Geotechnical Engineering Online Library

The liquefaction analysis procedure conducted at a dam foundation associated with a layer of liquefiable sand is presented. In this case, the effects of the overlying dam and an embedded diaphragm wall on liquefaction potential of foundation soils are considered. The analysis follows the stress-based approach which compares the earthquake-induced cyclic stresses with the cyclic resistance of the soil, and the cyclic resistance of the sand under complex stress condition is the key issue. Comprehensive laboratory monotonic and cyclic triaxial tests are conducted to evaluate the static characteristics, dynamic characteristics and the cyclic resistance against liquefaction of the foundation soils. The distribution of the factor of safety considering liquefaction is given. It is found that the zones beneath the dam edges and near the upstream of the diaphragm wall are more susceptible to liquefaction than in free field, whereas the zone beneath the center of the dam is less susceptible to liquefaction than in free field. According to the results, the strategies of ground improvement are proposed to mitigate the liquefaction hazards.

In this study, laboratory experiments are conducted to investigate the rapid decompression and desorption induced energetic failure in coal using a shock tube apparatus. Coal specimens are recovered from Colorado at a depth of 610 m. The coal specimens are saturated with the strong sorbing gas CO2 for a certain period and then the rupture disc is suddenly broken on top of the shock tube to generate a shock wave propagating upwards and a rarefaction wave propagating downwards through the specimen. This rapid decompression and desorption has the potential to cause energetic fragmentation in coal. Three types of behaviors in coal after rapid decompression are found, i.e. degassing without fragmentation, horizontal fragmentation, and vertical fragmentation. We speculate that the characteristics of fracture network (e.g. aperture, spacing, orientation and stiffness) and gas desorption play a role in this dynamic event as coal can be considered as a dual porosity, dual permeability, dual stiffness sorbing medium. This study has important implications in understanding energetic failure process in underground coal mines such as coal gas outbursts.

The uniform ring model and the shell-spring model for segmental lining design are reviewed in this article. The former is the most promising means to reflect the real behavior of segmental lining, while the latter is the most popular means in practice due to its simplicity. To understand the relationship and the difference between these two models, both of them are applied to the engineering practice of Fuzhou Metro Line I, where the key parameters used in both models are described and compared. The effective ratio of bending rigidity η reflecting the relative stiffness between segmental lining and surrounding ground and the transfer ratio of bending moment ξ reflecting the relative stiffness between segment and joint, which are two key parameters used in the uniform ring model, are especially emphasized. The reasonable values for these two key parameters are calibrated by comparing the bending moments calculated from both two models. Through case studies, it is concluded that the effective ratio of bending rigidity η increases significantly with good soil properties, increases slightly with increasing overburden, and decreases slightly with increasing water head. Meanwhile, the transfer ratio of bending moment ξ seems to only relate to the properties of segmental lining itself and has a minor relation with the ground conditions. These results could facilitate the design practice for Fuzhou Metro Line I, and could also provide some references to other projects with respect to similar scenarios.

Xiangjiaba hydropower station is one of the cascade power stations on the Jinsha River, China. Due to the complicated geological conditions of its dam foundation, evaluating the rock mass quality and determining the mechanical parameters of rock masses are very important issues. To address these issues, several groups of rock borehole shear tests (RBSTs) were conducted on the black mudstone in the dam foundation of Xiangjiaba hydropower station in the second construction phase. Forty three groups of shear strengths of black mudstone samples were obtained from RBSTs, and the shear strength parameters (c and f) were calculated using the least squares method. In addition, the limitations and merits of RBST employed in the Xiangjiaba hydropower station were discussed. Test results indicate that the shear strength parameters obtained from RBST have a good correlation with the results from sound wave test in borehole. It is believed that RBST has a good adaptability and applicability in geotechnical engineering.

Combining with empirical method, laboratory test and numerical simulation, a comprehensive system was presented to determine the mechanical parameters of jointed rock masses. The system has the following four functions: (1) Based on the field investigation of joints, the system can consider rock mass structures, by using network simulation technology. (2) Rock samples are conducted by numerical simulation with the input engineering mechanical parameters of rocks and joints obtained from laboratory tests. (3) The whole stress-strain curve of jointed rock masses under certain normal stress can be plotted from numerical simulation, and then the shear strength parameters of jointed rock masses can be obtained from the whole stress-strain curves under different normal stresses. (4) The statistical values of mechanical parameters of jointed rock masses can be determined according to numerical simulation. Based on the statistical values, combining with engineering experiences and geological investigations, the comprehensive mechanical parameters of jointed rock masses can be achieved finally. Several cases are presented to prove the engineering feasibility and suitability of this system.

Jinping II hydropower station is located in a high in-situ stress region in Southwest China. During the excavations of the transportation and drainage tunnels, more than 460 rockburst events were recorded in the transportation tunnel and 110 in the drainage tunnel, which has a serious and negative influence on the tunnels’ construction and the safety of staff and equipment. In the paper, the characters of rockburst patterns are analyzed for the transportation and drainage tunnels. The results are illustrated as follow: (1) Most of intensive rockbursts occur in the layer T2b, and continuous occurrences of rockbursts are more frequently observed than those in other layers. (2) The critical overburden depth of rockburst in the transportation tunnel is 600 m, and the length of the continuous occurrence section of rockburst is smaller than 25 m. The damaged depth of the rockburst has the tendency to increase with the increasing overburden depth, and the maximum damaged depth is over 3.5 m. (3) From east to west (west to east) in Jinping II hydropower station, the rockburst usually takes place in the right (left) side of tunnel working face, and then the left (right) or roof of the tunnel. The total length of the continuous occurrence section of rockburst is 57.4%–62.2% of the overall rockburst length, followed by the rockbursts of flake-splitting type and other types. (4) Compared with the transportation tunnel, the intensity of rockburst in the drainage tunnel is higher while the length of the continuous occurrence section of rockburst is smaller. The rockburst section with length less than 10 m and depth of 1 m mainly occurs in the layer at a depth of 1 800–2 000 m. The influences of opening geometry and excavation method on the characteristics of the adjacent zone are great, but the influence of the stress among the tunnel group induced by excavation is relatively low.

The complicated geological conditions and geological hazards are challenging problems during tunnel construction, which will cause great losses of life and property. Therefore, reliable prediction of geological defective features, such as faults, karst caves and groundwater, has important practical significances and theoretical values. In this paper, we presented the criteria for detecting typical geological anomalies using the tunnel seismic prediction (TSP) method. The ground penetrating radar (GPR) signal response to water-bearing structures was used for theoretical derivations. And the 3D tomography of the transient electromagnetic method (TEM) was used to develop an equivalent conductance method. Based on the improvement of a single prediction technique, we developed a technical system for reliable prediction of geological defective features by analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of all prediction methods. The procedure of the application of this system was introduced in detail. For prediction, the selection of prediction methods is an important and challenging work. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was developed for prediction optimization. We applied the newly developed prediction system to several important projects in China, including Hurongxi highway, Jinping II hydropower station, and Kiaochow Bay subsea tunnel. The case studies show that the geological defective features can be successfully detected with good precision and efficiency, and the prediction system is proved to be an effective means to minimize the risks of geological hazards during tunnel construction.