Influence of Underground Excavation Expansion on Surrounding Rock Characteristics at Intersection of Ventilation Shaft and Tunnel: A Case Study

Abstract

Existing railways can no longer meet transportation requirements, and it is an urgent need to expand old tunnels. However, the existence of ventilations shaft makes expansions face greater risks. This study analyzed the tangential stress change trend during the expansion process through field monitoring, and numerical simulation was used to analyze the changes in stress and displacement under different shaft depths and width–span ratios. The results show that as one approaches the tunnel face, the tangential stress in the arch foot and side wall of the J-2 and J-3 sections gradually increased, and the tangential stress in the arch foot and side wall of the J-1 section gradually decreased. The distance of the tunnel expansion’s influence on tangential stress is about 0.91 to 1.45 times the tunnel span. The largest value of vertical displacement had a linear relationship with shaft depth, and the largest value of horizontal displacement had a quadratic relationship with shaft depth. Changes in the width–span ratio only had a greater impact on the ventilation shaft section. These results can provide a reference for similar in situ expansion projects.