Tunnel Study Research Articles

Monitoring the Impact of Artificial Structure on Hydrogeological Environment: A Case Study of Hydraulic Tunnel at Pirot Hydropower Plant.

Artificial objects, particularly tunnels used for water transport under pressure, impact the geological and hydrogeological environment to a greater or lesser extent, and it is vital to assess their contributions to groundwater quality. Although tunnels are typically lined with concrete, their interaction with the hydrogeological environment intensifies over time. In this study, the detailed spatiotemporal monitoring of all hydrogeological features within the potential influence zone of the hydraulic tunnel of the Pirot Hydropower Plant has been conducted in order to determine the degree of interaction between the artificial object and the natural environment in real time, and to assess the correlation between monitored parameters. Natural conditions of the environment were defined, as well as potential changes through the observing groundwater regimes. The monitoring network included observations of groundwater regimes at seven springs located in close proximity to the hydraulic tunnel, within the tunnel, at three piezometers, and along the river, while methods employed were hydrological monitoring, physicochemical monitoring, and groundwater piezometer sensing. Cross-correlation analysis has been applied for assessing the impact of precipitation dynamics on the spring discharge regime. The results indicate a direct influence of the tunnel on the hydrogeological environment, proving the consistency and high correlation between the monitored parameters.

Mechanical Response Study of a Cross-Fault Water Conveyance Tunnel under the Combined Action of Faulting Dislocation and Seismic Loading

Mechanical Response Study of a Cross-Fault Water Conveyance Tunnel under the Combined Action of Faulting Dislocation and Seismic Loading

Protective benefits of HDPE board sand fences in an environment with variable wind directions on Gobi surfaces: wind tunnel study

Protective benefits of HDPE board sand fences in an environment with variable wind directions on Gobi surfaces: wind tunnel study

Analytical solution of seismic power-based equation of motion

This research proposes an innovative power-based equation of motion (PBEM) for the single degree of freedom (SDOF) system considering seismic excitation. The external or input frequency function, solution of time, relation between external and kinetic powers, and equation of strain-power (SP) are obtained by solving the power balance equation (PBE). The external frequency function is related to both the particular and total solutions of the PBEM. The particular solution of PBEM is applied on the shake table test of the tunnel-soil-pile interaction (TSPI) model, real-scale test of 2-storied reinforced concrete frame structure, and case study of Bolu tunnel for the verification purpose. The differences in verification (PBEM and previous works) results are found to be 21.6 % for the real-scale test and 19.5 % for the case study. These differences may represent a reasonable agreement with verification. Also, the relationship between the kinetic and external powers is verified with the previous shake table test of steel cantilever column, whereas the difference in results is found to be 5 %. Finally, a design chart is proposed for predicting the input frequency function for various frequency ratios and damping.

Turbulence scale and strength analysis in the roughness and inertial sublayers over urban areas: A wind tunnel study

The dissimilarity of dynamics and turbulence structures between the roughness and inertial sublayers (RSL, ISL) over roughness elements show that ISL turbulence is much more homogeneous. Conventional logarithmic law of the wall is merely applicable for the RSL mean-wind-speed profiles. To characterize the turbulence scales and elucidate the mechanism, the flows in the atmospheric surface layer (ASL) over real urban morphology are measured in wind tunnel experiments fabricated by 3D-printing, reduced-scale model of downtown Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong. Elevated dispersive stress at urban canopy signifies the influence from individual buildings and inhomogeneous RSL flows. A positive momentum contribution appears in the low-frequency regime. The large-scale turbulence in RSL thus enhances the mixing and transport, resulting in inhomogeneous flows. The contribution from ejection Q2 and sweep Q4 increases and decreases, respectively, with increasing RSL motion strength. The conventional −5/3 law is observed by empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and the largest amplitude fluctuation occurs more often when the turbulence length scale is comparable to the turbulent boundary layer (TBL) thickness. The single-point amplitude modulation (AM) shows that the large- and small-scale turbulence correlates tightly at the bottom of RSL. Besides, the joint probability density function (JPDF) illustrates that accelerating large scales often occur with decelerating small scales, and they are intensified with increasing wall-normal distance. As a result, large-scale turbulence influences substantially the flow structures over urban areas and the small-scale turbulence (even) in RSLs in the vicinity of building obstacles.

