A New Kinematical Admissible Translational–Rotational Failure Mechanism Coupling with the Complex Variable Method for Stability Analyses of Saturated Shallow Square Tunnels

Tunnels are commonly constructed in water-bearing zones, which necessitates stability analyses of saturated tunnels based on the upper bound of the plastic theory. Previous kinematical approaches have the following drawbacks: (1) using an empirical approach to estimate pore-water pressure distributi...

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Main Authors: Zhong-Zheng Peng, Ze-Hang Qian
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-05-01
Series:Buildings
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/13/5/1246
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author Zhong-Zheng Peng
Ze-Hang Qian
author_facet Zhong-Zheng Peng
Ze-Hang Qian
author_sort Zhong-Zheng Peng
collection DOAJ
description Tunnels are commonly constructed in water-bearing zones, which necessitates stability analyses of saturated tunnels based on the upper bound of the plastic theory. Previous kinematical approaches have the following drawbacks: (1) using an empirical approach to estimate pore-water pressure distributions; (2) using failure mechanisms that are not rigorously kinematically admissible. To overcome these shortcomings, we proposed a rigorously kinematically admissible translational–rotational failure mechanism for an underwater shallow square tunnel where velocity discontinuity surfaces were derived. Then, the pore-water pressure field surrounding the tunnel under the boundary of constant water pressure is analytically generated based on the complex variable method and imported into the kinematically admissible velocity field. Work rates performed by external forces and the internal dissipation rate are numerically computed to formulate the power balance equation, followed by a mixed optimization algorithm to capture the critical states of the surrounding soils of tunnels. The outcomes of pore-water pressure distributions, safety factors, and failure mechanisms are in tandem with those given by the numerical simulation but show higher computational efficiency than the numerical simulation. In the end, we highlight the advantages of the proposed model over the empirical approach, where soil properties and water table elevation effects are analyzed.
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spelling doaj.art-95c58673dd4a438b8d8edf564e3b3bcf2023-11-18T00:45:35ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092023-05-01135124610.3390/buildings13051246A New Kinematical Admissible Translational–Rotational Failure Mechanism Coupling with the Complex Variable Method for Stability Analyses of Saturated Shallow Square TunnelsZhong-Zheng Peng0Ze-Hang Qian1School of Civil Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410075, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410075, ChinaTunnels are commonly constructed in water-bearing zones, which necessitates stability analyses of saturated tunnels based on the upper bound of the plastic theory. Previous kinematical approaches have the following drawbacks: (1) using an empirical approach to estimate pore-water pressure distributions; (2) using failure mechanisms that are not rigorously kinematically admissible. To overcome these shortcomings, we proposed a rigorously kinematically admissible translational–rotational failure mechanism for an underwater shallow square tunnel where velocity discontinuity surfaces were derived. Then, the pore-water pressure field surrounding the tunnel under the boundary of constant water pressure is analytically generated based on the complex variable method and imported into the kinematically admissible velocity field. Work rates performed by external forces and the internal dissipation rate are numerically computed to formulate the power balance equation, followed by a mixed optimization algorithm to capture the critical states of the surrounding soils of tunnels. The outcomes of pore-water pressure distributions, safety factors, and failure mechanisms are in tandem with those given by the numerical simulation but show higher computational efficiency than the numerical simulation. In the end, we highlight the advantages of the proposed model over the empirical approach, where soil properties and water table elevation effects are analyzed.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/13/5/1246translational–rotational failure mechanismupper bound limit analysisshallow square tunnelsaturatedpore-water pressuressafety factors
spellingShingle Zhong-Zheng Peng
Ze-Hang Qian
A New Kinematical Admissible Translational–Rotational Failure Mechanism Coupling with the Complex Variable Method for Stability Analyses of Saturated Shallow Square Tunnels
Buildings
translational–rotational failure mechanism
upper bound limit analysis
shallow square tunnel
saturated
pore-water pressures
safety factors
title A New Kinematical Admissible Translational–Rotational Failure Mechanism Coupling with the Complex Variable Method for Stability Analyses of Saturated Shallow Square Tunnels
title_full A New Kinematical Admissible Translational–Rotational Failure Mechanism Coupling with the Complex Variable Method for Stability Analyses of Saturated Shallow Square Tunnels
title_fullStr A New Kinematical Admissible Translational–Rotational Failure Mechanism Coupling with the Complex Variable Method for Stability Analyses of Saturated Shallow Square Tunnels
title_full_unstemmed A New Kinematical Admissible Translational–Rotational Failure Mechanism Coupling with the Complex Variable Method for Stability Analyses of Saturated Shallow Square Tunnels
title_short A New Kinematical Admissible Translational–Rotational Failure Mechanism Coupling with the Complex Variable Method for Stability Analyses of Saturated Shallow Square Tunnels
title_sort new kinematical admissible translational rotational failure mechanism coupling with the complex variable method for stability analyses of saturated shallow square tunnels
topic translational–rotational failure mechanism
upper bound limit analysis
shallow square tunnel
saturated
pore-water pressures
safety factors
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/13/5/1246
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