Efficiency of relief means from seepage pressure of tunnel lining

N.A. Kassirova The B.E. Vedeneev All-Russian Research Institute of Hydraulic Engineering (The B.E. Vedeneev VNIIG, Inc.)

ABSTRACT: The report is devoted to the assessment of the effectiveness of various means of unloading underground structures from seepage pressure. The mutual influence of such factors as the state of concrete rock contact, development of defrost areas if the structure were built in permafrost soil, massive grouting, dependence of load-carrying ability of reinforced concrete structures on the previous process of cracking due to water pressure in tunnel is analysed. Possible contradictions between different measures of ensuring the bearing capacity of structures are revealed. All the considered issues are illustrated by case studies for individual structures. 1. INTRODUCTION This paper considers various types of unloading of underground structures from seepage pressure. The analysis of mutual influence of various arrangements to improve the bearing capacity of linings (drainage, anchoring of structural elements into the rock massif, grouting of the lining zone) is given together with the results of theoretical and experimental studies of the effect of past history of crack formation in concrete and thawing of initially frozen rock during structural operation on the bearing capacity of tunnel lining under groundwater pressure. These problems are studied by examples of hydropower object. 2. OPTIMALITY CRITERIA FOR DRAINAGE The earlier theoretical studies (N.A. Kassirova 1972, N.A. Kassirova 1975, N.A. Kassirova 1979 etc.) have found out the limitations of the effect of local drainage on tunnel lining. It turned out that each structural element possesses its own threshold of the stress decrease potential. This limitation is the result of development of vo lume forces in seepage flow zone. In certain conditions the deformation of rock massif under this effect may generate additional compression of the structure and diminish the effect o f reduction of groundwater head by drainage. For analytical purpose a concept of critical head h cr (1) h cr (2) (h cr (2) > h cr (1) ) has been introduced to characterise the changes in the behaviour of drained structural elements. As a criterion of optimum drainage system the condition of equality of the residual head and the value of the 2nd critical head (h res = h cr (2) ) has been assumed. This condition characterises the change in the application to the structure of two force impacts: direct pressure of water on the structural external surface (uplift pressure) and seepage volume forces in the rock massif. The uplift pressure V plays decisive role in the formation of stress -strain state of the tunnel lining so far as the residual head exceeds the value of h cr (2) . Under this condition the lining performs as an independent pipe (or pipe attached to the massif) under external pressure, the stress therein being directly proportional to the value of head. In case of important decrease of the value of groundwater head down to the value of residual head (h res h cr (1) ) the concrete-rock interface is transferred into compressive state due to considerable deformations of the rock massif in the direction of drained element. The subsequent reduction of head intensifies the participation of seepage volume forces in the formation of structural stress -strain state. The lining is practically not load -relieved (details are found in (N.A. Kassirova 1972, N.A. Kassirova 1975)). In the beginning two cases are considered, which are not overburdened by the whole set of conditions to be accounted for during the selection of groundwater pressure relieving procedures. A 5km long derivation tunnel goes through rock massif at 800-950m of depth. The tunnel has round cross section; its inside diameter is 7.5m. The lining depth t = 0.50m. The tunnel path lies in complicated geological conditions characterised by tectonic dislocations and groundwater level 150m above the tunnel axis.
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The design deformation modules are determined from the condition of adequacy of surface displacements of the opening (Ec / Em = 1 - 4). The tunnel parameters are selected to apply to the structures of Irganai hydropower scheme (Daghestan). As shown by the analysis, the head of groundwater could be decrease by drainage by not more than 40 60%. In this case the lower limit of compression in the concrete lining should be (6.0 9.0) MPa depending on the number of drains and relationship between the strain modulus of concrete lining and rock massif at various parts of the tunnel path. Another example considered here is the lining of derivation tunnel of Shambskaya HPS in Armenia. In case of emptying the tunnel the groundwater pressure becomes the main load on the structure. The maximum head is h 2 = 320m. If the lining behaviour is independently of the surrounding massif and the lining receives all the head of the groundwater (320m), the maximum design compression of concrete will be 31.9 MPa. If the tunnel lining performs jointly with the surrounding rock (if the interface can withstand tension to 2.2 MPa), the maximum compression in concrete will fall down to 12.4 MPa. The equal (but not exceeding) decrease of compressive stresses in concrete may be obtained by drainage of the lining to an extent to satisfy the condition h res < 0.375h 2. One may choose various combinations of the hole parameters (length and radius) to satisfy the above condition. For instance, with the radius of the hole rbh = 21m the length of hole may be select lbh = 1m. The dependencies of residual head from the hole parameters have been formed on (Guidelines for the design 1973, V.M. Nasberg 1971). It is not possible to obtain a greater value of load relief by drainage or by fastening the lining to the rock massif or by both these arrangements. Otherwise additional engineering measures are required. There have been worked out charts permitting to make a rapid choice of the parameters of drainage system for round-profile linings for arbitrary number and arrangement of the drains. Besides, software has been developed for this procedure. 3. THE INFLUENCE OF CONCRETE-ROCK INTERFACE ON THE WORK OF TUNNEL LINING The subject of subsequent analysis is the influence of arrangement of concrete-rock interface on the drainage efficiency.

