Abstract

This study aims to report the behavioral mechanism of steel pipe reinforcement grouting, which is being actively used to ensure the stability of the excavation surface during tunnel excavation, based on measurements taken at the actual site. After using a 12 m steel pipe attached with a shape displacement meter and a strain gauge to reinforce the actual tunnel surface, behavioral characteristics were identified by analyzing the measured deformation and stress of the steel pipe. Taking into account that the steel pipes were overlapped every 6 m, the measured data up to 7 m of excavation were used. In addition, the behavioral characteristics of the steel pipe reinforcement according to the difference in strength were also examined by applying steel pipes with different allowable stresses (SGT275 and SGT550). As a result of analyzing the behavior of steel pipes for 7 hours after the first excavation for 1 m and before proceeding with the next excavation, the stress redistribution due to the arching effect caused by the excavation relaxation load was observed. As excavation proceeded by 1 m, the excavated section exhibited the greatest deformation during excavation of 4 to 6 m due to the stress distribution of the three-dimensional relaxation load, and deformation and stress were generated in the steel pipe installed in the ground ahead of the tunnel face. As a result of comparing the behavior of SGT275 steel pipe (yield strength 275 MPa) and SGT550 steel pipe (yield strength 550 MPa), the difference in the amount of deformation was up to 18 times and the stress was up to 12 times; the stronger the steel pipe, the better it was at responding to the relaxation load. In this study, the behavior mechanism of steel pipe reinforcement grouting in response to the arching effect due to the relaxation load was identified based on the measured data during the actual tunnel excavation, and the results were reported.