Volume 26 Issue 1
Jan.  2026
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Article Navigation >  Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering  > 2026  >  26(1): 247-256
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WANG Dao-yuan, ZHANG Gao-xiang, HE Shao-hui, WU Wei, CHEN Yu-bo, LIU Cheng-hong, MA Ji-wen, SONG Bao-lu, YUAN Jin-xiu, LIU Yong. Calculation method for ultimate support force of shield tunnel in homogeneous unsaturated clay strata[J]. Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering, 2026, 26(1): 247-256. doi: 10.19818/j.cnki.1671-1637.2026.052
Citation: WANG Dao-yuan, ZHANG Gao-xiang, HE Shao-hui, WU Wei, CHEN Yu-bo, LIU Cheng-hong, MA Ji-wen, SONG Bao-lu, YUAN Jin-xiu, LIU Yong. Calculation method for ultimate support force of shield tunnel in homogeneous unsaturated clay strata[J]. Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering, 2026, 26(1): 247-256. doi: 10.19818/j.cnki.1671-1637.2026.052
shu

Calculation method for ultimate support force of shield tunnel in homogeneous unsaturated clay strata

doi: 10.19818/j.cnki.1671-1637.2026.052
  • 1.

    School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China

  • 2.

    Hebei Provincial Seasonal Frozen Area Highway Service Safety and Early Warning Technology Innovation Center, Shijiazhuang 050091, Hebei, China

  • 3.

    China Railway NO.3 Engineering Group, The Second Engineering Co., Ltd., Shijiazhuang 050031, Hebei, China

  • 4.

    Ningxia Intercity Railway Co., Ltd., Yinchuan 750200, Ningxia, China

  • 5.

    China Railway 16th Bureau Group Co., Ltd., Beijing 100018, China

  • 6.

    Department of Road and Bridge Engineering, Hebei Jiaotong Vocational and Technical College, Shijiazhuang 050091, Hebei, China

  • 7.

    School of Civil Engineering, Shijiazhuang Tiedao University, Shijiazhuang 050043, Hebei, China

Funds:

National Natural Science Foundation of China 52178378

Youth Funds of Scientific Research Projects for Higher Schools in Hebei Province QN2025302

More Information
  • Corresponding author: ZHANG Gao-xiang, assistant professor, E-mail: 3246332383@qq.com
  • Received Date: 2025-01-03
  • Accepted Date: 2025-09-26
  • Rev Recd Date: 2025-07-28
  • Publish Date: 2026-01-28
    Abstract
  • To accurately determine the ultimate support force of shield tunnels in unsaturated clay strata, a systematic study was conducted on the calculation method of support force at the excavation face of shield tunnels in homogeneous unsaturated clay strata by combining theoretical derivation and engineering case analysis. By considering the non-vertical slip surface morphology of the strata, the effect of soil matrix suction, the incomplete soil arching effect, and the characteristics of principal stress deflection, an analytical model of vertical earth pressure considering multi-factor coupling was constructed. Based on the limit equilibrium wedge model, a calculation method for the support force at the excavation face was further derived and constructed. The influence of key parameters on support force was discussed through engineering examples. The results indicate that the soil arching effect triggers a nonlinear evolution of vertical stress in the soil, showing a steep increase followed by a slower growth rate with increasing burial depth. The vertical stress at the top of the tunnel is positively correlated with the angle and saturation of the sliding surface and negatively correlated with the cohesive force and arch displacement. Under high saturation conditions, the recommended calculation method has a high degree of consistency with the standard calculation results, and both results are significantly higher than the predicted values of Terzaghi's theory, with a deviation range of up to 50%. As the saturation decreases, the recommended solution gradually approaches Terzaghi's theoretical solution, and the fluctuation amplitude of loose soil pressure caused by changes in saturation can reach 30%. The ultimate support force at the excavation face is influenced by the coupling of multiple parameters such as internal friction angle, cohesive force, and saturation. Among them, the saturation of the strata is the key controlling factor, and its difference can lead to a change in the support force value of more than 50%.

     

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