Flow characteristics over flat building roof with different edge configurations for wind energy harvesting: A wind tunnel study

The impact of climate change and global warming makes it imperative to seek sustainable solutions for the built environment. To facilitate the design of future sustainable buildings, wind tunnel tests are conducted in this study to investigate the flow characteristics and wind energy potential over a flat building roof with different edge configurations. Specifically, this study addresses the effect of parapet walls and roof edge-mounted solar panels on the wind flow over a flat-roof tall building. The results show that parapet walls generally slow down the wind speed and increase turbulence intensity as well as skewness angle, which compromises the efficiency of traditional turbine-based wind energy harvesting. On the other hand, the presence of solar panels on the roof edge (or on the top of the parapet wall) further alters flow separation and has the potential to enhance wind energy harvesting over the roof, especially for the solar panel inclined at 30°. In addition to providing valuable data for validating computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, this study could also help to guide the design of wind energy harvesting devices on the building roof and explore the promising synergy with solar panels.

Design and Analysis of Shotcrete Lining in Tunnels Under Squeezing Ground Conditions: A Case Study of Atal Tunnel

Design and Analysis of Shotcrete Lining in Tunnels Under Squeezing Ground Conditions: A Case Study of Atal Tunnel

Study on the maximum ceiling temperature and downstream temperature distribution in inclined tunnel fire

Constrained by various factors, including terrain, tunnels frequently exhibit slopes. While existing research on fires in inclined tunnels predominantly focuses on the characteristics of smoke flow in large slope tunnels, there is a notable lack of attention given to the study of micro-slope tunnels and important factors such as induced air inflow. Therefore, in this paper, the numerical simulation method is used to study the maximum ceiling temperature rise and downstream temperature distribution in inclined tunnel fire under the conditions of micro-slope and large slope. The results show that the main factors affecting the ceiling temperature rise are not only the tunnel slope, but also the HRR and the downstream length. These effects can be expressed by the stack effect intensity. When the inclined tunnel fire occurs, the maximum ceiling temperature and the downstream temperature distribution characteristics show two states. When the stack effect in the tunnel is diminished, there is no significant alteration in the maximum ceiling temperature and temperature distribution within the tunnel when compared to a horizontal tunnel. In a tunnel with a strong stack effect, the maximum temperature decreases as the stack effect increases, and the temperature distribution differs greatly from a horizontal tunnel. The theoretical analysis of this paper identifies the demarcation point of the two state changes as the dimensionless induced air inflow velocity of 0.1. On this basis, a piecewise prediction model for the maximum ceiling temperature of the inclined tunnel fire is established. Because the temperature distribution between the fire source and the maximum temperature position is not regular. Thus, using the maximum ceiling temperature as a reference point, an accurate segmented prediction model of temperature distribution is proposed for downstream Region 1. This study offers guidance for designing tunnel structures with high-temperature resistance and assessing safety conditions within the tunnel.

Effect of background turbulence on the wakes of horizontal-axis and vertical-axis wind turbines

We report a wind tunnel study on the wake generated by a horizontal-axis (HAWT) and a vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT). Two scaled models, one of each type, have been tested in a wind tunnel, under low blockage and at Reynolds numbers, based on the rotor diameter D, of ReD=265×103 for the HAWT and 330×103 for the VAWT. The models scale with respect to the largest commercially deployed turbines is of 1/383 and 1/65.5, for the HAWT and the VAWT, respectively. Furthermore, two different inflows were tested: low and moderate turbulence conditions. For each type of turbine and inflow, different values of tip-speed ratio and ReD were tested.Hot-wire anemometry was used to characterize the wake at different streamwise positions, exploring the range 1<x/D<30 for the HAWT and 1<x/D<15 for the VAWT.We find that, under a low-turbulence inflow, both turbines generate significantly different wakes, characterized by the velocity deficit, wake width and the profiles of average and rms streamwise velocities. More specifically, in low-turbulence conditions, the VAWT presents faster recovery than the HAWT. Remarkably, we observe that a moderately turbulent inflow results in similar wake shapes for both turbines, presenting similar recovery and structure under all studied conditions.

