Response of the ground and adjacent end-bearing piles due to side-by-side twin tunnelling in compound rock strata

• Published in: Tunnelling and underground space technology Vol. 89; pp. 91 - 108
• Main Authors: Li, Chao, Zhong, Zuliang, He, Guannan, Liu, Xinrong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2019; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Boring machines; Composite materials; Compound rock strata; Computer simulation; Construction industry; Empirical analysis; End bearing piles; End-bearing pile tilting and settlement; Finite element method; Grouting; Monitoring; Mudstone; Numerical simulation; Parameter modification; Parameter sensitivity; Pile foundations; Rail transportation; Sandstone; Sensitivity analysis; Settling; Single shield TBM; Strata; Stratigraphy; Subway construction; Subway tunnels; Tunnel construction; Tunneling; Tunnels; Underground construction; End-bearing pile tilting and settlement; Numerical simulation; Compound rock strata; Single shield TBM
• ISSN: 0886-7798; 1878-4364
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tust.2019.03.018

•A simulation method for single shield TBM has been studied in ADINA.•The influence of rock parameters on the ground settlement has been analyzed.•The influence of TBM tunneling parameters on the ground settlement has been analyzed.•The deformation law on end-bearing piles in composite rock stratum has been analyzed.•The empirical parameters of TBM have been verified in the study area in this paper. Considering that the subway tunnelling projects in the Chongqing region are located in strata dominated by sandstone and mudstone, the main empirical construction parameters (excavation thrust = 5 880 ∼ 6 860 kN, average pea gravel content (APC) ≥ 85%, and grouting pressure (GP) = 0.3 MPa) were obtained by engineering surveys; these empirical parameters were similar to those optimized under interval tunnel construction conditions. Additionally, a simulation method was developed based on the construction characteristics of a single shield TBM by using the ADINA software to simulate the construction process of subway tunnels undercrossing the pile foundations (end-bearing piles) of an old surface building in the composite strata of the Chongqing Rail Transit Loop Line. A sensitivity analysis was performed on the calculation parameters first because the changes in the stratigraphic and TBM construction parameters greatly influenced the calculation results. Then, we used the modified calculation parameters to study the effects of tunnel construction on the settlements of the ground surface and pile foundations in the composite strata, and these effects were compared to the field monitoring results. The results showed good agreement between the numerical calculations and the monitoring findings. Thus, the methodology and empirical construction parameters adopted in this paper can provide a reference for the construction of other tunnel sections of this project in similar construction conditions.