Since the deformation of deep fill is large after construction and has a great influence on the quality of geotechnical engineering, the deformation characteristics of deep, thick fill are important research topics in the field of geotechnical engineering. This study focused on a large-scale backfill project of YuJingShan tunnel on the Chengdu–Guizhou railway. Centrifugal model tests were conducted focusing on the uneven natural weak accumulation layer at the floor of the karst cave hall and the large-volume backfill of the karst cave, and test results were compared with on-site monitoring results. The deformation laws of the cave backfill and sediment layer under different construction processes, such as karst cave filling, tunnel excavation and reinforcement, and lining construction, were analyzed. The results show that: For deep, thick abandoned karst cave slag backfill without excavation and reinforcement, it would take 2.5 years to achieve deformation stability after the completion of construction of the large-scale karst cave filling. The accumulated settlement of the backfill during the construction period accounted for 82.2%–88.2% of the total settlement, whereas that of the soft soil layer accounted for 79%–88%. It would take 1.5 years to achieve deformation stability after filling and excavation. The cumulative settlement of backfill during the construction period accounted for 86.9%–92.7% of the total settlement. The settlement of the soft soil layer during the construction period accounted for 7/8 of the total settlement. When the thickness of the soft soil layer exceeded 12.5 cm, the settlement at the floor of the tunnel increased by 30%.
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