Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, 1994, 12, 145-168

A theoretical study of reinforcement influence

on the stability of a tunnel face
D. P E I L A
Dipartimento di Georisorse e Territorlo (Tunnelling and Underground-space Center), Politecnico di Torino,
Corso Duca degh Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy

Received 1 March 1993

Accepted 31 May 1994

Summary

The problem of tunnel face stability is studied and the analysis of the stabilizing effect achieved by
pre-reinforcement of the core which has to be excawtted is dealt with. In Italy, the insertion of
longitudinal fibreglass pipes in the ground has proved to be efficient in solving face instability problems.
A thorough review of other applications of the technology has been carried out.
The results of a series of parametric, three-dimensional, elasto-plastic finite element analyses are
presented. The tunnel excavation with or without support and face reinforcement is simulated in the
models. The stresses, plastic zones and displacements in the ground, pipes and lining have been studied.
The support effect of the pipes is demonstrated by the results. Face reinforcement significantly reduces
the displacements of the face. The stresses in the material at the face are also charged from tension to
compression, thus enhancing face stability.
Keywords: Tunnel design; ground reinforcement; tunnel face stability; finite element.

Introduction

Maintaining the stability of a tunnel face during excavation is an important engineering

design problem. Failure at the face can progress quickly as it causes weakening of the ground
and can thereby cause complete tunnel collapse. This can lead to land subsidence when work
is carried out at a shallow depth.
The application of tunnel reinforcing techniques, such as using a jet grouting arch, steel
pipe umbrella and precutting in advance (Pelizza and Peila, 1992) can reduce the problem of
stability in a radial direction, but longitudinal movements are still difficult to control if the
section is large and/or the ground is particularly poor.
In the past, in traditional tunnelling, the problem has usually been solved by using staged
construction with a stabilized central core (Szechy, 1966). Rock mass classification would
0960-3182 9 1994 Chapman & Hall
146 P eila

suggest carrying out the construction of a tunnel with multiple drifts, in difficult ground
conditions (Bieniawski, 1984). In addition, many different types of machine were and still are
being developed to guarantee the stability of a tunnel face in difficult ground conditions by
the use of compressed air or mud (Whittaker and Frith, 1990; West, 1988).
Recently, the use of pre-reinforcement of the core which has to be excavated, using
longitudinal fibreglass pipes grouted into the ground, has allowed the excavation of tunnels
in very difficult ground conditions where the face stability needs to be controlled.
This technique has normally been coupled with a precut in advance technique (Figs 1 and
2), steel pipe umbrella (Fig. 3) or with a jet grouting umbrella arch which allows head and
bench or full face excavation.
In spite of the great number of applications of this technique, few studies have been carried
out in order to understand the global behaviour of the face reinforcement from a theoretical
point of view. Furthermore, little research has been carried out into the three dimensional
nature of the movements ahead of the tunnel face, particularly for soft soil where nonlinear
elasto-plastic conditions prevail.
The results of a parametric study, based on a series of three-dimensional finite element
analyses, are presented in this study. Tunnel excavation with or without support and face
reinforcement is simulated in a linear elasto-plastic field. The tunnel geometry and
geotechnical parameters are chosen on the basis of a real tunnel case where face
reinforcement was necessary in order to permit safe excavation. The effect of face
reinforcement using fibreglass pipes on the overall stability of the tunnel face is established.

Previous studies

The stability of a tunnel face depends on several physical and geometrical parameters: the
shear strength and stress-strain behaviour of the ground, the pore water pressure, the
overburden pressure, the geometry of the tunnel cross section and the construction
procedure being among the most important.
Several studies have been carried out in order to understand and model the behaviour of a
tunnel face with different boundary conditions and with different simplifying hypotheses.
However, very few of them have been devoted to reinforcing techniques arid understanding
their effects. The problem of modelling and designing the supports to sustain and stabilize the
tunnel face has often been simplified by referring to a 'stabilizing pressure' which must be
applied to the tunnel face itself in order to obtain the required safety factor. Some models
based on two-dimensional limit equilibrium analysis have been proposed to determine this
stabilizing pressure. For example, Tamez (1984), defined a safety factor through the ratio
between the moments of the reaction forces and the forces applied.
Ellstein (1986) proposed a face stability number for tunnels in homogeneous and cohesive
soils in which a lining procedure is carried out simultaneously with the excavation. Cornejo
(1989) has given a thorough review of these formulations for a broad range of types of ground
and defines the face safety factor, the stable excavation dimensions, the advance length
without support and the face stabilizing pressure. On the other hand, Bischof and Smart
(1975) proposed simple relationships for obtaining the pressure provided by a set of rock
bolts.
Experimental work has been carried out to define an overall tunnel face safety factor which
takes the main geotechnical parameters into account. For example, Broms and Bennermark
Reinforcement influence on the stability of a tunnel face 147

D + E l A ..

