JOURNAL OF ROCK MECHANICS

JOURNAL OF ROCK MECHANICS

Evaluation of ground settlement caused by tunneling using the staged excavation method in soft soils

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Meysam Aghageri 1
Ali Naghi Dehghan 2
Seyed Hamid Lajevardi 1
1 Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran.
2 Department of Mining Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Today, ground subsidence in urban environments is considered one of the most important issues in the field of tunneling in soft soils. Insufficient attention to the design of an appropriate excavation method can lead to instability of the underground space and, as a result, to the creation of subsidence in the ground and, as a result, serious damage to adjacent structures. The present study, focusing on the physical and mechanical parameters of the ground and the geometric conditions of the Tehran Metro Line 4 tunnel in the northern part, attempts to design and present an appropriate excavation method for controlling ground subsidence. Therefore, with the help of the finite element software Plaxis 3D Tunnel, the ground subsidence was evaluated by simulating the excavation process of the Tehran Metro Line 4 tunnel and comparing the results with the precision instrument data. Among the excavation methods studied (RC ring cut, CD intermediate diaphragm, and T&B arch and footing), the ring cut method has a better performance in controlling ground subsidence. Also, by examining the drilling sequence and the distances between the excavation faces in the ring cutting method, it was found that by reducing the excavation volume and increasing the distance between the different faces, the size of the stress distribution zones and their interference with each other around the tunnel are reduced, resulting in less settlement at the ground surface.
Keywords
Tunneling
Staged excavation method
Ground settlement
Numerical simulation
Plaxis 3D tunnel finite element software
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JOURNAL OF ROCK MECHANICS
Volume 6, Issue 2
Summer 2020
Pages 52-67