The impact of discontinuities on spalling failure in excavations under high-stress conditions

The Continuum Voronoi Block Model (CVBM), a pseudo-discontinuum modeling technique based on the Finite Element Method, was employed to investigate the impact of discontinuities on spalling phenomena around excavations in rocks under high-stress conditions. The CVBM’s ability to produce numerical results consistent with spalling was demonstrated through a case study of the Mine-by tunnel. The results show that the model can explicitly capture the formation of macro-fractures parallel to excavation walls, intact rock slabs, and V-shaped notches. The results of this case study support the application of CVBM for parametric analyses to investigate the role of discontinuities in spalling failure, integrating discrete fracture network (DFN) into the model. The influence of DFN parameters such as dip angle, spacing, persistence, position, and mechanical properties is also evaluated. It was found that discontinuities promote stress relief due to shear, thereby altering spalling damage around the excavation in highly stressed rock. This finding highlights the crucial role of discontinuities in influencing the behavior of excavations under such conditions.

Analysis of squeezing‐induced failure in a water tunnel and measure of rehabilitation: A case study of Tishreen tunnel, Syria

Analysis of squeezing‐induced failure in a water tunnel and measure of rehabilitation: A case study of Tishreen tunnel, Syria

Reinforcing Tunnel Network Exploration in Proteins Using Gaussian Accelerated Molecular Dynamics.

Tunnels are structural conduits in biomolecules responsible for transporting chemical compounds and solvent molecules from the active site. They have been shown to be present in a wide variety of enzymes across all functional and structural classes. However, the study of such pathways is experimentally challenging, because they are typically transient. Computational methods, such as molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, have been successfully proposed to explore tunnels. Conventional MD (cMD) provides structural details to characterize tunnels but suffers from sampling limitations to capture rare tunnel openings on longer time scales. Therefore, in this study, we explored the potential of Gaussian accelerated MD (GaMD) simulations to improve the exploration of complex tunnel networks in enzymes. We used the haloalkane dehalogenase LinB and its two variants with engineered transport pathways, which are not only well-known for their application potential but have also been extensively studied experimentally and computationally regarding their tunnel networks and their importance in multistep catalytic reactions. Our study demonstrates that GaMD efficiently improves tunnel sampling and allows the identification of all known tunnels for LinB and its two mutants. Furthermore, the improved sampling provided insight into a previously unknown transient side tunnel (ST). The extensive conformational landscape explored by GaMD simulations allowed us to investigate in detail the mechanism of ST opening. We determined variant-specific dynamic properties of ST opening, which were previously inaccessible due to limited sampling of cMD. Our comprehensive analysis supports multiple indicators of the functional relevance of the ST, emphasizing its potential significance beyond structural considerations. In conclusion, our research proves that the GaMD method can overcome the sampling limitations of cMD for the effective study of tunnels in enzymes, providing further means for identifying rare tunnels in enzymes with the potential for drug development, precision medicine, and rational protein engineering.

Innovative design and construction of a closure joint for inland-river immersed tunnels via dry-land construction methods: A case study of the Yuliangzhou tunnel in China

Closure joints constructed to fill the spaces between immersed tunnel elements or between the tunnel elements and adjacent cut-and-cover tunnels are crucial for the longitudinal stability of immersed tunnels and affect the overall cost and duration of tunnel construction. To avoid the obstruction of navigation and reduce the difficulty of constructing closure joints, dry-land construction methods have been widely applied to construct closure joints for inland-river immersed tunnels, in particular using procedures involving axial dry docks. However, the traditional dry-land construction method has many inherent drawbacks. For example, the construction of underwater large-scale reinforced concrete antiretreat structures involves many underwater works, complicated construction processes, long operation time spans and high costs. Based on the Yuliangzhou immersed tunnel in China, a new dry-land construction method for closure joints of inland-river immersed tunnels based on tunnel–soil interface friction was developed to address the abovementioned problems. Considering the adverse influences of back-silting sediment on tunnel–soil interface friction, large-scale laboratory and onsite shear tests were carried out to derive the interface friction coefficients between the tunnel element base slabs and prelaid pebble foundation beds. A composite concrete steel sandwich (CCSS) water-retaining system was designed and assembled to separate the water in the dry dock from the river course. A simplified analysis method based on numerical simulations for the determination of the equivalent horizontal thrust P applied to element ES caused by the dewatering of the axial dry dock was proposed. Based on horizontal antisliding stability analyses of the tunnel elements during the axial dry dock dewatering stage, equations for the key design parameters of the new dry-land construction method were established. Through examination of the static equilibrium of the tunnel elements in the tunnel longitudinal direction, temporary longitudinal displacement constraint (LDC) structures at the immersion joints were designed. Furthermore, the following key construction techniques for the new dry-land construction method were systematically designed: installation of a CCSS water-retaining system at the entrance of the axial dry dock, water sealing at contact gaps, installation of finish-rolled screw-thread (FRST) steel bars as the LDC structures at the immersion joints, and construction of rigid connections between tunnel element ES and the cut-and-cover tunnel. Finally, onsite observation of the deformation states of Gina gaskets and monitoring of the tensile forces of FRST steel bars at the immersion joints verified the successful implementation of the new dry-land construction method, supporting the use of these techniques in closure joint design and construction for inland-river immersed tunnels.