,-,.
-r
c~ _
/ \ ~z. ; -
~,~.'---"~
:
o.__..~
.,., .. -"
m== 9 9 U

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II iili ii i!11 il ii ii Ii !i Ii
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o Work
............
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"N"
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r

I A
.C
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+ 4-
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+ "1" 1 o Work
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f
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0.83 5.5 5.5 1

Fig. 1. Cross a n d longitudinal sections showing a n u m b r e l l a arch a n d face reinforcement

(measurements are in metres) (re-drawn from G r a s s o et al., 1991). Key:
A - s u b - h o r i z o n t a l u m b r e l l a pipes; B - s u b - h o r i z o n t a l fibreglass pipes; C - twin steel ribs;
D - steel fibre-reinforced concrete; E - lateral micropiles; F - subvertical jet columns;
G - concrete invert; H - final concrete lining
148 Peila

Fig. 2. Pipe umbrella and face reinforcement being carryed out (courtesy of Geodata
S.p.A.)

=~ ~ I~. . . . . . . . .A

~ Fz: x--.. D
E
Fig. 3. Cross and longitudinal sections showing precut and face reinforcement (re-drawn
from Lunardi et al., 1992). Key: A - sub-horizontal fibreglass pipes; B - precut tile;
C - final concrete lining; D - concrete invert; E - work level
Reinforcement influence on the stability of a tunnel face 149

(1967) proposed a 'stability index' in cohesive soils on the basis of a series of tests performed
on a simplified laboratory model of a tunnel face. They established that failure in a vertical
clay face will occur when

c~ 1 + 6~.z ;
where a z is the in situ vertical stress, cu is the undrained shear strength of the clay, B is the
width of the opening and z is the tunnel depth.
Peck et al. (1972) proposed a stability index (SI) of the face which takes account of the
possible use of compressed air, as follows:

