A double tunnels model test study on mechanical properties of surrounding rock during tunnels excavation and creep stages

Abstract

The tunnel engineering has become increasingly common with the needs of urban development. However, excavation sequence has a significant effect on the stability of the tunnel perimeter rock, which can lead to more unpredictable perimeter rock hazards and more difficulty in maintaining perimeter rock stability. In this study, to investigate the effect of different excavation sequences on tunnel deformation and creep, biaxial compression experiments were conducted on muddy siltstone specimens by using the acoustic emission (AE) and digital image correlation (DIC) techniques. The results indicated that, as the distance from the tunnel portal increases, the amount of stress and strain change decreases, with the largest values of stress changes occurring in the tunnel vault and middle area of twin tunnels. The specimen undergoes two stages in the creep process: deceleration creep and steady-state creep. The steady-state creep rate of the measurement points depends on the degree of excavation disturbance impact it experiences. The AE events during excavation can be divided into two phases: the quiet period when the specimen is not excavated and the active period when the specimen is excavated, and the cumulative counting curve shows a “stepwise” increase with the number of excavations. There is a sudden drop in the b-value during excavation and a decrease in the b-value during the deceleration creep phase. The results of this study can reflect the creep patterns of the surrounding rock under different excavation sequences, which can help to choose a more suitable excavation plan in terms of rock creep stability.