A case study on the behavior of shield tunneling in sandy cobble ground

Abstract

This study investigates the behavior of shield tunneling based on a complete case record of an excavation in sandy cobble ground. Both numerical and analytical analyses were conducted to estimate the surface displacement along the tunnel axis and the surface-zone affected by the shield tunneling. This paper presents the performance of the Peck method in forecasting the transversal surface settlement trough caused by the shield tunneling in a sandy cobble layer. In particular, this study has made a comparison with the vertical surface displacement monitored during the advancing excavation to the settlements estimated by using the Peck method and by conducting a three-dimensional finite element analysis. The effective measures to provide the necessary face support pressure and to reduce the formation of sinkholes and ground settlements in sandy cobble ground were also investigated and discussed.