Si = ( a z - a , ~
kCu/
where a i is the internal tunnel pressure.
Different approaches were followed by Descoeudres (1977), who proposed the analytical
solution of the ground reaction curve of the tunnel face using the hypothesis of spherical
symmetry, while Chambon and Corte (1990) studied the stability of a shallow tunnel in sand
using a bidimensional yield calculation approach and the upper bound theorem of plasticity
to obtain the limit value for the stabilizing internal pressure.
Since it is generally recognized that the simulation of the construction sequence of a soft
ground tunnel is a complex, mainly three-dimensional task, the above mentioned models
appear to be inadequate for a complete analysis of the face behaviour and are certainly
insufficient for the study of face reinforcement.
More detailed information on the behaviour of the face can only be obtained through
numerical analysis (e.g. finite element method (FEM) or boundary element method (BEM)).
Some of the most recent and significant studies carried out by means of three-dimensional
or axisymmetric numerical models are summarized in Table 1. The large number of studies,
reported in Table 1, primarily draw attention to the interactive lining-ground radial
behaviour rather than the face stability conditions.
Only Chaffois et.al. (1988), Lo et al. (1990) and Cividini et aI. (1991) devoted considerable
attention to tunnel face behaviour. Lo et al. (1990) also proposed two criteria for face
stability, on the basis of a parametric study, and introduced design guidelines to be adopted
when the face is unstable. Nevertheless, the modelling of face reinforcement has not yet been
considered in a three-dimensional numerical study, to the author's knowledge.
When a tunnel is excavated below the water table the induced seepage causes changes in
the effective stress state in the ground and therefore influences the overall stability of the
tunnel face. The effect of drainage on the stability of the face was investigated with an
axisymmetric elasto-plastic FEM study by Baldovin et al. (1992). It was found that
dewatering reduced the maximum displacement on the face by about 50% and significantly
reduced the plastic zone ahead of the tunnel.
Several papers have described the application of face reinforcement techniques in
tunnelling and are reported here to clarify the field of application of the technique.
M astropietro (1979) described the first successful application of face reinforcing in Italy: 5 m
long steel bolts were installed to control the face stability after a collapse in highly fractured
marl (class III using the Rabcewicz-Pacher classification). Barbacci et al. (1990) described
Table 1. Summary and comparison of the three dimensional numerical studies
Reference Analysis Ground model Support Face analysis
Coates and Yu (1970) AXI-FEM-P E U Stresses on the face
Desai and Reese (1970) AXI-FEM-P E-EP(ass) U Stresses and deformations ahead of the face
Descoeudres (1974) 3D-FEM-P E-EP(ass) U-S (lin) Displacements and plastic zones ahead of the
face
Panet and Guellec (1974) AXI-FEM-P E-EP(ass) U-S (lin) Plastic zones ahead of the face
Hocking (1976) 3D-FEM-P E U
Ghaboussi and Gioda (1977) AXI-FEM-P E-V S (lin) Displacements ahead of the tunnel face
Niwa et al. (1979) 3D-BEM-P E U Stresses and plastic zones ahead of the tunnel
face
Hanafy and Emery (1980) AXI-FEM-P E-EP(ass)-V
Panet and Guenot (1982) AXI-FEM-P E-EP(ass)-V U Plastic zones ahead of the face
Kaiser and Hutchinson (1982) AXI-FEM-P E S (lin) Stresses ahead of the face
Bauernfiend et al. (1986) 3D-FEM-P EP(ass) S (lin) Stresses and displacements ahead of the face
Del Greco et al. (1986) 3D-FEM-S EP(ass) S (lin + bolts)
Giani and Egger (1986) 3D-FEM-P EP(ass) U-S (lin) Face deformation
Chaffois et al. (1988) 3D-FEM-S EP(nass) U-S (lin) Global study of face stability
Lee and Rowe (1990) 3D-FEM-P EP U-S (lin)
Lo et al. (1990) AXI-FEM-P EP(ass) internal pres. Global study of face stability - definition of
safety factor
Kielbassa and Duddek (1991) 3D-FEM-P E S (lin) Stresses and displacements ahead of the face
PeUi et al (1991) 3D-FEM-P E-EP(nass) U-S (lin)
Cividini et al. (1991) AXI-FEM-S V-EP(soft) S (fin) Global study of face stability
Key: A X I - axisymmetric; 3 D - true three-dimensional; P - parametric analysis; S - analysis of a single case; E - elastic; E P - elastoplastic;
V - viscous; a s s - associate flow rule; n a s s - non-associate flow rule; s o f t - softening simulation; U - unsupported; S - supported; l i n - lining;
bolts - radial bolts.

E-
Reinforcement influence on the stability of a tunnel face 151

the use of 3 m long Swellex bolts (from 40 to 120 mm) coupled with 12 m long sub-horizontal
micropiles in a hydraulic tunnel of about 12 m in plastic and swelling clay. Grasso et al.
(1991) and Grasso and Pelizza (1992) presented a case where face reinforcement is coupled
with a steel pipe umbrella in a highway tunnel driven in moraine.
Arsena et al. (1991), Lunardi (1992) and van Walsum (1992) described applications of
precut and glass-fibre pipe face reinforcement respectively in Italy and in France. Otero et al.
(1992) referred to the excavation of a Spanish urban road tunnel in highly fractured limestone
and sandstones where horizontal jet grouting columns were used on the face, and Lunardi
(1992) referred to a similar application in Italy. The results of a monitoring programme
carried out in the Poggio Orlandi tunnel (Rome-Florence high-speed railway line),
excavated with full face excavation after carrying out mechanical precuts and face
reinforcement, have been reported by Lunardi et al. (1992).
This overview shows that the technique studied has been used in tunnels excavated in
several different types of ground, often coupled with other forms of reinforcing intervention.
The results obtained have been good in a large number of these examples, allowing safe
tunnel excavation even in difficult ground conditions.
This intervention also proves to be highly flexible since it can easily be adapted to
variations in the geological and geotechnical conditions, by varying the number of pipes in
the face. The face reinforcing technique has therefore been widely applied in Italy where the
geological conditions differ from one tunnel to another and also vary with in the same tunnel.

