BEHAVIOUR OF THE CUT-AND-COVER TUNNEL IN UNSYMMETRICAL

CONDITION
Chang Hee, Hwang1, Chan Gi, Jung2, Sang Duk, Lee3

1
Staff, Danwoo ENC, Sungnam, Korea
2
Deputy General Manager, KCC Engineering & Construction, Seoul, Korea
3
Prof. Dr-Ing, Dept. Of Civil & Transportation Eng., Ajou Univ, Suwon, Korea

Keywords: Cut-and-Cover Tunnel, Unsymmetrical condition, Bedrock inclination, Cover inclination

INTRODUCTION
The portal of mountain tunnel would mainly be constructed by cut-and-cover method in order to
avoid huge cut-slope. For cut-and-cover tunnel, ground would be cut for tunnel lining and recovered
original ground surface. As topography is not always horizontal, cut-and-cover tunnel might have
unsymmetrical load condition, which could cause the structural instability problems.
When we design the arch type tunnel lining for cut-and-cover tunnel, it would be better to consider
the eccentric earth pressure due to unsymmetrical load condition. Behaviour of the cut-and-cover
tunnel in unsymmetrical condition is decided by the behaviour of soft ground above bed rocks,
which is dependent on bedrock inclination, cover inclination, and cover height. But it was rarely
tried to study such problems.
In this study, model tests were conducted in 1/60 scale in order to examine the behaviour of cut-
and-cover tunnel in unsymmetrical load condition. Inclination of bed rock and cover surface was 0°,
15°, and 30°. Numerical analyses were also performed using finite differential method program
(FLAC-2D) under the same conditions as the model tests.

MODEL TEST
Model test was performed for 2-lane road tunnel, which is constructed at inclined slope, to analyze
the behaviour of the cut-and-cover tunnel in unsymmetrical condition. Cover and bedrock
inclination was 0˚, 15˚, and 30˚. Model test box with 120cm length, 100cm height, and 30cm width
was used. General view and outline of model test are presented at figure 3.
Earth pressure acting on excavated slope and member stress of tunnel lining were measured at each
covering step. It was covered step by step. Model test was performed in plain strain condition.

Ground Condition of Model Test

Bedrocks was used to simulate hard plastic plate(Bakelite). Cover ground was built by air dried
sand by sand curtain method. Figure 1 and 2 are the results of the grain size distribution test and
direct shear test, and table 1 is the properties of the cover ground.

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 Figure 1. Grain Size Distribution Figure 2. Direct Shear Test Results

Table 1. Properties of Model Ground

Model Maximum dry Minimum dry Dry unit Relative Specific
ground unit weight unit weight weight density gravity
rdmax rdmin rd Dr
G
(kN/m3) (kN/m3) (kN/m3) (%)

Sand 17.5 14.3 16.0 74 2.61

Table 2. Properties of Ground applied at Numerical Analysis

Unit weight Inner friction Elastic
Cohesion c Possion’s ratio
rd angle Ø modulus E
(kN/m2) υ
(kN/m3) (°) (kN/m2)
Cover 16.0 37 0 0.35 20,000
Bedrock 25.0 40 2,000 0.20 10,000,000

Test Box
Model test was performed in the test box of 120cm(Length)×100cm(Height)×30cm(Width).
Boundary of bedrocks and cover ground had the same friction angle with the internal friction angle
of cover ground. 2-lane road tunnel section was adapted for model tunnel. Tunnel lining was made
of 1mm thick steel plate in 180mm diameter under the consideration of relative stiffness by
Duddeck & Erdmann(1985).

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 Figure 3. Test Box

Method of Model Test

For studying the cut-and-cover tunnel behaviour whose cover was not symmetrical, cover
inclination and bedrock inclination were varied in 0, 15, and 30 degrees.
And excavation depth of bedrock was also varied for different location of bedrocks and tunnel as
follows and indicated in table 2.

