Experimental research on seismic response of split‐type prefabricated utility tunnels through shaking table tests

Abstract

Due to the advantages of prefabricated structure, its applications in utility tunnels are increasing. However, more connection joints have raised concerns about the vulnerability of prefabricated utility tunnels in earthquake disasters. The main objectives of this research are to analyze the seismic response, vulnerable parts and failure modes of a prefabricated utility tunnel. A pair of twin models of prefabricated utility tunnels with two‐compartment layouts were designed, and then set up to load ground motions synchronously through a large‐scale shaking table of 6 m × 6 m under two different boundary conditions: one buried inside a soil box and its twin laid outside the soil as a comparison. The results show that: the damage of the split‐type prefabricated utility tunnel is mainly concentrated in the connection joints, and the connection joint at the top corner of the compartment with larger cross section is the vulnerable part that needs special attention; the SSI effect has a great influence on the seismic response of the prefabricated utility tunnel, and the model buried inside the soil box shows stronger seismic response than its twin laid outside the soil. The experimental results and analysis in this paper can provide a helpful reference for risk assessment and prevention, seismic design, and structural optimization of prefabricated utility tunnels.

Seismic isolation technology of shallow buried large section utility tunnel with soft soils in seismically vulnerable area

“…Cui and Ma (2021b) conducted a large 3D laboratory model test to study the deformation characteristic of the shallow loess tunnel. Due to the soaring growth of prefabricated structural technology, the seismic performance of prefabricated joints has also been focused on (Han et al, 2022;Li et al, 2022).…”

Experimental and Numerical Investigation into Full-Scale Model of New Type Assembled Integral Utility Tunnel

“…The specific characteristics of each classification are shown in Table 1 below. Prefabricated utility tunnels have also become a hot research topic for scholars, and various studies on new types of utility tunnels are constantly being published [10,[12][13][14][15]. Wu et al [16] conducted a study on the sectional mechanical behavior of a prefabricated multicell concrete composite tunnel using the deformation of a free-field cargo shelf by utilizing the comprehensive mechanical performance test and numerical analysis.…”