Physical model experiment research on evolution process of water inrush hazard in a deep-buried tunnel containing the filling fault

Abstract

In deep tunnel engineering, water inrush disasters caused by lling faults occur frequently and have generated wide interest in the elds of rock mechanics and uid mechanics. In this paper, the rock mass similar material is prepared with river sand as aggregate, cement as a binder, and clay as a regulator, and the similar material of the fault is composed of river sand and gravel, which lays a good foundation for the development of physical model experiment. Then, by using the self-designed visualization test system of the two-dimensional model of deep-buried tunnel lling fault water inrush, four physical models were laid by changing the fault width, fault cross distance, and fault cross angle to study the effect of different hydraulic pressures. In addition, the evolution process of water inrush disaster and the distribution characteristics of seepage weakening failure zone, hydraulic buckling failure zone, and excavation disturbance failure zone are analyzed and discussed. Furthermore, the justi cation classi cations of tunnel risk were established to characterize the process of water-inrush of different schemes for different loading water pressure. The research results further reveal the evolution characteristics of rock ssures, connection, and formation of water inrush channels, and provide an important basis for reducing and controlling the occurrence of such tunnel water inrush disasters.

Study on Water Inrush Characteristics of Hard Rock Tunnel Crossing Heterogeneous Faults

“…Nielsen summarized the construction experience of nearly 50 typical hard rock subsea tunnels in Norway, and found the main characteristics of fault water gushing and significant deformation of hard rock tunnels [11][12][13]. At the laboratory scale, similar physical simulation experiments can more intuitively observe the disaster process and evolution mode of fault water inflow in deep tunnel scenarios [14,15]. Huang Z., et al [16] developed a model experimental system to simulate tunnel excavation and water injection for inrush, utilizing Acoustic Emission (AE) for positioning and monitoring the evolution of inrush channels in the surrounding rock during the water supply process.…”