Description of the finite element model and analysis of cases

In the technical literature there are no reported numerical analyses that model the effect of
the reinforcement ahead of a tunnel face, as discussed in the previous section. For this reason
a study of the actual behaviour of a tunnel where face reinforcement of the core with fibreglass
pipes was used, has been undertaken.
The understanding and the ability to design this form of intervention has been gained from
a three-dimensional FEM model able to describe the excavation, support and pre-
reinforcement of a tunnel (Bathe and Wilson, 1982).
Since some Italian highway tunnels in moraine formations are excavated with the use of
face pre-reinforcement to prevent face instability, this study has utilized the geomechanical
and geometric parameters involved in one of these real cases. An exhaustive parametric
investigation of the tunnel behaviour under different support configurations has been
performed.

Description of the tunnel

The studied tunnel was driven in a moraine (glacial till) formation, that is dry at the
exacavation level, consisting of a cohesionless mixture of particles of various sizes (often
including boulders larger than 1 m 3) together with lenses of sand and sandy clay. It was
observed, in the excavation, that the percentage of boulders is about 25-30% of the total
volume of the ground. The granulometric analysis on two representative samples of the
fraction under 100 mm of the moraine are shown in Fig. 4. The moraine deposit was assumed
to be homogeneous and the shear strength and deformation modulus were selected on the
basis of surveyed literature and experience of other tunnels driven in similar ground (Grasso
152 Peila
I0(
111111 II
=-,,,i
III
IIIIII
IIIIII
111111
I
IIIIII
<;'1 !11
tlllll 1tlt11/7 I LII
~oo
~ !
~
....
IIIIIIIIIIII
ILl
IIIIII
IIIIII .,-~11111
III
III
III1~ IIIIII I II
~o I ', II
::j" IIIIII
I
I II
I
0.001 0.01 0.1 10 100
Dimensions (mm)

Fig. 4. Granulometric analysis on two samples of the fraction under 100 mm of the
moraine

and Pelizza, 1992; Barla and Rabagliati, 1988). The low values for the friction angle (28 ~ and
cohesion (1 kPa) for this kind of ground indicated that it has little self-supporting capacity
and that reinforcement of the ground ahead of the tunnel face was necessary to obtain a stable
excavation.
The tunnel was carried out by pre-reinforcing the periphery with 12 m long umbrella
arches and the core with 12 m long fibreglass pipes (Fig. 1). However, the excavated length
was only 9 m before the new reinforcing operation began. Thus, an umbrella was
superimposed onto the previous umbrella for a 3 m length of the pipes. The excavation was
carried out in 1 m steps of advancement with the installation of a rib and shotcrete after each
step. The construction scheme adopted in the tunnel was as follows:

9 installation of an umbrella arch at the head;

9 installation of fibreglass pipes at the head;
9 head excavation of 1 m of advancement per step, for a total advance of 9 m;
9 installation of 1 m of interaxe steel ribs, after each excavation step;
9 placing of fibre-reinforced, 30 cm thick shotcrete with a temporary invert;
9 carrying out of sub-vertical jet grouting columns;
9 excavation of the bench;
9 casting the invert;
9 casting the final concrete lining.

Finite element method model

The adopted three-dimensional finite element mesh represents one-half of the studied tunnel,
for symmetry reasons. A large mesh (10 times the tunnel diameter width and 6 times the
tunnel diameter length) was adopted (850 nodal points and 448 three-dimensional,
isoparametric solid elements, with a varing number of nodes) as shown in Fig. 5.
Since the dimensions and the shape of the tunnel and the initial undisturbed stress
Reinforcement influence on the stability of a tunnel face 153

Pipe p o s i t i o n s

~z

E
o

Section ;

Section "

Fig. 5. Details of the finite element mesh used in the analyses

distribution have a considerable influence on the size of the area within which the stresses are
altered by excavation, a correct evaluation of the model dimensions must take into account
all these parameters (Wittke, 1990). The mesh dimensions adopted in the proposed model
have proved to be sufficient for a correct simulation of the tunnel behaviour.
The in situ stress distribution, which is applied to the model before the tunnel excavation
takes place, was modelled by applying gravitational forces to the elements and an external
pressure to the upper side of the mesh. This external pressure was applied to simulate the
overburden thickness which was not directly modelled in the finite element mesh. This
procedure has been shown to provide a correct simulation of the in situ undisturbed stress
condition (Wittke, 1990; Desai and Gioda, 1990). Since the mesh adopted had a box shaped
boundary with smooth sides, the procedure used will produce a vertical stress o-'== 7'z + y'h
(where z is the depth below the upper boundary of the model mesh and h is the overburden
thickness modelled with the distributed external pressure) and a horizontal stress which is
controlled by the material properties (Naylor et al., 1981) such that