1. Bedrock meets a side of tunnel elephant foot

2. Bedrock meets the tunnel lining
3. Bedrock passes through 0.5D above the tunnel

Table 3. Test Variables

CASE Tunnel and Bedrock

H
α α α

β
β β

Bedrock meets a side of Bedrock meets the tunnel Bedrock passes through
tunnel elephant foot lining 0.5D above the tunnel
S Bedrock Inclination
0˚ 15˚ 30˚
F Cover Inclination
0˚ 15˚ 30˚ 0˚ 15˚ 30˚ 0˚ 15˚ 30˚

Test Procedures
Model tests were performed for different cover inclination, cover height, and tunnel location.
Member stress of tunnel lining and earth pressure acting on slope were measured for every covering
step. Covering procedure was planned similarly with the real construction step.

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 Tests were performed in the following procedures:

(a) Prepare the test (b) Cover crown (c) Cover 0.25D (d) Cover 0.5D

(e) Cover 0.75D (f) Cover 1.0D (g) Cover 1.25D (h) Cover 1.5D
Figure 4. Model Test Procedure

(a) Setting the test apparatus in test condition. And installing the measuring instrument.
(b) Covering to the crown and notice to the eccentric load at tunnel.
(c) Covering to the 0.25D and measuring.
(d) Covering to the 0.5D and measuring.
(e) Covering to the 0.75D and measuring.
(f) Covering to the 1.0D and measuring.
(g) Covering to the 1.25D and measuring.
(h) Covering to the 1.5D and analysing the results.

Measurement
Distortion of model tunnel was measured at 5 points on tunnel lining in unsymmetrical condition.
And member stress (moment, axial force) of tunnel lining was measured at 7 positions (total 14EA)
of inner and outer tunnel lining surface. Backfill load on excavated slope at maximum 24 points
according to bedrock inclination were measured. Automatic data logger was used to measure and
save data. Figure 5 is the general view of measuring instruments.

(a) Tunnel Distortion (b)Member Stress of Lining

(c)Earth Pressure on Slope

Figure 5. Measuring Points

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NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
Numerical analyses were performed using Finite Differential Method program FLAC-2D under the
same conditions as the model tests to verify the test results. Each case was analyzed for various
bedrock inclination, cover inclination, and relative location of bedrocks and. Mohr-Coulomb elasto-
plastic constitutive law for plain strain condition was applied and ground material properties used in
model test were applied. Bedrock material was assumed non-deformable hard rock.

RESULTS OF MODEL TESTS AND NUMERICAL ANALYSES

Tunnel distortion and member stress (axial force and moment) of tunnel lining were measured for
examining the behaviour of cut-and-cover tunnel. And earth pressure acting on the excavated slope
was measured.

Distortion of Model Tunnel

In order to compare the test result with that of numerical analysis, maximum compressive and
tensile inner displacement for the case H1S30F30 was given at Table 3 and Figure.

Table 4. Max Distortion of Tunnel

Model Test Numerical Analysis
Max. Compressive displacement 0.27mm 0.53mm
Max. Tensile displacement 0.24mm 0.85mm

Figure 6. Max. Tensile and Compressive Distortion

Tunnel distortion at H3 case was small in contrasts to H1 case which locates above bedrock. So it
could be concluded that cut-and-cover tunnel could be much influenced by unsymmetrical boundary
condition when the tunnel is located above bedrock (H1 > H2 > H3). If cover was horizontal,
compressive displacement appeared at crown and tensile displacement appeared at each shoulder.
But, as cover inclination increased to 15, 30 degrees, tensile displacement at shoulder in valley side
increased to a large amount and tensile displacement at shoulder in mountain side changed to
compressive displacement. Compressive displacement at shoulder in mountain side increased to
800% and tensile displacement at shoulder in valley side increased to 600% comparing to horizontal
cover.