It is known that with respect to pressure tunnels there is an obligatory requirement of solid concreterock interface to involve the rock massif into operation under the pressure of the water in tunnel. Simu ltaneously, in case of a gap at the concrete-rock interface, the efficiency of drainage of the lining zone is higher than for a solid (no gap) concrete-rock interface. The reason of this phenomenon is possibility of free deformations of the massif inside the excavation. The performance of tunnel lining under groundwater pressure is highly influenced by capability of its interface to resist tension. Anchoring the structure to the rock massif remains generally the only procedure of insuring concreterock tensile strength in present-day practice. Ho wever, one may give examples when it would be sufficient to insure the tensile strength of the contact zone of the order of 0.2 - 0.3 MPa to obtain a considerable load relieve of the structure. The decision of anchoring the lining to relieve it from groundwater load is often taken for structures with linear elements and less often for round-profile structures. There are known practical solutions of combination of anchoring the structure to the massif and reduction of groundwater head by draining. However, as indicated by the research, local drainage of lining would not lead to reduction of the stress level but rather to redistribution of the stresses (N.A. Kassirova 1972, N.A. Kassirova 1975, N.A. Kassirova 1979 etc.). Drainage of anchoring of lining is capable of unloading the anchors though this conclusion should be treated with caution. By example of valve chamber of spillway tunnel of Rogun HPS (Tadjikistan) considered are two schemes of the lining behaviour (Fig. 1) with different concrete-rock interface conditions: the interface between rock massif and tunnel walls and chute

Figure 1. Valve chamber of spillway tunnel

behaves in tension, the roof detaches from the massif, and the scheme when the walls also detach from the surface of the opening and the chute is anchored. The lining receives groundwater pressure of 100m head (remaining after the reduction of 300m natural head by total drainage). To obtain a monolith wall-massif interface zone it is required to insure tensile strength up to 0.5 MPa. In this case it is practically required only to make structural reinforcement. In case of detachment of walls from the rock massif considerable bending moments appear in the walls, maximum reinforcement percentage = 0.6%. Consider several alternative conditions at the liningrock interface as applied to spillway tunnels of Telmamskaya HPS (Russia, Siberia, tributary of Lena River). In this case the variation of head over the height of the lining cross section was neglected (H1 = const = 70m). As shown by the analysis, in case with no ties between rock and concrete bearing capacity of the roof may be insured by selection of relevant concrete brand; however, in this case the forces in the tunnel walls and chute are so high that sufficient lining strength cannot be obtained without the increase of the lining thickness. Figure 2 shows diagrams of normal forces N, intersecting forces Q (kN) and moments M (kNm) in the lining with ties of tunnel walls and chute with rock massif. If there is continuous contact between the lining concrete and the surface of the opening the lining is practically unloaded and the thickness of its elements may be reduced. However, a sufficiently high strength of tensile ties should be provided and the economic efficiency of this solution has t o b e proved. During the repair or reconstruction of tunnel linings one often takes decision to make grouting for better stability of the surrounding rock, partial relieve of the lining from tunnel water pressure, protection from leakage. However, the effect of changes in the characteristics of deformability and permeability of the lining zone on the bearing capacity of underground structure is not uniform. This problem is treated below. The assessment of the effect of grouting on the bearing capacity of lining requires knowledge of the concrete-rock interface conditions, ie. Whether the interface performs in tension or under the external pressure the lining is detached (separated) from the surface of the opening.

