No abstract

The drilling and blasting method is still the main method in mountain tunnel excavation. For large cross-section tunnel in horizontal layered rock mass, tunnel blasting often causes serious overbreak and underbreak. In this study, blasting excavation tests of tunnel upper face were conducted and failure mechanisms of surrounding rocks with weak beddings and joints were analyzed based on the Panlongshan tunnel. Then, the blasthole pattern, the cut mode, a variety of peripheral holes, the charge structure and the maximum single-hole charge were optimized. Compared with the failure characteristics, overbreak and underbreak, and deformations of surrounding rocks before and after optimization, the latter was better in tunnel contour forming and surrounding rock stability. The results show that after optimization, the large-area separation of vault rock mass is solved, the step-like overbreak of spandrel rock mass is reduced and the large-size rock blocks and underbreak are avoided. The maximum linear overbreak of vault, spandrel, and haunch surrounding rocks is decreased by 42.3%, 53.7% and 45.1%, respectively. The underbreak at the bottom of the upper face is reduced from -111.5 to - 16.5 cm. The average overbreak area is decreased by 61.1%. In addition, the displacements after optimization finally converge to the smaller values. The arch crown settlement and the horizontal convergence of haunch are reduced by about 21.6% and 18.3%, respectively. Furthermore, from the completion of blasting excavation to the stabilization of surrounding rock, it takes less time by using the optimized blasting scheme.

The growth of double cracks is the main factor leading to progressive rock failure under hydromechanical coupling. The initiation modes and interaction behaviors of double cracks were investigated by using laboratory tests, and the influences of water pressure were analyzed. The maximum energy release rate criterion was modified to determine the crack growth characteristics. A numerical model was established and then verified by the test results. Based on the simulation, the distribution of stress fields and key fracture parameters of double cracks was investigated. Then, initiation characteristics and interaction behaviors of parallel and nonparallel cracks were quantitatively analyzed. The results indicate that the increase in water pressure leads to the crack initiation being inclined to the original surfaces and the growth length along the crack fronts tending to be uniform; the small tensile stress zones are formed close to the crack tips, and significant compressive stress zones are formed at both sides of the crack surfaces; stress superposition and interaction occur when crack spacing is less than 2.5a; the interactive weakening effect is mainly present in the inner side (rock bridge zone) of cracks, while a certain degree of interactive enhancement effect exhibits in the outer sides; the cracks are much easier to initiate at the outer wing cracks when the spacing is less than the critical length (0.5a); and cracks with a dip angle of 45° are much easier to initiate at the endpoints of long axis. The research results provide certain theoretical guidance for the safety assessment of underground engineering.