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Axial Force

Figure 7. Max. and Min. Axial Force

Axial force acting on crown was smaller than that on shoulder and spring line when cover and
bedrock was horizontal, if it was compared with the result of 15°, 30°. Fig 7 represents the
maximum and minimum axial forces. Small axial force at the shoulder of mountain side and large
axial force at the shoulder of valley side was measured as cover inclination increased (0˚ → 15˚ →
30˚). Influences by cover inclination and bedrock inclination were appeared distinctly when the
tunnel was located above bedrock (H3 → H2 → H1). Smaller axial force was calculated in the
numerical analyses than model test, but the entire trend revealed to be the same.

Moment

Figure 8. Max. and Min. Moment

Compressive moment increased to 400% and tensile moment increased to 500% when bedrock
inclination was 30 degrees and tunnel located above the bedrock (H1 case was highly influenced in
unsymmetrical condition). Compressive moment at mountain side shoulder and tensile moment at
valley side shoulder were increased when cover and bedrock inclination were increased. Cover
inclination attributed to the moment more than bedrock inclination.
Results of the numerical analyses were about twice larger than that of model test but had the same
trends. Numerical analysis shows that there is no influence by unsymmetrical condition in the case
of H3, in which tunnel located lower than bedrock. Figure 8 shows the max. and min. moment for
various cover and bedrock inclination.

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 Earth Pressure on Slope

Figure 9. Earth Pressure Reduction Rate by the Narrow Refill

H1: Bedrock meets a side of

tunnel elephant foot
H2 : Bedrock meets the tunnel
lining
H3 : Bedrock passes through 0.5D
above the tunnel
S : Bedrock inclination
F : Cover inclination F = 0˚,15˚, 30˚ F = 0˚,15˚, 30˚
S = 15˚ S = 30˚
H1 case

F = 0˚,15˚, 30˚ F = 0˚,15˚, 30˚ F = 0˚,15˚, 30˚

S = 0˚ S = 15˚ S = 30˚
H2 case

F = 0˚,15˚, 30˚ F = 0˚,15˚, 30˚ F = 0˚,15˚, 30˚

S = 0˚ S = 15˚ S = 30˚
H3 case
Figure 10. Earth pressure at slope in unsymmetrical condition

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Larger earth pressure on slope was measured at valley side than mountain side. Earth pressure
acting on the excavated slope appeared larger in a sequence 0˚ > 15˚ > 30˚ at mountain side and 30˚
> 15˚ > 0˚ at valley side. Cover at mountain side is higher than that at valley side when cover is not
horizontal, but earth pressure acting on the excavated slope in contrary. Because due to the
displacement of the cover ground above the tunnel, load on the mountain side would be transferred
to the valley side. At the lower part of the excavated slope, earth pressure increased as the cover
height increased. But around the spring line, it decreased deeply because of the arching effect in the
narrow section.

CONCLUSIONS
Model tests were conducted in 1/60 scale in order to analyze the behaviour of the cut-and-cover
tunnel in unsymmetrical boundary condition, under the consideration of cover inclination, bedrock
inclination, and the relative location of bedrock and tunnel. Inclination of bedrock and cover was
0°, 15°, and 30°.
Numerical analyses were also performed using finite differential method program (FLAC-2D)
under the same conditions as the model tests..
Results are as follows :

1. Compressive moment was measured at the crown and tensile moment at both sides of the
shoulder when cover and bedrock inclination was horizontal. But there was few difference
in the member stress.
2. Negative(-) member stress was developed at the mountain side shoulder and positive (+)
member stress at the valley side shoulder, as the inclination of cover and bedrock increase.
3. Influence by unsymmetrical condition was not severe if the tunnel located lower than
bedrock (H3 > H2 > H1). But member stress differs as bedrock inclination increases.
4. Higher earth pressure is developed at the valley side slope than that at the mountain side
slope although mountain side slope had higher cover. Because the load transfer
phenomenon appeared above the tunnel by increasing cover inclination and bedrock
inclination.
5. Earth pressure acting on the narrow section around tunnel was smaller than that on the
upper part of the slope, because of the arching effect.

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