The Effects of Wind Velocity on the Binding Properties of Ash, Bottom Ash, and Additives: A Wind Tunnel Study

The Effects of Wind Velocity on the Binding Properties of Ash, Bottom Ash, and Additives: A Wind Tunnel Study

Wind tunnel and numerical study of wind pressure coefficients on a medieval Swedish church

Air infiltration has great importance regarding energy, comfort, moisture and dust deposition in naturally ventilated historical buildings like churches. In these buildings, air infiltration is driven by stack effect and wind. When assessing the wind effect, reasonable estimation of wind pressure coefficients is crucial. Local wind pressure coefficients are significantly affected by the shape of the building and turbulence generated by its geometrical features, which – for moderately large churches – typically consist of main building body and window recesses, gable roof, tower, apse, and sacristy. To yield practically useful pressure coefficients, this study conducted wind tunnel and numerical investigations at a church, with gradual addition of these features. Wind pressure was measured on a small-scale model in a wind tunnel, while computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were carried out for both small-scale and full-scale models. By comparing the experimental and numerical results, the SST k–ω turbulence model showed the best accuracy, yielding CFD results in good agreement with wind tunnel measurements. Most challenging was predicting the strong negative wind pressures occurring on a flat roof. Building structures like tower, apse, and sacristy had significant impact on the wind pressures on the central, main building body. This study adds knowledge on wind pressure effects by commonly occurring building components, with particular reference to churches and similar buildings. It was an important basis for developing further models for calculating the wind pressure coefficient.

The impact of twisted wind on pedestrian comfort around two non-identical-height buildings in tandem arrangement: a wind tunnel study

Due to the impact of urbanization, an increasing number of buildings are being constructed near hilly terrains because of the limited availability of land resources. The influence of twisted wind profile (TWP) on pedestrian-level wind comfort surrounding two tandem non-identical-height buildings, with a height ratio H1/H2 ranging from 3:1 to 1:0.33, was investigated by wind tunnel experiment with two twist angles (13 ° and 25 °), and compared with the conventional wind profile (CWP). The assessment of thermal comfort was based on Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) using wind velocity measured from the wind tunnel and observation results. Both the mean and gust wind velocities were investigated and compared with wind assessment criteria. The results reveal a significant disparity in the mean and gust wind fields for various H1/H2 under both CWP and TWPs, with the influence of twist being more pronounced for step-up building configuration (H1<H2). The influence of TWPs on the low wind velocity region demonstrated contrasting patterns for buildings with step-up and step-down configurations. The pedestrian level wind environment varies significantly with H1/H2 under CWP and TWPs in the passage between the two tandem buildings, categorized as “Sitting long” for identical-height buildings and modified to “Strolling” and “Walking fast” for step-up building configuration. The twisted wind shifts the “Sitting short” area toward the direction of the approaching twisted wind flow and amplifies the “Strolling” area on the other side. The twisted wind can diminish the thermal comfort surrounding the two tandem structures during summer while enhancing the thermal environment in winter.

