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Urban Underground Space Design: Structural Stability and Mechanics Analysis
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Urban Underground Space Design: Structural Stability and Mechanics Analysis

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Structures".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2025 | Viewed by 6619

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jun Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
Interests: information and intelligence of geotechnical engineering; resource utilization of solid waste; in-situ resource utilization of lunar soil; impact and blast resistance of materials and structures
Dr. Hao Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
Interests: pile foundation; deepwater foundation; geotechnical earthquake engineering; soft soil underground engineering; scour
Dr. Zhehao Zhu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
Interests: geotechnical earthquake engineering; macro and micro behaviour of granular material; conservation of cultural heritage; geotechnical computational mechanics; sand liquefaction
Prof. Dr. Yi Rui

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Interests: energy underground engineering; intelligent perception of underground infrastructure; geotechnical computational mechanics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As cities globally grapple with the challenges of population growth and limited surface, the use of underground spaces emerges as a solution with great potential. This necessitates a reasonable assessment of structural stability and a serious geotechnical analysis to ensure the safety and longevity of such spaces. From a structural stability standpoint, the intricate network of tunnels, subways, and other underground structures requires a meticulous design to withstand various loads, ground movements, and possible natural hazards. Geotechnical analysis is similarly important, involving the understanding of soil and rock mechanics, groundwater conditions, and the interaction between the subsurface and the constructed elements. These two facets not only respond to the pressing requirement for efficient space utilization in densely populated urban areas but also underscore the academic pursuit of pioneering practical solutions.

Within this framework, this Special Issue ‘Urban Underground Space Design: Structural Stability and Mechanics Analysis’ proposes a series of research papers from the above research areas that align with the broader goals of sustainable urban development. Topics include, but are not limited to, research results on the following:

  • Innovative approaches to urban underground space design;
  • Sustainable practices in underground construction;
  • Geotechnical analysis for urban underground projects;
  • Case studies and best practices.

We look forward to receiving your submissions.

Prof. Dr. Jun Wu
Dr. Hao Zhang
Dr. Zhehao Zhu
Prof. Dr. Yi Rui
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

 

Keywords

  • subsurface engineering
  • geotechnical analysis
  • tunnel technologies
  • structural stability
  • underground construction
  • excavation methods
  • ground improvement
  • sustainable underground design
 

