Investigating Surface Settlements During Shield Tunneling Using Numerical Analysis

Ruixia He, Ziwen Zhou (), Shuai Li () and Sai Vanapalli
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Ruixia He: Department of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Henan University of Urban Construction, Pingdingshan 467036, China
Ziwen Zhou: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Shuai Li: Department of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Henan University of Urban Construction, Pingdingshan 467036, China
Sai Vanapalli: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 17, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: The development of the subway system in Shenyang City, China, plays a vital role in alleviating traffic congestion and promoting sustainable societal growth. However, the deformation of the surface caused by the tunneling of the shield presents a significant threat to the structural integrity of Shenyang Subway Line 2 and adjacent geotechnical structures. To tackle this challenge, a set of FEA (finite element analysis) simulations were carried out to examine surface deformation under various construction scenarios for Line 2. These simulations were compared with empirical formulas and numerical analyses conducted using Midas GTS NX 2019 software, in addition to actual site measurements. The outcomes of the finite element analysis (FEA) demonstrated a closer alignment with the empirical data than with traditional formulas. The maximum deformation was observed to be approximately twice as large as the equivalent diameter at the back of the excavation face. The analysis indicated that surface deformation is inversely correlated with overburden thickness ( H ), soil elasticity ( E ), and the grout filling rate of the shield tail ( ψ ), while it is directly proportional to the shield’s outer diameter ( D ). This study provides important methods used in the shield tunneling process employed in the Shenyang subway and suggests that the developed methodologies may be applicable to similar subway projects.

Keywords: shield tunnel; surface settlement; numerical simulation; empirical method; overburden thickness; geotechnical properties (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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