Analysis of pile group behaviour to adjacent tunnelling considering ground reinforcement conditions with assessment of stability of superstructures

초록

Tunnel construction activity, conducted mainly in mountains and within urban centres, causes soil settlement, thus requiring the relevant management of slopes and structures as well as evaluations of risk and stability. Accordingly, in this study we performed a three-dimensional finite element analysis to examine the behaviour of piles and pile cap stability when a tunnel passes near the bottom of the foundation of a pile group connected by a pile cap. We examined the results via numerical analysis considering different conditions for reinforcement of the ground between the tunnel and the pile foundation. The numerical analysis assessed the angular distortion of the pile cap, pile settlement, axial force, shear stress, relative displacement, and volume loss due to tunnel excavation, and pile cap stability was evaluated based on Son and Cording's evaluation criterion for damage to adjacent structures. The pile located closest to the tunnel under the condition of no ground reinforcement exhibited pile head settlement approximately 70% greater than that of the pile located farthest from the tunnel under the condition of greatest ground reinforcement. Additionally, pile head settlement was greatest when the largest volume loss occurred, being approximately 18% greater than pile head settlement under the condition having the smallest volume loss. This paper closely examines the main factors influencing the behaviour of a pile group connected by a pile cap for three ground reinforcement conditions and presents an evaluation of pile cap stability.

키워드