Reducing the deformability of the rock massif, grouting of the lining zone, lowers the level of stresses in the lining. The reduction of deformability of rock massif leads to additional tensile load in the anchors. The loads in the anchors and in concrete are also effected by the changes in the value of seepage factor

Axis of lining tunnel

in the grouting zone: relative reduction in the seepage factor leads to some increase in compression of
Figure 2. Forces in tunnel lining with ties of walls and chute with rock massif under the groundwater pressure

the lining-rock interface (it means that somewhat lesser anchor bearing capacity is needed) while the compression of concrete is increased. If the concrete-rock contact is incapable to put up of tensile stresses, the reduction of deformability of the grouting zone leads to the increase of drainage efficiency threshold (rise of the value of critical head). To understand the effect of these factors the expressions have been developed on the basis of exact analytical solution (Kassirova 1996) simplified for practical pu rposes.

It should be noted that the analysed problem is close to the problem of the influence of thawing of frozen rock massif on the performance of buried structures (though mainly leading to the opposite effect). 5. WORK OF TUNNEL LINING DURING THAWING OF FROZEN ROCK A basic feature of the structures built in an originally frozen massif is time dependent operating environment due to thawing of the enclosing rock. The variation of structural mechanical properties largely depends on rock type, structure of rock massif, filling of fissures with ice. Thus, according to information of Lenhydroproject Inc., the strain modulus of granite massif in a frozen state is three times that of thawing massif for the conditions of Kolymskaya HPS (Russia, Far East, Kolyma river), for Telmamskaya HPS this difference is only 25%. However small the water discharge through reinforced concrete lining, in the course of time water would penetrate into the rock massif behind the lining zone. Being heat carrier, water promotes the development of rock thawing process contributing to origination of seepage field behind the lining. This field may be formed before the seepage field created by the reservoir. The time difference the formation of these two fields depends on permeability of rock massif and development of thermal processes. If the lining anchored to rock massif was designed for the initial operation conditions when the thawing zone was sufficiently small, it may occur that in the process of thawing the level of stresses in concrete would exceed a previously assumed value and the structural bearing capacity would become insufficient. If the same structure was designed with allowance for reduction of deformability of the rock massif during the operation, the tensile forces in the anchors may prove insufficient during the initial operation period when the anchors are subjected to greatest loads (under the same groundwater pressure). The mechanism of redistribution of forces between the lining elements and its anchors in circular and

non-circular tunnels is basically the same. Figure 3 shows diagrams of interface stress in a structure with anchored chute. The roof and part of walls are detached from the surface of the opening. A most extended portion of detachment is observed in cases when thawing zones are practically absent. With the development of thawing zones both the compressive and tensile stresses are decreasing: in the base zone the compression in case of 2m wide thawing zone is 15% below that in a completely frozen zone and 15% above that of a completely thawed zone. Similarly in middle of the chute the tension at the interface is decreasing with the development of thawing process. The effect of the properties of the rock massif mostly shows up on the state of chute and walls and is negligible in the roof area detached from the surface of the opening. Absolute values of stresses are increasing with the increase of thawing zone. When the structure is anchored along the whole lining -rock interface, the stresses in all the structu ral elements are increasing with the development of thawing zones. Thus, in a section with maximum compression (chute) this compression would rise by 50% in case of 2m wide thawing zone and by another 20% in case of development of thawing to a distance considerably exceeding the width of the opening. The tension in the centre of the chute shows an almost double increase in case of 2m wide thawing zone and another double increase at a completely thawed zone. The same effect is also observed in the lining walls. With the development of thawing zone the tension at the interface (Fig. 4) falls down: in the roof area the tension decreases by about 20% with the development of thawing from a completely frozen state to a 2m wide thawing zone and by another 10% for a Figure 3. Effect of thawing of frozen massif on stresses at the interface between rock and concrete with allowance for anchored chute completely thawed zone.

