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Deformation and failure of a tunnel in the restraining bend of a strike–slip fault zone: an example from Hengshan Mountain, Shanxi Province, China

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Abstract

The Yanmenguan Tunnel runs through Hengshan Mountain in Shanxi Province, China. The mountain is mainly composed of metamorphic rock cut by a well-developed strike–slip fault system. As a result of the local geological setting, significant deformation and mud bursting occurred during excavation of the tunnel. In this paper, a representative 170-m-long section of the tunnel (from Sta. 118 K + 30.0 to Sta. 118 K + 200.0), which is located in the restraining bend area of the strike-slip fault system, is chosen as a case study to investigate the influence of such a fault on tunnel stability. The characteristics of strike-slip faults and asymmetrical pressure are then investigated, in conjunction with monitoring stress and displacement in the tunnel. The results of the analysis suggest that the strike-slip fault complicates the geological condition and decreases the quality of the rock masses. Different rock mass classifications for the surrounding rocks are the dominant factor causing asymmetrical pressure in the tunnel, which in turn significantly influences deformation in the tunnel. Shear and crushing failure are the mechanisms of failure in the surrounding rocks in the surveyed section, where significant deformation and mud bursting occurred. It indicates that stress and the classifications of surrounding rock masses should be carefully investigated and analyzed during the design and construction of underground engineering works in such a setting.

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Acknowledgments

Deep appreciate are expressed to the Editor and the anonymous reviewers for their useful comments. This work was financially supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China Projects 41172193, 41302254 and 4141101080; Science and Technology Project of Ministry of Communication, (2014318365110, 2013318Q03030). The authors are most grateful for those supports.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute of Highway, Ministry of Transport, Beijing, 100088, China

    Daming Lin

  2. Key Laboratory of Active Tectonics and Volcanoes, Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing, 100029, China

    Renmao Yuan

  3. Key Laboratory of Engineering Geomechanics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China

    Yanjun Shang, Weixing Bao, Kaiyang Wang, Kun Li & Wantong He

  4. Department of Civil Engineering, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, China

    Zhongjian Zhang

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  1. Daming Lin
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  2. Renmao Yuan
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  3. Yanjun Shang
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  4. Weixing Bao
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  5. Kaiyang Wang
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  6. Zhongjian Zhang
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  7. Kun Li
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  8. Wantong He
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Correspondence to Renmao Yuan.

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Lin, D., Yuan, R., Shang, Y. et al. Deformation and failure of a tunnel in the restraining bend of a strike–slip fault zone: an example from Hengshan Mountain, Shanxi Province, China. Bull Eng Geol Environ 76, 263–274 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-016-0850-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-016-0850-1

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