Discussion on influence of working capacity of drainage system on water pressure acting on tunnel lining.” J. China Railway Soc. 42 (12): 179–185.
Jin, B., M. Hu, and Q. H. Fang. 2022. “Research on stress field of surrounding rock and lining structure of deep-buried subsea tunnel considering seepage effect.” Chin. J. Theor. Appl. 121 (1–2): 46–54.
Jordi, F. C., V. S. Enric, C. Jesus, M. David, C. Ramon, and P. E. Andres. 2011. “Groundwater inflow prediction in urban tunneling with a tunnel boring machine (TBM).” Eng. Geol. 121 (1–2): 46–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2011.04.012.
Lan, X. D., X. Zhang, Z. C. Yin, X. H. Li, and T. Yang. 2021. “Mitigation of Karst tunnel water inrush during operation in seasonal variation zone: Case study in Nanshibi tunnel.” J. Perform. Constr. Facil. 35 (3): 04021010. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CF.1943-5509.0001573.
Li, H. Y., Y. C. Zhang, J. Wu, X. Y. Zhang, L. W. Zhang, and Z. F. Li. 2020. “Grouting sealing mechanism of water gushing in karst pipelines and engineering application.” Constr. Build. Mater. 254 (Jul): 119250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.119250.
Li, R., D. L. Zhang, Q. Fang, D. P. Liu, J. W. Luo, and H. C. Fang. 2022. “Mechanical responses of closely spaced large span triple tunnels.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol. 105 (Nov): 103574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2020.103574.
Liu, D. G., Y. Yang, C. J. Mao, J. F. Wu, and J. C. Wu. 2022b. “A comparative study on hydrodynamics and hydrochemistry coupled simulations of drainage pipe crystallization blockage in karst tunnels.” J. Earth Sci. 33 (5): 1179–1189. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-022-1720-3.
Liu, J. Q., W. Z. Chen, K. V. Yuen, and X. S. Zhou. 2020. “Groundwater-mud control and safety thickness of curtain grouting for the Junchang Tunnel: A case study.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol. 103 (Apr): 103429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2020.103429.
Liu, Y. J., J. Yang, and Z. Y. Yin. 2022a. “Numerical analysis of the impact of internal erosion on underground structures: Application to tunnel leakage.” Rock Soil Mech. 43 (5): 1383–1390.
Lv, Y. X., J. Jiang, L. Chen, W. Hu, and Y. J. Jiang. 2022. “Elaborate simulation and predication of the tunnel drainage effect on karst groundwater field and discharge based on visual MODFLOW.” J. Hydrol. 612 (A): 128023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2022.128023.
Ma, D., H. Y. Duan, and J. X. Zhang. 2022. “Solid grain migration on hydraulic properties of fault rocks in underground mining tunnel: Radial seepage experiments and verification of permeability prediction.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol. 126 (Jan): 104525. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2022.104525.
Sedghi, M. M., and H. B. Zhan. 2021. “On inflow to a tunnel in a fractured double-porosity aquifer.” Ground Water 59 (4): 562–570. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwat.13079.
Wang, Y. C., F. Chen, W. H. Sui, F. S. Meng, and F. Geng. 2022a. “Large-scale model test for studying the water inrush during tunnel excavation in fault.” Bull. Eng. Geol. Environ. 81 (6): 238. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-022-02733-9.
Wang, Y. C., Y. Liu, N. Zhao, and W. Jiang. 2022b. “Investigation on the evolution mechanism of water and mud inrush disaster in fractured rock mass of mountain tunnel.” Geomatics Nat. Hazards Risk 13 (1): 1780–1804. https://doi.org/10.1080/19475705.2022.2082327.
Wang, Y. Q., J. Q. Li, Z. F. Wang, and H. T. Chang. 2022c. “Structural failures and geohazards caused by mountain tunnel construction in fault zone and its treatment measures: A case study in Shaanxi.” Eng. Fail. Anal. 138 (Jul): 106386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2022.106386.
Wu, J., Z. F. Zhou, and C. Zhuang. 2021. “A combined analytical-numerical method for groundwater inflow into circular tunnels in drained conditions.” Hydrogeol. J. 29 (7): 2529–2543. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-021-02399-9.
Xu, Z. G., M. T. Xian, X. F. Li, W. Zhou, J. M. Wang, Y. P. Wang, and J. R. Chai. 2021. “Risk assessment of water inrush in karst shallow tunnel with stable surface water supply: Case study.” Geomech. Eng. 25 (6): 495–508. https://doi.org/10.12989/gae.2021.25.6.495.
Yan, Q. X., T. Zhang, C. Zhang, D. P. Guo, and S. Y. Qing. 2022. “Analytical solution for steady seepage into a circular deep-buried mountain tunnel with grouted zone in anisotropic strata.” J. Mountain Sci. 19 (10): 2987–2998. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-021-7247-8.
Yang, C., S. D. Liu, and R. X. Wu. 2017. “Quantitative prediction of water volumes within a coal mine underlying limestone strata using geophysical methods.” Mine Water Environ. 36 (1): 51–58. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-016-0394-4.
Yazdani, M., and A. Majdi. 2021. “Determination of hydraulic jacking mechanism and maximum allowable grout pressure during grout injection in anisotropic rocks.” J. Min. Environ. 12 (2): 589–603. https://doi.org/10.22044/jme.2021.10873.2063.
Yin, L. J., J. Wang, P. Chen, and Q. H. Luo. 2022a. “Analysis of dynamic changes in the surface ecological environment of tunnels under construction based on remote sensing data—Taking the Hongtu Tunnel of Dafenghua Expressway in Guangdong Province as an example.” Ground Water 44 (5): 246–249.
Yin, Z. C., X. Zhang, X. H. Li, J. Q. Zhang, and Q. S. Zhang. 2022b. “Modified burgers model of creep behavior of grouting-reinforced body and its long-term effect on tunnel operation.” Tunnelling Underground Space Technol. 127 (Aug): 104537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2022.104537.
Yu, H. T., S. Y. Zhu, H. D. Xie, and J. H. Hou. 2020. “Numerical simulation of water inrush in fault zone considering seepage paths.” Nat. Hazards 104 (2): 1763–1779. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-020-04246-8.
Zhai, M. L., and H. B. Bai. 2022. “Precise application of grouting technology in underground coal mining: Water inrush risk of floor elimination.” Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 30 (9): 24361–24376. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-23816-w.
Zhang, S., F. Ye, and W. X. Fu. 2022. “An analytical model for water inflow into a karst tunnel in vuggy and fractured porous rock aquifers.” Int. J. Geomech. 22 (12): 04022222. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0002547.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 20, 2023
Accepted: Apr 1, 2024
Published online: Sep 18, 2024
Published in print: Dec 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Feb 18, 2025
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Construction engineering
- Construction management
- Construction methods
- Design (by type)
- Drainage
- Drainage systems
- Engineering fundamentals
- Field tests
- Geotechnical engineering
- Grouting
- Hydraulic design
- Hydraulic engineering
- Hydraulics
- Irrigation engineering
- Tests (by type)
- Tunnels
- Water and water resources
- Water management
- Water supply
- Water supply systems
- Water tunnels
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.