Deformation and Reinforcement of the Existing Tunnel Affected by New Shield Tunnel Construction with Small Clearance

In recent years, the rapid expansion of subway construction has brought increasing challenges related to the crossing of new and existing subway lines. This study focuses on the Nanjing Metro line 11 project, where the new line crosses the existing line 3. A numerical simulation analysis of the tunnel intersection area is conducted using ABAQUS software to investigate the deformation mechanism of shield segments when a new tunnel is constructed at a close distance and oblique angle to an existing tunnel. During the construction of a new tunnel, the existing tunnel segments experience the greatest settlement at the intersection point, with the deformation pattern gradually evolving from a V-shape to a W-shape. The majority of the deformation in the existing tunnel occurs during the close-crossing stage of the new tunnel. An ultra-high-performance grouting (UHPG) material is proposed, and the optimal reinforcement material ratio is determined through tests. The UHPG material is applied to the underside of the existing tunnels in the crossover section for local reinforcement. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed reinforcement method. Specifically, the deformation of the left line and right line of the existing tunnel is reduced by 35.0% and 33.1%, respectively, the segmental stress decreased by 10.1%, and the ground subsidence was reduced by 13.2%.

This creative work has been published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY 4.0) license which allows copying, and redistribution as well as adaptation of the original work provided appropriate credit is given to the original author and the conditions of the license are met.