Experimental Study of the Behavior of Rectangular Excavations Supported by a Pipe Roof

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental investigation of the role of pipe-roofs in the improvement of the stability of rectangular excavations constructed using pipe-roof technology. This technology is suitable for the construction of underground passages in crowded areas subjected to high requirements concerning soil settlement and stability during excavation construction. The design of a rectangular pipe-roof excavation required an understanding of the interaction between the soil, the pipe-roof and the excavation. This interaction is complex and plays an important role in the features of the pipe roof excavation. This paper presents a series of 1g physical experimental tests conducted in dry sand soil with an advanced monitoring system, which allows tracking of the soil settlement, the pipe deformation and the soil pressure. Analysis of these tests shows the effective role of the pipe-roof in reducing both the soil settlement and the soil pressure on the excavation. It also shows the influence of pipes on the deformation mechanism of the soil and its evolution from low deformation to the instability phase.

Keywords

• pipe-roof
• rectangle excavation stability
• experiment
• digital image
• optical fiber
• settlement