Correction: Influence of Street Trees on Turbulent Fluctuations and Transport Processes in an Urban Canyon: A Wind Tunnel Study

Correction: Influence of Street Trees on Turbulent Fluctuations and Transport Processes in an Urban Canyon: A Wind Tunnel Study

Life cycle assessment of carbon emissions for cross-sea tunnel: A case study of Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge and Tunnel in China

Due to significant population concentration and capital influx in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the construction of cross-sea tunnels with significant consumption of various resources and materials, has been frequently witnessed. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding how carbon emissions of cross-sea transportation infrastructure are generated across its life-cycle stages. This study proposes a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach for quantifying the carbon emissions and exploring the carbon reduction potentials with a case study of a world-renowned cross-sea tunnel project in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The results find that this project contributes approximately 849 kilotons CO2eq of carbon emissions with an emission intensity of 1.1 kilotons CO2eq per meter. The materialization stage is the largest contributor of carbon emissions (474.9 kilotons CO2eq), followed by service stage (248.3 kilotons CO2eq, accounting for 29.2 %). Some carbon emissions of raw materials can be offset by using recycled materials. The discarded concrete, block, stone, and sand, occupying over 90 % of the total recycled waste in weight could achieve a 93.5 % of carbon reduction potentially. It provides the opportunity to reveal the engineering details and carbon emission for a world-class super complex cross-sea transportation infrastructure. This study makes one of the first attempts to quantify life-cycle carbon emissions of cross-sea transportation infrastructure, which enriches foundational dataset for environmental impact assessment in this emerging field. The findings of this study can provide scientific references for formulating targeted low-carbon strategies for cross-sea transportation infrastructure across its different life-cycle stages.

Effect of non-equilibrium thermochemistry on Pitot pressure measurements in shock tunnels (or: Is 0.92 really the magic number?)

Pitot pressure is the most common measurement in high total enthalpy shock tunnels for test condition verification. Nozzle calculations using multi-temperature non-equilibrium thermochemistry are needed in conjunction with Pitot measurements to quantify freestream properties. Pitot pressure is typically matched by tuning the boundary layer transition location in these simulations. However, non-equilibrium thermochemistry effects on the Pitot probe are commonly ignored. A computational study was undertaken to estimate the effect of non-equilibrium thermochemistry on Pitot pressure and freestream conditions. The test flow was produced by a Mach 7 nozzle in a reflected shock tunnel for air at a relatively low total enthalpy of 2.67MJ/kg. Three different thermochemical models (equilibrium, finite-rate chemistry and two-temperature thermochemistry) were employed to compute flow variables at the nozzle exit and Pitot probe. Pitot pressures from these simulations were compared against those obtained via experiments. The results show a departure from the commonly utilized C of 0.92 in the reduced Rayleigh-Pitot equation form for high Mach numbers. Additionally, calculations were done with a sweep of free-stream conditions and resulting in values for one- and two-temperature models to use in future shock tunnel studies. Overall, our results show that the influence of finite-rate thermochemistry should be taken into account, even at relatively low flow enthalpies.

Aerodynamic study of high-speed railway tunnels with variable cross section utilizing equivalent excavation volume

High-speed railway tunnels, being critical components of transportation infrastructure, are subject to various aerodynamic effects that can impact train operations and passenger comfort. To address these challenges, the concept of tunnels with variable cross sections offers a promising solution, allowing for non-uniform adjustments to tunnel geometry along its length. By employing the notion of equivalent excavation volume, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive aerodynamic analysis of variable cross section tunnels, focusing on different rates of cross section variation (CR). The simulation of high-speed trains (HSTs) passing through tunnels is conducted using the compressible, unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes model, and the accuracy is confirmed through experimental validation. The transient pressure and peak distribution, slipstream characteristics, micro-pressure waves, and aerodynamic loads acting on trains are fully evaluated. The results indicate that variable cross section tunnels can alleviate the negative pressure on train surface, particularly with streamlined heads and tails exhibiting superior effects, whereas its influence on positive pressure is minimal. The mitigation of both positive and negative pressures on the tunnels is promising, with the maximum peak-to-peak pressures exhibiting a quadratic decrease as the CR increases, resulting in a maximum relief of 17.7%. However, variable cross section tunnels have certain adverse effects on slipstreams and transient loads when HSTs passing through front junctions. Therefore, it is necessary to choose an appropriate CR to control these effects during design process. The findings of this research contribute novel insight for optimizing tunnel design and engineering practices to enhance operational efficiency and passenger comfort.