Longitudinal analysis model for segment lining uplift during shield tunnelling considering shearing dislocation of circumferential joints

Abstract

During shield tunnelling, longitudinal deformation occurs in the shield tunnel structure owing to the buoyancy generated by the synchronous slurry, which has adverse effects on the assembly quality and even the structural integrity of the segmental ring structure. However, the current longitudinal beam-like model for analysing the uplift response during shield tunnel construction adopts the Euler–Bernoulli beam to describe the shield tunnel. This model does not consider the shearing dislocation effect, causing errors in the structural longitudinal deformation analysis. In this context, this study proposes a shield tunnelling uplift model based on the Timoshenko beam theory, which can effectively consider the shearing dislocation effect, aiming to evaluate the longitudinal response of shield tunnels more accurately. A Pasternak two-parameter foundation with springs reflecting the resistance of the overburden with different thicknesses was adopted to simulate the supporting effects of the synchronous grouting layer and surrounding soil layer composite on the tunnel, considering the influences of both the shearing effect of the foundation and tunnel buried depth on the shield tunnel uplift. The dynamic buoyancy coefficient, determined through an inverse analysis of the field measurement data, was introduced to accurately calculate the magnitude of the dynamic buoyancy generated by the flow of synchronous slurry. The proposed model was validated by comparing its results with actual measurements. The uplift characteristics of the shield tunnel during construction were obtained by using the proposed model in an actual project. It was found that the longitudinal analysis model for shield tunnel uplift based on the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory underestimates the uplift and overestimates the internal forces generated during shield tunnelling.