Abstract To investigate the catastrophic mechanism and pattern of water inrush in tunnels in sand-slate strata, this paper takes the Xinping Tunnel on China-Laos Railway as the study case, and through model tests, reproduces the catastrophic occurrence and evolution process of the water inrush in the progressive failure of slate aquifuge, so as to analyze the changing pattern of the stress-strain characteristics of surrounding rocks, seepage pressure and flow rate with the decreasing thickness of the aquifuge. The results show that: (1) The water inrush in the sand slate strata would experience three stages: seepage, inrush and attenuation, which is essentially a gradual evolution process where, under the action of excavation unloading and stress and seepage coupling, fractures in the weak parts of the aquifuge gradually expand and break through until inrush channels are formed and the stability of the aquifuge loses gradually; (2) The stress-strain curve of the surrounding rocks and the relationship between the seepage pressure and flow show significant precursor and stage characteristics, and their changing patterns reflect the breeding, development and evolution process of the disaster; (3) A sudden change point exists in the changing process of the seepage pressure and flow rate, and this sudden change point can be seen as the characteristic point of degradation in the water-blocking capacity of the aquifuge. The aquifuge thickness reflected by this point can be seen as the critical safety thickness of the aquifuge.
Abstract：
To investigate the catastrophic mechanism and pattern of water inrush in tunnels in sand-slate strata, this paper takes the Xinping Tunnel on China-Laos Railway as the study case, and through model tests, reproduces the catastrophic occurrence and evolution process of the water inrush in the progressive failure of slate aquifuge, so as to analyze the changing pattern of the stress-strain characteristics of surrounding rocks, seepage pressure and flow rate with the decreasing thickness of the aquifuge. The results show that: (1) The water inrush in the sand slate strata would experience three stages: seepage, inrush and attenuation, which is essentially a gradual evolution process where, under the action of excavation unloading and stress and seepage coupling, fractures in the weak parts of the aquifuge gradually expand and break through until inrush channels are formed and the stability of the aquifuge loses gradually; (2) The stress-strain curve of the surrounding rocks and the relationship between the seepage pressure and flow show significant precursor and stage characteristics, and their changing patterns reflect the breeding, development and evolution process of the disaster; (3) A sudden change point exists in the changing process of the seepage pressure and flow rate, and this sudden change point can be seen as the characteristic point of degradation in the water-blocking capacity of the aquifuge. The aquifuge thickness reflected by this point can be seen as the critical safety thickness of the aquifuge.
XU Peng1,
2 PENG Peng1,
2 JU Guoquan3 ZHAO Wanqiang3 ZHANG Zhiqiang1 etc
.A Model Test Study on the Catastrophic Occurrence of Water Inrush on the Tunnel Face in Sand-slate Interbedded Strata[J] MODERN TUNNELLING TECHNOLOGY, 2023,V60(2): 271-281
2023, Vol. 60 