Experimental study on mechanical behavior and countermeasures of mountain tunnels under strike-slip fault movement

In the seismic mountainous regions such as western China, it is usuallly inevitable to construct tunnels near active fault zones. Those fault-crossing tunnel structures can be extremely vulnerable during earthquakes. Extensive experimental studies have been conducted on the response of continuous mo...

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Main Authors: Zhen Wang, Zilan Zhong, Mi Zhao, Xiuli Du, Jingqi Huang, Hongru Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2025-04-01
Series:Underground Space
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S246796742400103X
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author Zhen Wang
Zilan Zhong
Mi Zhao
Xiuli Du
Jingqi Huang
Hongru Wang
author_facet Zhen Wang
Zilan Zhong
Mi Zhao
Xiuli Du
Jingqi Huang
Hongru Wang
author_sort Zhen Wang
collection DOAJ
description In the seismic mountainous regions such as western China, it is usuallly inevitable to construct tunnels near active fault zones. Those fault-crossing tunnel structures can be extremely vulnerable during earthquakes. Extensive experimental studies have been conducted on the response of continuous mountain tunnels under reverse and normal fault movements, limited experimental investigations are available in the literatures on mountain tunnels with special structural measures crossing strike-slip faults. In this study, a new experimental facility for simulating the movement of strike-slip fault was developed, accounting for the spatial deformation characteristics of large active fault zones. Two groups of sandbox experiment were performed on the scaled tunnel models to investigate the evolution of ground deformation and surface rupture subjected to strike-slip fault motion and its impact on a water conveyance tunnel. The nonlinear response and damage mechanism of continuous tunnels and tunnels incorporated with specially designed articulated system were examined. The test results show that most of slip between stationary block and moving block occurred within the fault core, and significant surface ruptures are observed along the fault strike direction at the fault damage zone. The continuous tunnel undergoes significant shrinkage deformation and diagonal-shear failure near the slip surface and resulted in localized collapse of tunnel lining. The segments of articulated system tunnel suffer a significant horizontal deflection of about 5°, which results in opening and misalignment at the flexible joint. The width of the damaged zone of the articulated system tunnel is about 0.44 to 0.57 times that of the continuous tunnel. Compared to continuous tunnels, the articulated design significantly reduces the axial strain response of the tunnel lining, but increases the circumferential tensile strain at the tunnel crown and invert. It is concluded that articulated design provides an effective measure to reduce the extent of damage in mountain tunnel.
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spelling doaj-art-8a27a94e565e48929e313c75fa0eb3472025-08-20T02:06:22ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Underground Space2467-96742025-04-012112110.1016/j.undsp.2024.07.006Experimental study on mechanical behavior and countermeasures of mountain tunnels under strike-slip fault movementZhen Wang0Zilan Zhong1Mi Zhao2Xiuli Du3Jingqi Huang4Hongru Wang5Key Laboratory of Urban Security and Disaster Engineering of Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China; National Engineering Laboratory for Port Hydraulic Construction Technology, Tianjin Research Institute for Water Transport Engineering, Ministry of Transport, Tianjin 300456, ChinaKey Laboratory of Urban Security and Disaster Engineering of Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, ChinaKey Laboratory of Urban Security and Disaster Engineering of Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China; Corresponding author.Key Laboratory of Urban Security and Disaster Engineering of Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory of Urban Underground Space Engineering, School of Civil and Resource Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, ChinaChina Construction Industrial Engineering and Technology Research Academy Co., Ltd., Beijing 101300, ChinaIn the seismic mountainous regions such as western China, it is usuallly inevitable to construct tunnels near active fault zones. Those fault-crossing tunnel structures can be extremely vulnerable during earthquakes. Extensive experimental studies have been conducted on the response of continuous mountain tunnels under reverse and normal fault movements, limited experimental investigations are available in the literatures on mountain tunnels with special structural measures crossing strike-slip faults. In this study, a new experimental facility for simulating the movement of strike-slip fault was developed, accounting for the spatial deformation characteristics of large active fault zones. Two groups of sandbox experiment were performed on the scaled tunnel models to investigate the evolution of ground deformation and surface rupture subjected to strike-slip fault motion and its impact on a water conveyance tunnel. The nonlinear response and damage mechanism of continuous tunnels and tunnels incorporated with specially designed articulated system were examined. The test results show that most of slip between stationary block and moving block occurred within the fault core, and significant surface ruptures are observed along the fault strike direction at the fault damage zone. The continuous tunnel undergoes significant shrinkage deformation and diagonal-shear failure near the slip surface and resulted in localized collapse of tunnel lining. The segments of articulated system tunnel suffer a significant horizontal deflection of about 5°, which results in opening and misalignment at the flexible joint. The width of the damaged zone of the articulated system tunnel is about 0.44 to 0.57 times that of the continuous tunnel. Compared to continuous tunnels, the articulated design significantly reduces the axial strain response of the tunnel lining, but increases the circumferential tensile strain at the tunnel crown and invert. It is concluded that articulated design provides an effective measure to reduce the extent of damage in mountain tunnel.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S246796742400103XTunnel engineeringStrike-slip faultModel testArticulated designDamage mechanism
spellingShingle Zhen Wang
Zilan Zhong
Mi Zhao
Xiuli Du
Jingqi Huang
Hongru Wang
Experimental study on mechanical behavior and countermeasures of mountain tunnels under strike-slip fault movement
Underground Space
Tunnel engineering
Strike-slip fault
Model test
Articulated design
Damage mechanism
title Experimental study on mechanical behavior and countermeasures of mountain tunnels under strike-slip fault movement
title_full Experimental study on mechanical behavior and countermeasures of mountain tunnels under strike-slip fault movement
title_fullStr Experimental study on mechanical behavior and countermeasures of mountain tunnels under strike-slip fault movement
title_full_unstemmed Experimental study on mechanical behavior and countermeasures of mountain tunnels under strike-slip fault movement
title_short Experimental study on mechanical behavior and countermeasures of mountain tunnels under strike-slip fault movement
title_sort experimental study on mechanical behavior and countermeasures of mountain tunnels under strike slip fault movement
topic Tunnel engineering
Strike-slip fault
Model test
Articulated design
Damage mechanism
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S246796742400103X
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