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Abstract

Karst tunnels accumulate localized high water pressure during heavy rainfall, which can potentially induce cracks and damage to tunnel structures. By fully analyzing the stress characteristics of the lining structure and the critical water pressure, this study aims to evaluate the safety status of karst tunnels under heavy rainfall conditions, and proposes detailed tunnel optimization solutions. The results indicate that the outward deformation of the structure is restricted when the water pressure within the cavity is low, thus enhancing structural stability. However, the internal forces of the structure gradually increase as water pressure increases. Additionally, the mechanical properties of the surrounding rock significantly influence the internal forces. The bending moment in the lining structure is highest in the grade III surrounding rock under the same water pressure. However, the critical water pressure of the lining structure differs by surrounding rock grade due to varying constraints, following the order IV > V > III. Moreover, karst cavities located at the arch spandrel exert the greatest detrimental effect on the structure. Furthermore, the critical water pressure and concrete failure modes of the lining structure under different conditions are determined. Lastly, the optimization of the construction and design of the actual tunnel is proposed to enhance the structural integrity of the tunnel lining. These findings provide valuable insights for structural safety assessments under various karst cavity conditions.

Details

1009240
Title
Mechanical Characteristics and Safety Evaluation of Tunnel Lining Structures in Karst Areas Under Heavy Rainfall Conditions
Author
Qian Wangping 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Tang, Xu 2 ; Ma, Xiaoxin 2 ; Wang, Xiaonan 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China; [email protected] (W.Q.); [email protected] (X.T.); [email protected] (X.M.), State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Geotechnics and Tunnelling, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China 
 School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China; [email protected] (W.Q.); [email protected] (X.T.); [email protected] (X.M.) 
Publication title
Buildings; Basel
Volume
15
Issue
10
First page
1756
Publication year
2025
Publication date
2025
Publisher
MDPI AG
Place of publication
Basel
Country of publication
Switzerland
Publication subject
e-ISSN
20755309
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
Document type
Journal Article
Publication history
 
 
Online publication date
2025-05-21
Milestone dates
2025-04-09 (Received); 2025-05-16 (Accepted)
Publication history
 
 
   First posting date
21 May 2025
ProQuest document ID
3211922131
Document URL
https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/mechanical-characteristics-safety-evaluation/docview/3211922131/se-2?accountid=208611
Copyright
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.
Last updated
2025-05-27
Database
ProQuest One Academic