a~: = o-'y= (v/(1 - v))~'~

154 PeiN

The mesh was designed to model the head excavation for a tunnel length of 12 m and the
umbrella pipe was not considered in the analysis to allow for a better understanding of the
support effect of the face reinforcement. The lining was modelled with three dimensional
isoparametric shell elements and the pipes were modelled with one-dimensional truss
elements. The real sequence of the tunnelling excavation, reinforcing and supporting
operations were simulated by a step-by-step incremental procedure (Fig. 6). All the elements

Section 2
Section 1

Fibre-glass pipe 12m

(a)

1 m

Excavated zone
(b)

(c) Lining

Fig. 6. Scheme of the step-by-step incremental procedure adopted to simu]ate the tunnel
excavation and supporting phases, showing (a) fibreglass pipe installation (model case 2
and case 4), (b) the excavation phase (1 m advance each step) and deactivation of 1 m
length of the pipes (all models) and (c) the excavation phase (1 m of advance and lining
placing for 1 m length) (models case 3 and case 4)
Reinforcement influence on the stability of a tunnel face 155

and the trusses in the region which had to be excavated were initially active. In order to
simulate excavation taking place, the elements were eliminated in the excavation area. At the
same time, the primary stresses present in these elements were eliminated by integration over
the element, thus determining nodal equilibrium forces which are applied to the boundary
nodes of the excavation. The procedure used to simulate the lining placement involved the
activation of the shell elements at the appropriate step while the stresses and strains within
these elements were set to zero.
A linear elastic perfectly plastic law was used to describe the behaviour of the ground. In
the stress-strain analysis, carried out in terms of effective pressure, the materials are
considered as isotropic.
The limit between elastic and plastic behaviour is given by the Drucker-Prager criterion
with an associated flow rule
-k=0
where
J1 is the first invariant of the stress tensor = a'~ + o-~+ a~;
J2D is the second invariant of the deviator stress tensor= (1/6)[(#t-a~)2+ (a~_a~)2+
O.t ~2- l .
(O'Pl - 3, 3,
= 2 sin ~b'/((3- sin ~b'));
k=6c' cos ~b'/((3-sin ~b'));
~b' is the internal friction angle; and
c' is the cohesion.
The geometry of the model, the ground and support properties are reported in Table 2. The
following analyses were carried out, to study the different behaviour of the tunnel with
different support conditions and to show the effect of the fibreglass pipes on the
displacements, stresses and plastic zones around the tunnel:
9 Case 1: excavation without either face reinforcement or tunnel support;
9 Case 2: excavation with face reinforcement but without tunnel support;
9 Case 3: excavation with tunnel support but without face reinforcement;
9 Case 4: excavation with both face reinforcement and tunnel support.
Finally, an analysis was carried out where the excavation and support were simulated as in
case 3, while the face reinforcement was modelled by a pressure on the face (case 5). This
model was adopted to determine ifa distributed pressure can adequately simulate the effect of
face reinforcement using grouted pipes.

Results

The main results obtained from the numerical simulation are the displacements of the tunnel
excavation face, the stresses in the structural elements (trusses and shells) and the plastic
zones around the tunnel.
The plastic yield function (YF) values were used to define the plastic zones around the
tunnel. This is a function of stress which indicates the onset of plastic strains and is the
difference between the square roots of the available and the mobilized second invariant of
deviatoric stress at the same value of 3"1:
156 Peila

Table 2. Parameters adopted in the model

Property Value
Geometry
Tunnel overburden [ml 140
Excavation section [m 23 70
Excavation step [m] 1
Tunnel support
Thickness Em] 0.3
Elasticity modulus [MPa] 15 000
Poisson ratio 0.18
Ground
Young's modulus [MPa] 100
Poisson ratio 0.3
Unit weight [kN/m 3] 25
Friction angle, q~' [~ 28
Cohesion, c' [MPa] 0.001
Face reinforcement
Number of pipes in the face 11
Pipe length [m] 12
Pipe inner diameter [ram] 40
Pipe external diameter [mm] 60
Tensile strength [MPa] 450
Shear strength [MPa] 90
Elasticity modulus [MPa] 15 000

vF ..... ,

Before the tunnel excavation, the YF values grow with depth, with the following relationship:

