Abstract
Back analysis of old tunnels in an unstable slope context leads to consider several situations of tunnel entering a slope: cross-cutting tunnel to slope, sloped tunnel, or shallow tunnel following the slope. Identified pathologies of structures vary depending on these situations. This research focuses on different slope mechanisms of instability, especially on creep processes and on damages affecting the structure of tunnels parallel to the slopes. The analysis of the Geotechnical Influenced Zone of these tunnel structures in slope context is a significant point of this study. Through numerical simulations, the different aging and damage processes related to structures have been taken into account. Factors associated with geological and geomorphogical conditions of the slope along with their changes over time can be distinguished from factors corresponding to tunnel’s excavations and construction methods. The influence of the first factors on the kinetics of movements and on the emergence of pathologies on structures can be revealed through the study of different geological, geomorphogical, hydrological and seismic contexts. This study focuses on the impact of building methods’ parameters (excavation, reinforcement structures, supports and linings). The excavation of a tunnel leads to a slope destabilization due to a more or less important deconfinement of the surrounding massif. Construction techniques influence, on one hand, slope destabilization with the development of shear strips and, on the other hand, structural damages in the tunnel lining. The relative influence of the deconfinement level when setting out the lining, the morphology of the transverse section of the tunnel, its dimensions and the characteristics of the lining structure are studied through several parametric studies. As a conclusion, lessons are drawn about analysis methodologies of tunnel and the corresponding monitoring.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Ashtiani M, Palassi M, Ahmadi A (2010) Effect of excavation of tunnels in the convex slopes using distinct element method. Rock mechanics in civil and environmental engineering, pp 391–394
Gonzalez-Nicieza C, Alvarez-Virgil AE, Gonzalez-Palacio C, Menendez-Diaz A (2008) Influence of the depth and shape of a tunnel in the application of the convergence-confinement method. Tunn Undergr Space Technol 23:25–37
Koizumi Y, Date K, Lee J, Fujisawa K, Yokota Y, Yamamoto T (2010) Numerical analysis of landslide behavior induced by tunnel excavation. Rock Mechanics in Civil and Environmental Engineering, pp 555–558
Leung C, Meguid MA (2011) An experimental study of the effect of local contact loss on the earth pressure distribution on existing tunnels linings. Tunn Undergr Space Technol 26:139–145
Meguid MA, Dang HK (2009) The effect of erosion voids on existing tunnels linings. Tunn Undergr Space Technol 24:278–286
Sulem J, Guenot A, Panet M (1987) An analytical solution for time-dependent displacements in a circular tunnel. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 24:155–164
Usman M, Galler R (2013) Long term deterioration of lining in tunnels. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 64:84–89
Wang TT (2010) Characterizing crack patterns on tunnel linings associated with shear deformation induced by instability of neighboring slopes. Eng Geol 115:80–95
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this paper
Cite this paper
Causse, L., Cojean, R., Fleurisson, JA. (2015). Interactions Between Tunnels and Unstable Slopes: Role of Excavation. In: Lollino, G., et al. Engineering Geology for Society and Territory - Volume 2. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09057-3_34
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09057-3_34
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-09056-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-09057-3
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)