Open AccessNumerical Investigation on Zonal Disintegration Mechanism around Deep Underground Openings
Author(s) -
Yujun Zuo,
Peng Jia,
Wancheng Zhu,
Tao Xu
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
advances in mechanical engineering/advances in mechanical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.318
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1687-8140
pISSN - 1687-8132
DOI - 10.1155/2013/908028
Subject(s) - geology , rock mass classification , stress (linguistics) , computer simulation , curvature , geotechnical engineering , radius , cylinder stress , principal stress , ultimate tensile strength , radius of curvature , structural engineering , mechanics , materials science , geometry , finite element method , engineering , physics , shear (geology) , petrology , philosophy , mathematics , computer security , linguistics , mean curvature , mean curvature flow , computer science , metallurgy
Three-dimensional numerical tests have been conducted to investigate the failure process of surrounding rock mass around circular and U-shaped tunnel at depth. Different failure modes of deep underground openings have been reproduced. The influence of different shapes and sizes of tunnel section, as well as the direction of the maximum principal stress, on zonal disintegration was analyzed. Numerical simulations show that failure modes and load-bearing capacity of tunnel depend on the direction of the maximum principal stress. The zonal disintegration around deep underground openings is a phenomenon that only occurs under some special conditions. Firstly, there must be a higher horizontal tectonic stress along the axial direction of tunnel; secondly, the radius of curvature of tunnel should be large enough to induce the tensile stress higher than tensile strength of rock mass. Therefore, the direction of tunnel axis as well as the direction and the size of tectonic stress should be carefully considered during tunnel design