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 12127 KiB  
Article
Influence of Excavation Radius on Behavior of Circular Foundation Pits Supported by Prefabricated Recyclable Structures: Full-Scale Experimental and Numerical Analysis
by Lichao Chen, Chengchao Guo, Yanhui Pan, Huqing Liang, Mengxiong Tang and Kejie Zhai
Buildings 2024, 14(10), 3110; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14103110 - 27 Sep 2024
Viewed by 363
Abstract
A foundation pit’s excavation area, which is determined by its radius in a circular foundation pit, exerts a considerable influence on the pit’s behavior. Using a full-scale experiment on a circular foundation pit retained by a prefabricated recyclable supporting structure (PRSS), this study [...] Read more.
A foundation pit’s excavation area, which is determined by its radius in a circular foundation pit, exerts a considerable influence on the pit’s behavior. Using a full-scale experiment on a circular foundation pit retained by a prefabricated recyclable supporting structure (PRSS), this study develops a series of axisymmetric numerical models to systematically investigate the influence of excavation radius on the pit’s deformation, stress, and stability. Furthermore, simulation results from axisymmetric models are compared with those from plane strain models to illustrate the influence mechanism. The results show that at a given excavation depth, the deflection and bending moments of the supporting piles, the earth pressure on the non-excavation side, and ground surface settlement increase with the enlarged excavation radius, but the increase rate progressively decreases. However, the foundation pit’s safety factor decreases with an increasing excavation radius and gradually stabilizes. When the excavation radius exceeds 50 m, its influence on the foundation pit’s behavior significantly diminishes. The axisymmetric model results closely approximate those from the plane strain models, suggesting that the spatial arching effects of the circular foundation pit can be disregarded. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Underground Space Design: Structural Stability and Mechanics Analysis)
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31 pages, 37082 KiB  
Article
Prediction of the Unconfined Compressive Strength of a One-Part Geopolymer-Stabilized Soil Using Deep Learning Methods with Combined Real and Synthetic Data
by Qinyi Chen, Guo Hu and Jun Wu
Buildings 2024, 14(9), 2894; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14092894 - 13 Sep 2024
Viewed by 494
Abstract
This study focused on exploring the utilization of a one-part geopolymer (OPG) as a sustainable alternative binder to ordinary Portland cement (OPC) in soil stabilization, offering significant environmental advantages. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) was the key index for evaluating the efficacy of [...] Read more.
This study focused on exploring the utilization of a one-part geopolymer (OPG) as a sustainable alternative binder to ordinary Portland cement (OPC) in soil stabilization, offering significant environmental advantages. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) was the key index for evaluating the efficacy of OPG in soil stabilization, traditionally demanding substantial resources in terms of cost and time. In this research, four distinct deep learning (DL) models (Artificial Neural Network [ANN], Backpropagation Neural Network [BPNN], Convolutional Neural Network [CNN], and Long Short-Term Memory [LSTM]) were employed to predict the UCS of OPG-stabilized soft clay, providing a more efficient and precise methodology. Among these models, CNN exhibited the highest performance (MAE = 0.022, R2 = 0.9938), followed by LSTM (MAE = 0.0274, R2 = 0.9924) and BPNN (MAE = 0.0272, R2 = 0.9921). The Wasserstein Generative Adversarial Network (WGAN) was further utilized to generate additional synthetic samples for expanding the training dataset. The incorporation of the synthetic samples generated by WGAN models into the training set for the DL models led to improved performance. When the number of synthetic samples achieved 200, the WGAN-CNN model provided the most accurate results, with an R2 value of 0.9978 and MAE value of 0.9978. Furthermore, to assess the reliability of the DL models and gain insights into the influence of input variables on the predicted outcomes, interpretable Machine Learning techniques, including a sensitivity analysis, Shapley Additive Explanation (SHAP), and 1D Partial Dependence Plot (PDP) were employed for analyzing and interpreting the CNN and WGAN-CNN models. This research illuminates new aspects of the application of DL models with training on real and synthetic data in evaluating the strength properties of the OPG-stabilized soil, contributing to saving time and cost. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Underground Space Design: Structural Stability and Mechanics Analysis)
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16 pages, 9808 KiB  
Article
Influence of Fine Content and Mean Diameter Ratio on the Minimum and Maximum Void Ratios of Sand–Fine Mixtures: A Discrete Element Method Study
by Huaqiao Zhong, Zhehao Zhu, Jiajin Zhao, Lanyi Wei, Yanyan Zhang, Jiayu Li, Jiajun Wang and Wenguo Yao
Buildings 2024, 14(9), 2877; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14092877 - 11 Sep 2024
