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Engineering Project Case Study that Used

Engineering Geology in Construction
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Shield Tunnel Uplift and Deformation Characterisation: A

Project Case Study from Zhengzhou Metro
Name

Location
Zhengzhou East High-
Status &
Operation
Speed Rail (HSR) Station

China Railway High-speed trains, which move at a top speed of roughly 350
km/h, reduce the journey from Zhengzhou to Xi'an from more than 6 hours to under 2
hours. The Chinese government is constructing eight separate passenger railway
systems, the first of which is this new and innovative railway system. Under the
projected east plaza, Zhengzhou Metro Line No. 1's two 6-m-diameter shield tunnels
were built near the Zhengzhou East High-Speed Rail (HSR) Station. The fragile soil on
the Loess Plateau in northwestern China must be strengthened to install the train lines
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Project
Name
Western China (Zhengzhou & Xian)
Location China China China

Status &
Province of passes through high-speed
Operation
Zhengzhou and ten railway railway
Xian stations signaling and
communications

The 505-kilometer-long Zhengzhou-Xi'an High-speed Railway is believed to be

Western China's first high-speed passenger-only train. The fragile soil on the Loess
Plateau in northwestern China must be strengthened to install the train lines. The new
505 km designated railway line will connect Zhengzhou and Xian, which are located in
different parts of central and western China. Over seven million people live in
Zhengzhou, the capital of the Henan province, while over eight million people live in
Xian, the city of the Shaanxi province.
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Project
Name
ZHENGZHOU EAST HIGH-SPEED RAIL (HSR) STATION

Location

Status: Service: Found:

Status &
Operation Completed 2010 until Geologic Hazard
Project Present Underground
Construction

The project constructed a new railway network that started in September 2005, was
completed in December 2009 and transferred to the trial run stage. The initial trial
operation is scheduled to be carried out from February 2010 to February 2011.
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ENGINEERING GEOLOGY-RELATED PROBLEMS

FACED BY THE PROJECT
Problems
Tunnel Tunnel structural
Deformation Stability stresses
Implications
excavation
disturbed the close to the nearby
Possible existing soil existing shield excavations
and tunnel often affect the
Ways
asymmetrical leads to impacts stability of the
deformation on the stability tunnel
Face the of the tunnel
Problem

Excavation close to the existing shield tunnel often leads to impacts on the
stability of the tunnel. However, interventions committed to mitigating the impacts may
not be effective in preventing tunnel movement or deformation from occurring.

Many facilities, including the subway system and standard underground facility
tunnels, were developed in China's crowded megacities, claimed Shen et al. (2017).
Several underground structures need to be done above or close to already-existing
tunnels. Around existing tunnels, weak soil restoration techniques like jet grouting may
also be performed. When groundwater pumping is done close to tunnels, it concerns the
stability of the tunnels is at risk because these surrounding projects will induce the uplift
and deformation of the tunnels (Cheng et al., 2018). Liao and his colleagues' research
looked at the structural stresses and asymmetrical deformations caused by nearby
excavations on existing metro stations. They observed that the bending moments in
significant parts measured with the proportion of the range from the established railway
station to the excavation depth could be altered. They also discovered that the rotation
and shear effects of an existing railway station influenced by the nearby digging could
also vary and be reversed (Liao et al., 2016).
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IMPLICATIONS OF THE PROBLEMS FACED BY THE PROJECT

Problems

Implications uplift and deformation construction stages to the

surface dumped soil,
attributes of two shield tunnel uplift and
surface reloading, and
tunnels of Zhengzhou deformation determine
Possible wall deflection
Metro Line No. 1 the optimal alternatives
Ways
based on the maximization
of utility to minimize the
Face the
risk
Problem

The objective of this work is on the uplift and deformation attributes of two shield
tunnels of Zhengzhou Metro Line No. 1. The geological analysis enables one to convey
the outcome of two shield tunnels to surface-dumped soil, disposal of discarded soil,
and two neighboring excavations, to conduct a study and understand their effects on the
tunnel uplift and deformation, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the rectifications
adopted and choose the best construction strategy.
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POSSIBLE WAYS OF ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM

