TBM excavation-induced deformation and failure of jointed surrounding rock: mechanisms and control measures
- 1School of Architecture and Traffic Engineering, Jiangsu College of Engineering and Technology, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
- 2State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Construction and Healthy Operation and Maintenance of Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
- 3School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
Abstract
Open-type tunnel boring machines improve roadway excavation efficiency, but their front structure delays complete support near the excavation face. This delay can trigger severe instability in rock masses containing persistent joints. Using the Yuandian No. 2 Coal Mine as an engineering case, this study applies a three-dimensional Ubiquitous-Multiple-Joint model to conduct a comparative sensitivity analysis of progressive TBM excavation and delayed support. The effects of joint orientation, the number of joint sets, and joint bonding strength are evaluated through plastic-zone and displacement responses. For vertically dipping joints, increasing the strike angle from 0° to 90° increases the plastic-zone volume from 14.0 to 41.0 m3 and the maximum displacement from 12.5 to 58.9 mm. Increasing the number of joint sets from one to three enlarges the plastic-zone volume by 384.5% and the maximum displacement by 224.8%, while shifting the response from matrix shear failure to joint-controlled and mixed failure. Increasing the bonding-strength ratio from 0 to 0.2 reduces the plastic-zone volume by 62.4% and the maximum displacement by 75.5%. Within the simulated cases, joint-related failure becomes limited at bonding-strength ratios of 0.8 and 1.0. These sensitivity trends, together with field geological observations and construction constraints, inform a site-specific control scheme combining advance grouting, primary support, and secondary reinforcement. Field monitoring shows that displacement rates decline markedly 60–80 days after excavation and subsequently stabilize. The results indicate how measurable joint characteristics are associated with instability patterns and provide qualitative guidance for site-specific support during open-type TBM excavation.
Related
- Deformation mechanisms of plasticized starch materials
- Deformation-induced spectral softening drives phase separation on non-spherical membranes
- Deformation-induced amorphous complexion transitions elevate strength and ductility
- EPR as a probe for the mechanisms of chirality-induced spin selectivity in photoinduced charge transfer
- Novel Transition Mechanisms of Vector Localized Waves Induced by the Fourth-Order Effect
BibTeX
@article{xue2026excavationinduced,
title = {{TBM excavation-induced deformation and failure of jointed surrounding rock: mechanisms and control measures}},
author = {Xinran Xue and Kai Zhang and Kai Zhang and Bosong Yu and Lianjie Fu},
journal = {Frontiers in Physics},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fphy.2026.1947068},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fphy.2026.1947068},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - TBM excavation-induced deformation and failure of jointed surrounding rock: mechanisms and control measures
AU - Xinran Xue
AU - Kai Zhang
AU - Kai Zhang
AU - Bosong Yu
AU - Lianjie Fu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Frontiers in Physics
DO - 10.3389/fphy.2026.1947068
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fphy.2026.1947068
AB - Open-type tunnel boring machines improve roadway excavation efficiency, but their front structure delays complete support near the excavation face. This delay can trigger severe instability in rock masses containing persistent joints. Using the Yuandian No. 2 Coal Mine as an engineering case, this study applies a three-dimensional Ubiquitous-Multiple-Joint model to conduct a comparative sensitivity analysis of progressive TBM excavation and delayed support. The effects of joint orientation, the number of joint sets, and joint bonding strength are evaluated through plastic-zone and displacement responses. For vertically dipping joints, increasing the strike angle from 0° to 90° increases the plastic-zone volume from 14.0 to 41.0 m3 and the maximum displacement from 12.5 to 58.9 mm. Increasing the number of joint sets from one to three enlarges the plastic-zone volume by 384.5% and the maximum displacement by 224.8%, while shifting the response from matrix shear failure to joint-controlled and mixed failure. Increasing the bonding-strength ratio from 0 to 0.2 reduces the plastic-zone volume by 62.4% and the maximum displacement by 75.5%. Within the simulated cases, joint-related failure becomes limited at bonding-strength ratios of 0.8 and 1.0. These sensitivity trends, together with field geological observations and construction constraints, inform a site-specific control scheme combining advance grouting, primary support, and secondary reinforcement. Field monitoring shows that displacement rates decline markedly 60–80 days after excavation and subsequently stabilize. The results indicate how measurable joint characteristics are associated with instability patterns and provide qualitative guidance for site-specific support during open-type TBM excavation.
SN - 2296-424X
ER -