Viewed by 441
Abstract
As urbanization accelerates and surface space becomes increasingly scarce, the development and utilization of urban underground space have become more critical. The sand–fine mixture soils commonly found in river-adjacent and coastal areas pose significant challenges to the design and construction of underground structures [...] Read more.
As urbanization accelerates and surface space becomes increasingly scarce, the development and utilization of urban underground space have become more critical. The sand–fine mixture soils commonly found in river-adjacent and coastal areas pose significant challenges to the design and construction of underground structures due to their unique mechanical properties. In soil mechanics, the minimum and maximum void ratios are crucial indicators for assessing soil compressibility, permeability, and shear strength. This study employed the discrete element method (DEM) to simulate the minimum and maximum void ratios of sand–fine mixtures under various conditions by setting six fine contents and three mean diameter ratios. The results indicate that as the fine content increases, these void ratios exhibit a trend of initially decreasing and then increasing, which can be effectively modelled using a single-parameter quadratic function. Additionally, the initial shear modulus was closely related to the uniformity of contact distribution at the microscopic level within the specimens. This study also introduced a dimensionless parameter that simultaneously described changes in contact distribution and initial shear modulus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Underground Space Design: Structural Stability and Mechanics Analysis)
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16 pages, 4683 KiB  
Article
Upper Bound Analysis of Two-Layered Slopes Subjected to Seismic Excitations Using the Layer-Wise Summation Method
by Lili Jin and Youfang Liao
Buildings 2024, 14(7), 1990; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14071990 - 1 Jul 2024
Viewed by 595
Abstract
Due to natural sedimentation and artificial filling, slopes exhibit heterogeneity in the form of multi-layer soils, namely, layered slopes. Compared with homogenous slopes, the failure mechanism of layered slopes is more complex owing to the different shear strengths of each soil layer. Therefore, [...] Read more.
Due to natural sedimentation and artificial filling, slopes exhibit heterogeneity in the form of multi-layer soils, namely, layered slopes. Compared with homogenous slopes, the failure mechanism of layered slopes is more complex owing to the different shear strengths of each soil layer. Therefore, it is of great importance to gain insight into the stability of layered slopes. In this study, the upper bound theorem of limit analysis incorporated with a pseudo-static approach is utilized to investigate the seismic stability of two kinds of two-layered slopes: one with a stiff lower soil layer and the other with a weak lower soil layer. Three failure patterns, namely face failure, toe failure and base failure, are taken into account. A depth coefficient (Δ) is introduced to describe the distribution of two soil layers. The layer-wise summation method is adopted to calculate the safety factor and yield acceleration coefficient more conveniently. Based on Newmark’s method, the earthquake-induced horizontal displacement is estimated. The calculated results are validated by comparisons with published literature and the numerical method in terms of safety factor, critical failure surface and yield acceleration coefficient. The results show that the depth coefficient has a significant influence on the failure mechanism of two-layered slopes by determining whether the stability of upper-layered soil is dominant in the overall slope stability or not. Inaccurately identifying the failure patterns will overestimate the seismic performance of two-layered slopes in the aspects of safety factor and yield acceleration coefficient, leading to an underestimation of earthquake-induced horizontal displacement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Underground Space Design: Structural Stability and Mechanics Analysis)
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21 pages, 10910 KiB  
Article
Structural Stability and Mechanical Analysis of PVC Pipe Jacking under Axial Force
by Rudong Wu, Kaixin Liu, Peng Zhang, Cong Zeng, Yong Xu and Jiahao Mei
Buildings 2024, 14(6), 1884; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061884 - 20 Jun 2024
Viewed by 894
Abstract
PVC pipe jacking is prone to cause yielding or buckling under the jacking force and may lead to engineering failure. The relationship between the buckling modes, ultimate bearing capacity, different diameter–thickness ratios, and length–diameter ratios of PVC pipe jacking under different load forms [...] Read more.