All the results have been analysed at a section located after 6 m of face advancement
(section 1). The plastic zones have also been examined and compared at a section located
after 10 m of advancement (section 2). The plastic zones in these two sections have been
examined in order to evaluate the efficiency of different pipe lengths ahead of the tunnel face,
therefore giving some information on the correct overlapping of two subsequent face
reinforcement layouts.
The deformation of the tunnel is represented by diagrams of the displacement of the crown
and horizontal convergence versus tunnel advancement (Figs 7 and 8). It can be observed in
Fig. 7 that vertical displacement starts ahead of the face and the displacement gradient is
maximum when the excavation reaches the studied section. It was found that the plane strain
deformation condition is reached at a distance twice the tunnel diameter from the face.
It can be seen that for cases 1 and 2 (without tunnel support) the maximum rate of vertical
deformation (4.5-5 mm per metre of advancement) and the total deformation value after
12 m of advancement (about 27 mm) are similar (Fig. 7). In cases 3 and 4 (with tunnel
Reinforcement influence on the stability of a tunnel face 157

30.0
m~-~:~: Case 1
~=~= Case 2 IIIIIIIlltllr
::::. Case3 I t I
DODDD Case 4 1 6 12
25.0
(m)

~ 20.0

E
~ 15.o

10.0

Studied section

5.0-t- . . . . . . . 7//. . . . . . F . . . . . . . . . . . . .

0.0"
0 4 8 12
Face a d v a n c e m e n t (m)
Fig. 7. Vertical displacement (&y) of the tunnel crown at section 1 versus tunnel
advancement

25.0
~-~ Case 1 I
[
-'-----" : Case 3 r

"~ -~- ............

2 0 . 0 - - [3DDDD Case 4 1 6 12 --~-

r 15.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
o
t-

oo1 0 . 0
o

5.0.
I

0.0-

-5.0 ,,,
0 4 8 12
Face a d v a n c e m e n t (m)
Fig. 8. Horizontal convergence (23) at section 1 versus tunnel advancement
158 Peila

support) both values are reduced and the final deformation is about 10% less than the
previous values. The horizontal convergence shows analogous behaviour but the reduction
due to the tunnel support is about 50% (Fig. 8).
These numerical results show that face reinforcement has only a small influence on the
tunnel convergences which are instead mainly controlled by the tunnel lining.
As well as the tunnel deformations parallel to the plane of the advancing face it is
important to consider the out of plane deformations of the face itself.
The computed deformations of the tunnel face for case 1 and case 4 are shown in Figs 9 and
10. They show a shape similar to that obtained by Broms and Bennermark (1967) and that

EEI O0.

d
2

8 0
Fig. 9. Face deformation when the excavation reaches section 1 (case 1)

computed with FEM models by Giani and Egger (1988), Chaffois et al. (1988) and by Lee
and Rowe (1990a,b).
In case 1 the maximum final deformation of section 1 is 71 mm. In case 2 (with face
reinforcement) this value decreases to 42 mm, with a reduction of about 40%. A similar
reduction is shown in the cases with the tunnel support (from 74 mm in case 3 to 43 mm in
case 4).
The extent of the development of plastic zones in each of the four cases is shown in Figs 11
to 14.
In case 1 the plastic area (plastic function = 0) extends for a distance of about half the
tunnel width ahead of the face (Fig. 11). The foot is completely plastic for a distance of about
the tunnel width while above the tunnel the plastic area is smaller. It can also be seen in Fig.
11 that the plastic function values decrease in the zone ahead of the tunnel face for a distance
of about 3 times the tunnel width. Beyond that a value of 20 M P a is reached, which
approximately represents the initial value of the plastic function at the tunnel depth. Within
the zone ahead of the face where the plastic function is zero, tensile stresses acting in the y
direction were calculated for a distance of 1 m in front of the tunnel face.
Reinforcement influence on the stability of a tunnel face 159

" 8

-"~0 7
8
Fig. 10. Face deformation when the excavation reaches section 1 (case 4)