In the wall area a most observed reduction of the tension at the interface for a 2m thawing zone is 28%. The subsequent considerable increase of thawing zone would lead to additional 23% reduction of the tension. The tension in the chute area is also tending to reduce. 6. INFLUENCE OF CRACK ON THE WORK OF TUNNEL LINING UNDER GROUNDWATER PRESURE According to (Hydraulic engineering 1985, Guidebook on design 1982) the evaluation of linings of hydraulic tunnels under the impact of external groundwater pressure is made on the assumption of cast-in-situ concrete. The linings of pressure and free-flow tunnels (crack resistant and non-resistant) are evaluated similarly. However, there is a principal difference in their performance. At the initial stage of lining behaviour under the impact of tunnel water the internal structure of concrete will be changing if the lining design is non-crack resistance. A conventional assumption that cracks would close after the unloading of internal pressure and the structure may be assumed monolithic is, in our opinion, erroneous.
Figure 3. Effect of thawing of frozen massif on stresses at the interface between rock and concrete with allowance for achored chute

The influence of cracks on the behaviour of structural elements was studied for civil engineering conditions by a number of researchers. The studies specified the dependence of the reduction of bearing capacity of compressed elements from the size of cracks (length and width of crack opening), eccentricity of compressive force, slope of crack toward the axis of compressive force, crack formation mode. It is asserted th at bearing capacity of crackcompressed elements decreases by 6 - 30% in versus to monolith structures. The experimental studies performed at the B.E.Vedeneev VNIIG included five large -scale model tests of circular tunnel linings. For practical purpose the linings parameters were taken close to design parameters of supply tunnel of Telmamskaya HPS. The tests were carried out at a testing bench with the use of hydraulic jacks to simulate the loads. The tests supported the assumption of the influence of tensile cracks in reinforced concrete lining on its subsequent compressive behaviour. An evident difference was observed in the development of compressive strains in cracked and monolithic zones. The build up of compressive strains with the rise of loading was almost twice quicker in cracked than in monolithic zones; the lining failure zones under external compression were coincident with the zones of development of tensile cracks

Figure 4. Effect of thawing of frozen massif on stresses at the interface between rock and concrete with allowance for completely anchored lining

formed under the internal pressure at a previous testing stage. An extensive research has to be made prior to quantitative recommendations and formulation of the relevant standard requirements. The specialists should be made anxious of the situation concerning this problem. 7. CONCLUSION In the conclusion it may be noted that for design purposes (the more so for repair and reconstruction of buried structures) it is important to pay due attention to both processes occurring in structure-rock system and their mutual influence, and possible conflicting character of arrangements planned for providing adequate structural bearing capacity. This paper uses theoretical works of the present author and the results of research of buried structures of hydraulic projects carried out under the leadership of the author at the B.E. Vedeneev VNIIG.

8. REFERENCES Guidelines for the design of drainage of buri e d h ydraulic structures, VSNO 45072/MEIE USSR, 1973 Kassirova N.A., 1996, Static behaviour of tunnel linings under groundwater force impacts\\ Izvestiya B.E. Vedeneev VNIIG, , v. 231. Kassirova, N.A. 1979, Groundwater force impact on hydraulic tunnel linings// Transactions of Hydroproject,. Kassirova N.A. 1975, Dependence of stress state of circular tunnel lining on drainage level// Izvestiya B.E. Vedeneev VNIIG, , v. 106Kassirova, N.A. 1972, The effect of seepage water on the stress state of circular tunnel lining // Izvestiya B.E. Vedeneev VNIIG, , v. 99. Hydraulic engineering tunnels SNiP 2.06.0984, 1985. Stroiizdat, M., 1982, Guidebook on design of hydraulic tunnels, Nasberg, V.M. 1971, Seepage analysis of longitudinal lining relieving drainage of tunnels and mines with rock grouting around lining, Transactions of TNISGEI, series 3.