Upper bound analysis for estimation of the influence of seepage on tunnel face stability in layered soils

Abstract

Tunnel face stability is important for safe tunneling and the protection of the surrounding environment. Upper bound analysis is a widely applied method to investigate tunnel face stability. In this paper, a tunnel face collapse of Guangzhou metro line 3 is presented. Accordingly, seepage is considered in the upper bound solutions for face stability in layered soils. Steady-state seepage is reached in the first 1200 s of each drilling step. In the crossed layer, the seepage flow is horizontal toward the tunnel face, whereas in the cover layer, the seepage vertically percolates into the crossed layer. By considering the seepage forces on the tunnel face and on the soil particles, the upper bound solution for the support pressure needed for face stability in layered soil with seepage is obtained. Under saturated conditions, the support pressure is influenced by the variation of the depth ratio due to the seepage effect. Moreover, the support pressure depends linearly on the groundwater level. This study provides estimations of the support pressure for face stability in tunnel design.