Numerical Investigation into the Effects of Controlled Tunnel Blast on Dynamic Responses of the Transmission Tower

Abstract

At present, the drill-and-blast method is still one of the main construction means in the road tunnel excavation process. When the tunnel penetrates underneath sensitive structures such as high-voltage transmission towers, the blasting and supporting parameters must be strictly controlled to ensure the stability and safety of the surface structures. In this paper, numerical simulations based on a large-section shallow buried tunnel project in Zhuhai are conducted to study the effect of controlled tunnel blast on the dynamic response of transmission towers. The numerical simulation results indicate that the blast vibration velocity of the rock generated by controlled blasting decreases rapidly along the tunnel excavation direction. The blast vibration velocity of the high-voltage transmission tower and its pile foundation gradually increases with the propagation of the blast waves, and the maximum vibration velocity is about 1.24 cm/s. The results indicate that the controlled blasting design of this project can effectively restrain the vibration velocity induced by the blasting load and could ensure the stability and safety of the transmission tower.