Problems
TUNNEL UPLIFT AND
DEFORMATION

Implications REMEDIAL
GROUTING
MINIMIZE RISKS
Possible NUMERICAL
Ways
SIMULATION

Face the TUNNEL DEFECT

Problem INSPECTION

1. Tunnel uplift and deformation

Shield tunnels recorded measurements of significant settlements. The subsequently dumped soil caused the settling
discrepancies between the final two observations. The side resistance at the soil prism-wall interaction was reduced
due to lifting stages or the removal of dumped soil that evaluated lateral wall deflection. Surface reloading may not be
as efficient in impeding the elevation and deformation of the tunnel as remedial grouting.
2. Remedial Grouting
Before the last grout injection, the tunnel deformation had an increasing inclination, showing that the earlier grout
injections were insufficient to restrain the tunnels' deformations. With the third grout injection using the quick-setting
grout, the westbound tunnel's tunnel displacement started to minimize. While the eastbound tunnel's deformation
showed minimal change or was close to reaching a stable state, the findings confirmed the value of the remedial
grouting.
3. Numerical Simulation
A 3D FE model was developed using the commercial FE tool Midas GTS NX, with the groundwater surface set at
10m underneath the earth's surface, to simulate the tunnel reaction to construction operations and to provide an
explanation for the source of the tunnel uplift and deformation. While the bottom boundary condition is restricted in
both the vertical and horizontal dimensions, the side edge boundary condition is only restricted in the vertical
direction. With a specific piezometric head, the hydraulic border is made to be impermeable. All of the tunnel
deformations are underestimated by the 3D FE model. The three rings acquired measurements of the tunnel
deformation during the installation of the bored piles. The restored regions are taken into account by the 3D FE model
as having soil with improved mechanical characteristics, which may obstruct the movement of soil into the pits during
excavations and cause an underestimate of the tunnel deformations.
4. Tunnel Defect Inspection
Ballast separation, various lining cracks, and joint leaking were brought on by the tunnel's displacement of up to 77.9
mm. The concrete mix was used to re-fill the ballast separation. Furthermore, to ensure the water tightness of the
tunnel lining, the lining cracks and joint leakages were addressed by infusing epoxy resin and polyurethane,
respectively. In order to prevent further tunnel deformation, the grout injections were designed to create a curtain wall
that squeezes the tunnel laterally. However, the grouting effectiveness decreases as the grout's setting time and
transit distance increase. 
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HOW DID THE STAKEHOLDERS FACE THE PROBLEM?

Problems
TUNNEL UPLIFT and DEFORMATION
was built in order to support
Implications the decision process during
construction
Possible
Ways
CREATING GAPS or CAVITIES TO TUNNEL LINING

Face the To keep the tunnel functioning

Problem without any subsequent
disruptions

In order to help the decision-making process during construction, the tunnel uplift
and deformation were described following the field measurements and numerical
modeling based on the project's geological, construction, and environmental
information. Ballast separation, joint leakage, and lining cracking were caused by the
elevation and deformation of the tunnel. Gaps or cavities were then created beneath
due to the ballast separation. To ensure the water tightness of the tunnel lining, epoxy
resin and polyurethane were used to repair lining cracks and joint leaking, respectively.
The holes or voids created by the separation of the ballast had to be filled with cement
mortar. The corrections successfully kept the tunnel functioning without any subsequent
disruptions.
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MEASURES OBSERVED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES

Measures

first approach second approach

Features
three rows of tieback are
subsequently dug in
each excavation pit
ballast separation, lining
cracks, and joint leaking
were also identified in
the tunnels

Two shield tunnels connect between two digging holes that are part of the east
square of the current Zhengzhou East High-Speed Rail (HSR) station, and a case study
showing how to characterize shield tunnel uplift and deformation to prevent tunnel
movement and deformation was addressed:
           First, three rows of tieback are subsequently dug in each excavation pit before
the diaphragm wall restrains the peripheral top-down pit. The center down-top pit is then
placed and uses a sequence of bored piles. The tunnels' total uplift and lateral
deformation measurements were 22.9 mm and 77.9 mm, respectively, as the two
excavations descended to their full depth of 19.3 m.
           Second, ballast separation, lining cracks, and joint leaking were also identified in
the tunnels. The analysis is done on how each step of construction affected the
elevation and deformation of the tunnel. The feasibility of the corrective measures is
evaluated, and the lessons learned are compiled to prevent a future occurrence of the
same incident.
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OTHER INTERESTING FEATURES OF THE PROJECT

Measures

The Zhengxi Railway station wastewater is

Features typically domestic sewage with no particular
contaminants and pollutants.