PVC pipe jacking is prone to cause yielding or buckling under the jacking force and may lead to engineering failure. The relationship between the buckling modes, ultimate bearing capacity, different diameter–thickness ratios, and length–diameter ratios of PVC pipe jacking under different load forms was analyzed. The calculation methods for allowable jacking force and the single allowable jacking distance are obtained through theoretical analysis and three-dimensional finite elements. The buckling mode of the pipe under uniform load changes from symmetric buckling to asymmetric buckling and then to the overall Euler buckling form as the length–diameter ratio increases. The ultimate bearing capacity of the pipe approaches the theoretical value of yield failure when L/D ≤ 6. For L/D > 6, the pipe undergoes buckling, and the ultimate bearing capacity determined by the axial buckling value and the buckling load can be calculated according to the long pipe theory formula when L/D > 8.5. Under eccentric loads, the failure mode transitions from local failure to Euler buckling with increasing pipe length. The ultimate bearing capacity of pipe is obviously lower than that of uniform load, but as the length–diameter ratio increases, this difference decreases until it becomes consistent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Underground Space Design: Structural Stability and Mechanics Analysis)
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24 pages, 13476 KiB  
Article
Multifractal Characteristics and Displacement Prediction of Deformation on Tunnel Portal Slope of Shallow Buried Tunnel Adjacent to Important Structures
by Xiannian Zhou, Yurui He, Wanmao Zhang and Dunwen Liu
Buildings 2024, 14(6), 1662; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061662 - 4 Jun 2024
Viewed by 595
Abstract
The tunnel portal section is often in extremely weak and fragmented strata, and the deformation of the portal side and slope will affect the stability of the surrounding rock and the tunnel-supporting structure. However, the deformation characteristics and displacement development patterns of slopes [...] Read more.
The tunnel portal section is often in extremely weak and fragmented strata, and the deformation of the portal side and slope will affect the stability of the surrounding rock and the tunnel-supporting structure. However, the deformation characteristics and displacement development patterns of slopes in the tunnel portal section are not clear. In this paper, the multifractal characteristics and displacement prediction of the deformation sequence of the tunnel portal slope at of a weak and water-rich shallow buried tunnel adjacent to an important structure are studied in depth. Combined with the deformation characteristics of the tunnel portal slope, a suitable slope monitoring and measurement scheme is designed to analyze the deformation pattern of the tunnel portal slope. Based on the multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA) method, the multifractal characteristics of the deformation monitoring sequences at each monitoring point of the tunnel portal slope are analyzed. The multifractal characteristics of displacement sequences at different monitoring points of the tunnel portal slope are consistent with the actual monitoring results. Furthermore, the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model is optimized using the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm to predict the deformation of the tunnel portal slope. The results show that the maximum mean square error (MSE) of the horizontal displacement test set prediction results is 0.142, and the coefficient of determination (R2) is higher than 91%. The maximum value of MSE for vertical displacement test set prediction is 0.069, and the R2 are higher than 91%. The study shows that the performance of the PSO-LSTM prediction model can meet the requirements for predicting the displacement of the tunnel portal slope. Based on the MF-DFA method and PSO-LSTM prediction model, the fluctuation characteristics of the displacement value of the tunnel portal section can be accurately identified and the displacement development pattern can be effectively predicted. The conclusions of the study are of great practical significance for the safe construction of the tunnel portal section. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Underground Space Design: Structural Stability and Mechanics Analysis)
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18 pages, 10097 KiB  
Article
Dynamic Response Analysis Method of a High-Strength RC Beam Subjected to Long-Duration Blast Loading
by Haochuan Zhao, Fan Zeng, Xiaowei Feng, Shouqian Wang, Chao Huang, Na Liu and Jian Zhang
Buildings 2024, 14(6), 1612; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061612 - 1 Jun 2024
Viewed by 644
Abstract
An analysis method of normalized pressure–impulse (P-I) diagrams related to the ductility ratio of structural components is proposed, to quickly estimate the dynamic response of high-strength reinforcement concrete (RC) beams subjected to long-duration blast loading. Firstly, the overall bending [...] Read more.