130~ ~ ! , ! o ........
~ ...........22

140
9 24
-g
N

150
-26

20'
160 --30 25 . ~ __

9 28

0 5 10 15 20
y (m)
Fig. 11. Plastic function isocurves for case 1 in a vertical section of the tunnel. The YF
values are expressed in MPa. (YF (in)= yield function value for the initial stress state,
z = depth from the surface)
160 P eila

In case 2 the plastic area is similar to that obtained from case 1 (Fig. 12). A different stress
condition was observed in the core to be excavated, as the stresses were all compressive.
The extension and shape of the plastic areas are also similar for cases 3 and 4 (Figs 13 and
14) but a reduction of that area can be found from cases 1 and 2. The use of a tridimensional
model did not allow a finer discretization of the mesh to be set up in the zone around the
tunnel. However the use of quadratic isoparamentric elements permitted a good assessment
of stress and deformation values inside the elements. The computed reduced area of plasticity
is therefore significant because it involves a discretized area in which the elements used have
20 integration points.

130 . . . . . . 22

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

~ ~ # : ......... y----~-S ........... / ................ 24E

.................

~ ~ 20
160 25 "

.................. I 28

170 t i i i
0 5 10 15 20

y (m)

Fig. 12. Plastic function isocurves for case 2 in a vertical section of the tunnel. The YF
values are expressed in MPa. (YF (in)= yield function value for the initial stress state,
z = depth from the surface)

Analysing the stress distribution around the tunnel, an arching effect can be observed in a
vertical longitudinal section. Figures 15 and 16 show the vertical stress condition for case 1
and case 4.
An important result which was observed for both case 2 and 4 was the significant variation
of the stress condition in the core to be excavated due to the face reinforcement effect. The
horizontal stress values in the y direction were modified from tension to compression with a
consequent contribution to face stability.
A small difference of plastic zones can be observed when comparing the results of section 1
Reinforcement influence on the stability of a tunnel face 161

130 ~ " ~ ' " ' " ' " ' " ' " " l ' " ' " ' - - - ..... 22

140 ~'--'- I" I---~ !i ~ ~ 24

0 5 10 15 20
y (m)
Fig. 13. Plastic function isocurves for case 3 in a vertical section of the tunnel. The YF
values are expressed in MPa. (YF (in)=yield function value for the initial stress state,
z=depth from the surface)

and section 2 for all the cases. This result is probably due to the small number of pipes
modelled on the face. The deformations of the pipes in cases 2 and 4 are nearly the same and
the shape of the distribution curves were found to be similar to those measured by Lunardi et
al. (1992). The stress values versus length for the 2, 5 and 7 pipes in case 4 are reported in
Fig. 17. The stress condition reached by pipe number 2 is the maximum stress of all the pipes
and it is very close to the material strength of the fibreglass.
To verify if a constant applied pressure on the tunnel face could be used to correctly model
the stabilizing effect of the reinforcing pipes, results from case 5 were compared with tb ;,se of
case 4.
A parametric analysis was carried out of the results obtained in case 5 by varying the face
distributed pressure. From this study a stabilizing distributed pressure of 0.15 MPa was
found to be able to limit the maximum face displacement to the value calculated in section 1
of case 4. Also the plastic zones and the stress distribution were found to be in good
agreement.
To confirm these results, a new set of analyses with the same overall conditions of cases 4
and 5 were carried out, but the internal friction angle of the ground was reduced to 20 ~ It was
found that this reduction of strength had no effect on the required stabilizing pressure which
was again computed to be 0.15 MPa. This result suggests that a distributed pressure can be
used to model the effect of face reinforcement since this pressure appears to depend only on
162 Peila

130 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

26

160~ 28
20
25
3O

170 I i I I|
0 5 10 15 20
y (m)
Fig. 14. Plastic function isocurves for case 4 in a vertical section of the tunnel. The YF
values are expressed in MPa. (YF (in) =yield function value for the initial stress state,
z = depth from the surface)

the number of pipes and not on the ground properties. The pipe arrangement on the face will
also be important but this fact was not investigated in this study.
This calculated stabilizing pressure is about two times larger than the pressure evaluated
with the following formula (Bischoff and Smart, 1975; Bustamante and Doix, 1975):

p=min
{N'A'~b.N'sl'za}
~ , S

where
N is the number of bolts;
A is the cross-sectional area of the bolt;
~rb is the yielding strength of ~he bolt material;
S is the tunnel face surface;
s z is the lateral surface of the bolt;
~, is the soil-bar limit skin friction.
The above mentioned relationship can therefore be used to calculate, with a sufficient safety
factor, the number of pipes when the value of the stabilizing pressure is known.
From the analysis of the stresses in the lining, it was found that, in the models studied, the
face reinforcement does not significantly change those stress values which are influenced, as is
Reinforcement influence on the stability of a tunnel face 163

