Water retention in unsaturated soils subjected to wetting and drying cycles

The suction is an essential parameter to describe and understand the behavior of unsaturated soils. The ability of unsaturated soils to retain water is quantified by determining the water retention curves (WRC), which express the hydraulic behavior of porous materials such as soil. These curves are determined by subjecting samples to several drying and wetting cycles. The curve during drying path is located above the wetting curve, developing a hysteresis phenomenon [1], and value of content water at a given suction value depends on the path used to reach this point. The aim of this paper is to present a study on the hydraulic behavior of soil, water retention capacity due to drying and wetting cycles, pointing out the hydro-mechanical behavior of unsaturated soils. In the first part, the effect of physical and mechanical properties of soil [32] (initial void ratio, particle size, cohesion, density...) on the water retention is presented. In the second part, a complete numerical model was developed, based on the empirical model of Van Genuchten [18], to model the two boundary curves, and the experimental scanning data were bestfitted using the same theory of Mualem model [13]. This complete model requires 4 parameters. This model has been validated with experimental data on different type of soils: sand [10], [34], U.S. Silica F-95 sand [30]

Discrete element models for grain breakage

International audienc

Three-dimensional numerical simulation of a mechanized twin tunnels in soft ground

The increase in transportation in large cities makes it necessary to construct of twin tunnels at shallow depths. Thus, the prediction of the influence of a new tunnel construction on an already existing one plays a key role in the optimal design and construction of close parallel shield tunnels in order to avoid any damage to the existing tunnel during and after excavation of the new tunnel. Most of the reported cases in the literature on parallel mechanized excavation of twin tunnels have focused on the effects of the ground condition, tunnel size, tunnel depth, surface loads, and relative position between the two tunnels on tunnel behaviour. The numerical investigation performed in this study, using the FLAC3D finite difference element programme, has made it possible to include the influence of the construction process between the two tunnels. The structural forces induced in both tunnels and the development of the displacement field in the surrounding ground have been highlighted. The results of the numerical analysis have indicated a great impact of a new tunnel construction on an existing tunnel. The influence of the lagged distance between the two tunnels faces has also been highlighted. Generally, the simultaneous excavation of twin tunnels causes smaller structural forces and lining displacements than those induced in the case of twin tunnels excavated at a large lagged distance. However, the simultaneous excavation of twin tunnels could result in a higher settlement above the two tunnel

The effect of fluid streams in porous media on acoustic compression wave propagation, transmission, and reflection

International audienceno abstrac

The behaviour of the segmental tunnel lining studied by the hyperstatic reaction method

One of the most important factors in the design of a segmental tunnel lining is the influence of the segmental joints on its overall behaviour. In this study, a reduction factor has been applied to the bending rigidity of the segmental tunnel lining. An improved numerical hyperstatic reaction method (HRM) is presented in this paper in order to study the behaviour of the segmental tunnel lining. The necessary parameters for the calculation are presented. A specific implementation has been developed using a finite element method framework. A comparison between the results obtained using the HRM and those of a numerical model has been made that allows the HRM to be validated. Extensive parametric analyses have been conducted to estimate the segmental tunnel lining behaviour for several cases, in order to cover the conditions that are generally encountered in excavation practic

2D numerical investigations of twin tunnel interaction

The development of transportation in large cities requires the construction of twin tunnels located at shallow depth. As far as twin tunnels excavated in parallel are concerned, most of the cases reported in literature focused on considering the effect of the ground condition, tunnel size, depth, surface loads, the relative position between two tunnels, and construction process on the structural lining forces. However, the effect of the segment joints was not taken into account. Numerical investigation performed in this study using the FLAC3D finite difference element program made it possible to include considerable influences of the segment joints and tunnel distance on the structural lining forces induced in twin tunnels. The structural lining forces induced in the first tunnel through various phases are considerably affected by the second tunnel construction process. Their values induced in a segmental lining are always lower than those obtained in a continuous lining. However, the influence of joint distribution in the second tunnel on the structural forces induced in the first tunnel is insignificant. The critical influence distance between two tunnels is about two tunnel diameter

Three-dimensional numerical simulation for mechanized tunnelling in soft ground: The influence of the joint pattern

The main purpose of this study was to provide a three-dimensional numerical model, which would allow the tunnel lining behaviour and the displacement field surrounding the tunnel to be evaluated. Most of the processes that occur during mechanized excavation have been simulated in this model. The influence of the lining joint pattern, including segmental lining joints and their connections, has in particular been taken into consideration. The impact of the processes during mechanized excavation, such as the grouting pressure and the jacking forces in the structural forces induced in the tunnel lining, has been presented. These values depend on the tunnel advancement. However, a negligible influence of the joint pattern on the ground displacement field surrounding the tunnel has been observed. Generally, a variation in the structural forces in successive rings along the tunnel axis has been found in a staggered segmental lining, indicating the necessity of simulating the joints in the tunnel lining and using a full three-dimensional numerical model to obtain an accurate estimation. In addition, the considerable influence of the coupling effect between successive rings on the lining behaviour has been highlighted