Instability Process of Crack Propagation and Tunnel Failure Affected by Cross-Sectional Geometry of an Underground Tunnel

Abstract

The process of crack propagation and tunnel failure is affected by the cross-sectional geometry of an underground tunnel. In order to quantify the effect of section shape on the process of crack propagation in deep tunnels under high ground stress conditions, a total of four physical models with two cross-sectional shapes and twelve stress levels were designed and several large-scale physical model tests were conducted. The results indicated that, when the vertical stress is 4.94 MPa, the length and depth of the cracks generated in the rock surrounding the horseshoe tunnel are about eight times that around a circular tunnel. The position where the circumferential displacement of the horseshoe tunnel begins to be stable is about two, to two and a half, times that around a circular tunnel. After the deep chamber was excavated, continuous spalling was found to occur at the foot of the horseshoe tunnel and microcracks in the surrounding rock were initially generated from the foot of the side wall and then developed upwards to form a conjugate sliding shape to the foot of the arch roof, where the cracks finally coalesced. Discontinuous spalling occurred at the midheight of the side wall of the circular tunnel after excavation, and microcracks in the surrounding rock were initially generated from the midheight of the side wall and then extended concentrically to greater depth in the rock mass surrounding the tunnel. Tensile failure mainly occurred on the surface of the side wall: shear failure mainly appeared in the surrounding rock.