130 325

140 350

E
N

150 375

7
s~o ~
400 ~ 450
160 450 - -
400

I I I I

0 5 10 15 20
y (m)

Fig. 15. Stress distribution ahead of the tunnel face for case 1. a== distribution in a
vertical longitudinal section when the excavation face is at section 1; az(in) = vertical in
situ stress value (the stresses are expressed in 104 Pa)

well known, by the face advancement. Figure 18 reports the bending moments and the
normal stress acting in the lining of section 1 when the face is at section 2. The computation
shows that the maximum bending moment acts on the lining foot and justifies the use of
lateral micropiles (Fig. 1) to counteract this effect which is a widely used practice in
tunnelling.

Conclusions

It can be concluded that the main effect of face reinforcement is a reduction of the
displacement of the face and a change in the stress condition of the core of material ahead of
tunnel excavation. The calculated reduction in the displacement is significant (40%). This
movement is not greatly influenced by the usual lining techniques adopted in tunnelling (i.e.
steel ribs, shotcrete, etc.).
The actual tunnel, which has been analysed here by numerical simulation, was not
monitored for displacements or soil relaxation measurements. However continuous
observation of the overall face behaviour in the tunnel showed a reduction of face
displacements due to the face reinforcement. The movements in the axial direction, before the
use of face reinforcement, were in fact very large and the face was subject to collapse before a
164 Peila

130 325

140 350

150 375

400
160 i .............. 4~o.................................................

I I I I

0 5 10 15 20
y (m)

Fig. 16. Stress distribution ahead of the tunnel face for case 4. a== distribution in a
vertical longitudinal section when the excavation face is at section 1; a~(in)= vertical in
situ stress value (the stresses are expressed in 104 Pa)

supporting spritz beton layer could be placed on the face. In contrast, after pipe installation,
the movements were controlled and the face was stable.
The study of the three-dimensional field of displacement ahead of the tunnel shows that
there is no evidence of the existence of a well defined sliding surface, as was generally assumed
in bidimensional cases. Instead, the global deformation of the face is like the extrusion of the
core, as confirmed experimentally by Broms and Bennermark (1967). For this reason the
models based on the limit equilibrium analysis appear to be too simple to give reliable results
for face reinforcement design.
The radial displacement, both of the unsupported ground near the face and of the lining,
and the plastic zones around the tunnel, are mainly influenced by the lining itself. The face
reinforcement seems to have little influence on these displacements. However, the
reinforcement does cause the axial stress in the reinforced core to change from tension to
compression, thus enhancing face stability.
The present study demonstrates the efficiency of grouted fibreglass pipes for face
stabilization. In the example studied the effect of 11 pipes is comparable with an internal
pressure of 0.15 MPa. Such a stress would be difficult to apply in large tunnels.
The equivalence, from a design point of view, of a distributed pressure on the face and the
simulation of the individual reinforcing pipes is an important observation. It should allow
Reinforcement influence on the stability of a tunnel face 165

5oo-
l ,--~,-~.-~ Pipe number 2
Pipe number 5
400-1 *~ oE~rqE~E~Pipe number 7

o_
Face position : section 1
300

E 200
O
Z

100

o ~
6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 11.0 12.0
Pipe length (m)
Fig. 17. Stresses in pipes number 2, 5, 7 for case 4 when the tunnel face is at section 1

/% +

50 kNm 1
t
MPaJ
I l

Fig. 18. Stresses in the tunnel lining of section 1 when the face is at section 2: (A) normal
stress in the tunnel lining; (B) bending moments in the tunnel lining
166 P eila

the application of easier numerical models for the design of face reinforcement, therefore
reducing computational costs.
Finally it can be concluded that the complex geometry of the problem needs to be
examined with a three-dimensional model, particularly when the ground is weak and when
face instability could cause surface problems.

Acknowledgements

The financial support for this work was provided by Italian Ministry for University and
Scientific and Technological Research (MURST). The author would like to thank Professors
S. Pelizza, G.P. Giani and N. Innaurato for the help given during the preparation of the
work.

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