An analysis method of normalized pressure–impulse (P-I) diagrams related to the ductility ratio of structural components is proposed, to quickly estimate the dynamic response of high-strength reinforcement concrete (RC) beams subjected to long-duration blast loading. Firstly, the overall bending deformation mode of RC beams is uncovered via explosion tests in a closed chamber, where the durations of the near-planar blast loadings are varied within 80–105 ms. Then, a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) model is established based on the bending deformation mode. The resistance function for the uniform pressure loading is developed using a novel approach, consisting of (1) developing and benchmarking a three-dimensional (3D) improved steel–concrete separated finite-element (FE) model; (2) using the benchmarked FE model to conduct numerical simulations for uniform pressure loading; and (3) idealizing the resistance function for uniform pressure using a bilinear relationship. Finally, the SDOF model is used to conduct parametric analyses and develop a normalized P-I diagram that can be used to analyze or design RC beams for far-field blast effects. This P-I diagram is verified using results from blast load tests that are primarily in the dynamic region. A total of 188 additional 3D nonlinear FE analyses of RC beams are conducted to expand the database in the impulse and quasi-static regions. Considering the limitations of the proposed method in predicting the shear-dominated deformation and the fracture behavior of members, the P-I diagram is applicable to the dynamic response of the bending deformation of members under far-field explosion, which can provide an important reference for the blast-resistant design and analysis of high-strength RC beams. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Underground Space Design: Structural Stability and Mechanics Analysis)
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17 pages, 6897 KiB  
Article
Parametric Study of the Deep Excavation Performance of Underground Pumping Station Based on Numerical Method
by Jiani Zhang, Zhenkun Yang and Rafig Azzam
Buildings 2024, 14(6), 1569; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061569 - 28 May 2024
Viewed by 549
Abstract
Environmental responses to deep excavations are combined results of numerous factors. The effects of some factors are relatively straightforward and can be considered carefully during the design. On the other hand, more features impact excavation-induced performances indirectly, making their influences difficult to be [...] Read more.
Environmental responses to deep excavations are combined results of numerous factors. The effects of some factors are relatively straightforward and can be considered carefully during the design. On the other hand, more features impact excavation-induced performances indirectly, making their influences difficult to be clearly understood. Unfortunately, the complexity and non-repeatability of practical projects make it impossible to thoroughly understand these issues through realistic deep excavation projects. Therefore, parametric studies based on repeatable laboratory and numerical tests are desired to investigate these issues further. This work examines the influence of several key features on excavation-induced displacements through a series of 3D numerical tests. The study includes the choice of soil constitutive models, the modeling method of the soil–wall interface, and the influences of various key soil parameters. The comparison shows that the MCC model can yield a displacement field similar to the HSS model, while its soil movement is greatly improved compared to the MC model. Both the soil–wall interface properties and soil parameters impact the excavation-induced displacement to a large extent. In addition, the influence mechanisms of these parameters are analyzed, and practical suggestions are given. The findings of this paper are expected to provide practical references to the design and construction of future deep excavation projects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Underground Space Design: Structural Stability and Mechanics Analysis)
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18 pages, 5566 KiB  
Article
Analytical Solution for the Deformation of Pipe Galleries Adjacent to Deep Excavation
by Binhui Xiang, Ying Liu, Jifei Cui and Zhenkun Yang
Buildings 2024, 14(4), 1103; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14041103 - 15 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 975
Abstract
Deep excavations clearly impact adjacent existing properties and threaten their operational safety. Predicting the deformation of existing infrastructure induced by nearby underground construction is the main concern of urban underground development. This paper presents an analytical calculation method for predicting underground pipe gallery [...] Read more.
Deep excavations clearly impact adjacent existing properties and threaten their operational safety. Predicting the deformation of existing infrastructure induced by nearby underground construction is the main concern of urban underground development. This paper presents an analytical calculation method for predicting underground pipe gallery deformations induced by adjacent deep excavations. First, the authors assume the existing pipe gallery to be nonexistent in the soil and propose a solution to calculate the excavation-induced vertical movements of the soil at the position of the existing pipe gallery. Thereafter, the authors simplify the existing pipe gallery as an elastic beam on a Winkler foundation to calculate its deformation. Finally, the method is verified by the good agreement found between the calculated result and the field measurement of the construction of the Shanghai Hongqiao CBD project. The proposed analytical method of this work can provide accurate evaluation results for similar engineering projects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Underground Space Design: Structural Stability and Mechanics Analysis)
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