Deformation and Control of Super-Large-Diameter Shield in the Upper-Soft and Lower-Hard Ground Crossing the Embankment

Abstract

Compared with the small diameter and the single stratum shield tunnel, the surface subsidence is much greater when the large-diameter shield passes through the upper-soft and lower-hard stratum. In this case, it is particularly important to control the deformation of the embankment when the large-diameter shield passes underneath the embankment. Taking a tunnel project underneath the north embankment in Zhuhai as an engineering example, this paper investigates the deformation characteristics and safety control measures of a super-large-diameter (i.e., 15.80 m) shield tunnel underneath the embankment under complex stratum conditions in upper-soft and lower-hard strata, using on-site monitoring and three-dimensional numerical simulations. The results of the numerical simulation show that grouting can effectively reduce the settlement of the embankment. Grouting is applied to practical engineering, and the monitoring data are in agreement with the numerical simulation results. The surface subsidence of the embankment gradually increases as the shield tail leaves the monitoring section and finally stabilizes. After the shield machine has passed through the embankment, the horizontal deformation troughs on the embankment’s surface conform to the Gaussian normal distribution. The maximum settlement occurs in the area directly above the central axis of the tunnel. The deformation trough covers an area about four times the diameter of the tunnel on both sides of its center line.