Research on the Temperature Field and Water Discharge Around Different Drainage Structures for the Cold Tunnel

Abstract

Cold tunnels are vulnerable to frost damage, which poses a serious threat to their safe operation. This article focuses on the Hongtushan Tunnel and presents results from indoor model tests investigating the temperature field variations in surrounding rock at the tunnel bottom and the Water Discharge process of drainage structures under different conditions. The study analyzed the relationship between freezing depths of the model tunnel's surrounding rock and changes in both air temperature and depth within the tunnel, comparing the test results with on-site measurements of freezing depths. The findings revealed that insulation measures have a greater impact on the central drainage ditch than the cold-resistant drainage tunnel; implementing insulation measures for drainage structures significantly increased water discharge within the same time period. Moreover, the freezing depth of surrounding rocks under the tunnel arch exhibited a quadratic polynomial distribution along the depth direction. By taking advantage of the similarity between freezing depths and temperatures, combined with on-site temperature measurements inside the tunnel, actual freezing depths can be calculated, providing guidance for drainage structure placement. These results offer important insights for mitigating frost damage in high-altitude tunnels and promoting safer tunnel operations.