The Zhengxi Railway station wastewater is typically domestic sewage with no

particular contaminants and pollutants. It will be handled with the urban sewage after
discharge, with no pollution in the neighboring surroundings. This is a unique feature
associated with the local conditions of the Zhengzhou East High-Speed Rail (HSR)
station. 
Currently, there are seven stations open (New Gongyi Station, Luoyang South
Station, New Mianchi Station, New Sanmenxia, New Huashan Mountain, and New
Weinan South Station), and the wastewater emitted is all domestic sewage from the
ground personnel and expecting for passengers' everyday lives, with a quantity of 5 to
15 m3 per day; all wastewater will be disposed to the urban sewage pipe network after
being pre-treated in the septic tank, and will then be transmitted.
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LESSONS LEARNED IN THE CASE STUDY

Lessons

1. East square construction has been

Photos very impactful to the shield tunnels
2. Quick-setting grout or grout
References movement in the process lessen the
pore water flow

1) The east square construction has greatly raised the shield tunnels by 22.9 mm and
warped them by 77.9 mm. The installation of bored piles fixed to wale bands and the
building of soil mixing piles (SMP) were the primary causes of tunnel deformation. In
contrast, removing dumped soil and pit excavations were the critical factors in tunnel
uplift. 
(2) In addition to limiting grout movement, quick-setting grout was used to minimize the
formation of extra excess pore water pressure during injections. It was observed that
the two rows of sleeve pipe, for which the injection pressure was set at 0.1-0.15 MPa for
the inner pipes and 0.25-0.3 MPa for the outer pipes, and the quick-setting grout were
efficient in restraining the tunnel deformation from escalating.
In order to evaluate these incidences among various construction options and reduce
the danger of tunnel movement, two shield tunnels that impacted geological tunnels are
analyzed for their contributions from each stage of development to the tunnel elevation
and deformation. Impact minimization has been deemed crucial, particularly for the
operation of metro tunnels. With the help of this risk assessment framework, planners
and engineers can effectively evaluate and reduce the inherent risks connected to the
rotation and shear effects of an existing metro station caused by the excavation nearby.
These risks vary with the distance from the existing subway station to the tunnel
construction.
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Lessons

Photos

References

The two photos above are of the railway system of Zhengzhou East High-Speed Rail
(HSR) station. The two photos below are the processes of pit excavation, remedial
grouting, and surface reloading, and tunnel stabilization.
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REFERENCES
Lessons
Cheng, W., Song, Z., Tian, W., & Wang, Z. (2018). Shield tunnel uplift and deformation
characterisation: A case study from Zhengzhou metro. Tunnelling and Underground Space
Technology, 79, 83-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2018.05.002
Photos
Environmental Monitoring Report. (2011). Environment Monitoring Report. Upon Zhengzhou-Xian
Railway of Passenger Special Line Newly Built by Using Asia Development Bank Environment
Monitoring Report upon Zhengzhou-Xian Railway of Passenger Special Line in 2010 (pp. 1-38). The
Third Railway Survey and Design Institute Group Corporation.
References
Liao, S. M., Wei, S. F., & Shen, S. L. (2016). Structural responses of existing metro stations to adjacent
deep excavations in Suzhou, China. Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities, 30(4), 04015089.

Shen, S. L., Wang, Z. F., & Cheng, W. C. (2017). Estimation of lateral displacement induced by jet
grouting in clayey soils. Gé otechnique, 67(7), 621–630. doi:10.1680/jgeot.16.p.159
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Thankyou,
Any Question?