Submit to Buildings Review for Buildings Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Research on Underground Engineering and Geomechanics

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 February 2024) | Viewed by 4594

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Xinquan Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Civil Engineering, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou 310015, China
Interests: pile foundation; underground engineering; deep excavation; pipe jacking engineering

Dr. Kangyu Wang

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor

School of Civil Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
Interests: pile foundation; underground engineering; pipe jacking engineering; foundation treatment; subgrade engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With rapid development of underground infrastructures, including deep underground spacing, hydropower engineering, mountain tunneling, deep and long tunneling in clay and sand area, underground storage, oil & gas storage, more and more problems have emerged in underground engineering and geomechanics. New construction technologies incorporating various building materials have been used into underground engineering to ensure the quality and efficiency of design, construction, operation, maintenance, and deconstruction of buildings. There is an urgent need in identifying the optimal uses of construction technologies and materials in different building project processes, determining the benefits of these applications to building projects as well as to the various stakeholders involved, and providing solutions that address challenges in construction of underground engineering.

We invite high-quality, cutting edge articles for the Special Issue on “Research on Underground Engineering and Geomechanics”. The scope of the Special Issue is broad; topics include, but are not limited to:

State-of-the-art review and case studies of underground engineering and geomechanics;
Geotechnical engineering problems in underground engineering construction;
Numerical modelling of underground engineering and geomechanics (e.g., finite element, discrete element, etc.);
Underground structures (e.g., deep excavation, tunneling, pipe-jacking, etc.);
Pile foundations in various buildings (e.g., transportation infrastructure, onshore and offshore structures, etc.);
Geotechnical properties and engineering applications under regional or special environment;
Safety and stability of underground structure;
Mechanical properties and constitutive models of engineering rock, soil or concrete materials.

Prof. Dr. Xinquan Wang
Dr. Kangyu Wang
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

geotechnical engineering
underground engineering
deep excavation
pipe-jacking
pile foundations
numerical modelling
constitutive models
safety and stability
construction technology
building materials

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

12 pages, 2286 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Pressure Distribution Law of Synchronous Grouting in Shield Tunnels and the Force on Segments

by Yang Cheng and Xiangyang Liu

Buildings 2024, 14(4), 1099; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14041099 - 15 Apr 2024

Viewed by 414

Abstract

The pressure distribution and the force on tunnel segments of synchronous grouting in the shield tail gap channel of shield tunnels are key to controlling the stability and surface settlement of the strata surrounding such tunnels. Based on the basic principles of fluid mechanics and the limit equilibrium method, this study establishes a mathematical model of synchronous grouting in shield tunnels, derives the expressions of the grouting pressure and the force on tunnel segments in the shield tail gap channel, and verifies them using an engineering case study. Studies have shown that the force on tunnel segments and the speed of shield excavation are increasing. An excessive shield excavation speed will cause the load on tunnel segments to increase, which exacerbates the uneven distribution of the grouting pressure. The force on tunnel segments and the grouting pressure also have a positive relationship with the thickness of the shield tail gap, but the impact is limited to a certain range. With an increase in the tunnel radius, the number of grouting holes should be appropriately increased to balance the water and soil pressure in the surrounding strata. These research results can provide a theoretical reference for the design of synchronous grouting for shield tunnels in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Underground Engineering and Geomechanics)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 3141 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identifying Problematic Soils Using Compressibility and Suction Characteristics

by Muawia Dafalla and Ahmed M. Al-Mahbashi

Buildings 2024, 14(2), 521; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14020521 - 14 Feb 2024

Viewed by 671

Abstract

The major problematic soils in semi-arid regions include expansive soils and collapsible soils. These two types of soils cause problems and are hazardous for buildings when moisture is introduced following a dry or semi-dry season. In order to assess the risk and damage likely to occur, a protocol of investigation needs to be considered by geotechnical engineers to quantify and assess the possible heave or collapse that may occur. The characterization and prediction of unsaturated soil behavior in semi-arid areas can now be enabled following the advancement of unsaturated soil mechanics. Heave is associated with the wetting of expansive soils, while excessive settlement or the sudden loss of support may occur when water is introduced to collapsible soils. This work calls for more than one parameter for the assessment of problematic soils to avoid misleading predictions based on a single test. This study presents an investigation of two sets of soil samples obtained from semi-arid areas in Saudi Arabia known for their collapsible or expansive nature. Tests under controlled suction and variable effective stress were conducted. The air entry values, inflection points, and residual points were established and compared for the two problematic soils. A series of oedometer tests was conducted for typical soils, and settlement and collapse were measured and assessed. The swell potential for the tested clays varied from 4% to 22%. It is possible to integrate the data from the soil–water characteristic curve (SWCC) and compressibility tests with any project specification and applied stresses to produce reliable recommendations for the construction and protection of structures in hazardous soils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Underground Engineering and Geomechanics)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 57531 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical Investigations for Rock-Breaking Process and Cutter Layout Optimization of a PDC Drill Bit with Dual-Cutter

by Jian Huang, Junxiong Li, Qiang Xie, Yuhang He and Liqin Qian

Buildings 2024, 14(1), 129; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14010129 - 4 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 858

