Lining Fatigue Test and Influence Zoning of Tridimensional Cross-Tunnel under High-Speed Train Loads

Abstract

Tridimensional cross tunnels usually manifest the vulnerable components of a high-speed railway caused by the sophistication of the structural pattern and the continuous shock from the train. The frequent defect of tunnel lining at the intersection would affect the safe operation of the two rails. As a result, attention has been paid to fatigue damage caused by the long-term dynamic load from a running train, in order to ensure the safety and serviceability of the cross tunnel lining. However, an influence zoning method with respect to tunnel crossing for the direct estimation of whether the lining structure is damaged due to the train load, and to what extent, is unavailable. In this paper, a systematic study that consists of numerical simulation and fatigue damage experiment is conducted to develop an approximate method to enable practicing engineers to evaluate reasonable design parameters. The initial static stress, which corresponds to the static tensile stress of secondary lining under the stratum load, and the maximum dynamic stress, which refers to the maximum dynamic tensile stress under the train load, are estimated according to the numerical simulation. A simplified damage evolution model and its parameters are identified on the basis of a systematic fatigue damage experiment. Finally, the influence zoning method is conducted on the basis of two criteria, namely (1) that initial stress level should not exceed 0.6, and (2) that load cycles should not exceed N = 2 × 106 times. Thus, the practicing parameters during the cross tunnel design, such as surrounding rock mass, cross angle, rock pillar thickness between two tunnels, and train speed can be utilized conveniently by using the proposed calculation charts, according to the identification of initial stress level and the magnitude of dynamic stresses caused by the train load.