Abstract

PDC (polycrystalline diamond compact) drill bits are widely employed for rock-breaking in many industries like underground engineering and building constructions. The cutter layout would directly affect the overall performance of the drill bits. Field applications show that the staggered cutter layout strategy of dual-cutter can increase the drilling efficiency of the PDC bit. In order to explore the rock breaking mechanism of this type of drill bit, a numerical model of a dual-cutter and rock breaking with damage evolution based on a hybrid finite and cohesive element method (FCEM) has been established in this work. The model is verified through Brazilian disk tests. The rock breaking processes of this type of bit have been analyzed, including crack initiation, propagation, and the formation of rock debris. Moreover, the effects of horizontal and vertical offset of the back cutter on the MSE (mechanical special energy) have been investigated. Results demonstrate that the dual-cutter can prominently reduce the MSE compared to a single-cutter. The vertical offset of the back cutter has a minor effect on the MSE, while the horizontal offset is of great significance on the MSE. On this basis, the relationships between the MSE and both the vertical and horizontal offset coefficients have been built based on the response surface methodology (RSM). Finally, an optimized layout solution, with optimal vertical and horizontal offset coefficients of 0.641 and 0.497, is determined via the Gray Wolf algorithm. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Underground Engineering and Geomechanics)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 5955 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on Construction Mechanical Effect and Optimization of Large-Span Variable Cross-Section of Railway Tunnel

by Sensen Song, Shuguang Li, Yanling Liang, Runke Huo, Zhanping Song, Zizhen Miao and Ziyi Song

Buildings 2023, 13(11), 2859; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13112859 - 15 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 782

Abstract

During the excavation process of a large-span variable cross-section of a tunnel, the deformation and stress characteristics of the surrounding rock supporting the structure are complex, and construction control is difficult. Based on an actual tunnel project, the mechanical effect and deformation characteristics of the surrounding rock and support structure of a large-span variable cross-section tunnel during its excavation and support process were studied via numerical simulation. The construction method, using the bench method to excavate and set up the transition section in the variable cross-section, was proposed. Based on the numerical simulation results, two optimized excavation schemes were proposed and analyzed to address the construction method conversion problems in constructing large-span variable cross-section tunnels. The rationality of the optimized construction scheme was verified through a comparison with field monitoring data. The research results show that the three-bench temporary inverted arch method supported by the temporary vertical portal frame has good applicability in constructing the large-span variable cross-section tunnel. This scheme can effectively control the stress concentration and excessive deformation of the surrounding rock in the large-span variable cross-section tunnel. The numerical simulation results agree with the field monitoring data, which verifies the rationality of analyzing the construction mechanical effects of variable cross-section tunnels and selecting construction schemes through numerical simulation. The research results can provide reference for the construction of similar tunnel projects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Underground Engineering and Geomechanics)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

27 pages, 6542 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Soil-Arching Effect in Pile-Supported Embankments: A Review

by Kangyu Wang, Jiahuan Ye, Xinquan Wang and Ziliang Qiu

Buildings 2024, 14(1), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14010126 - 3 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1437

Abstract

Pile-supported embankments are widely used in foundation treatments, owing to their safety, efficient construction, and economy. The soil-arching effect is a key load-transferring mechanism in a pile-supported embankment, and it reduces the even settlement on the embankment surface. In recent years, researchers and engineers have conducted extensive research on the soil-arching phenomenon in pile-supported embankments. This paper reviews relevant studies on the effect of soil arching in pile-supported embankments in order to better understand the mechanism and influencing factors of the distribution of the arching effect. First, the development history of the practice and theory related to pile-supported embankments is discussed. This is followed by a review of theoretical studies on the soil-arching effect, load distribution and soil deformation on pile-supported embankments (with and without geogrid reinforcement), and structures and factors influencing soil arching. The results of these studies are summarized, and finally, topics for future research are suggested, providing references for the design and maintenance of civil infrastructure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Underground Engineering and Geomechanics)

► Show Figures