Large scale three-dimensional seepage analysis model test and numerical simulation research on undersea tunnel

During the construction process of Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay Undersea Tunnel, the faults and other unfavorable geological discontinuities were often encountered. To study the water inrush mechanism in the faults, both physical model test and numerical analysis were carried out. The results of crown displacement and hydraulic pressure of the monitoring sections in the physical model and numerical model were analyzed in this paper. It was found that the displacement and hydraulic pressure in the process of tunnel construction are often interacted as both cause and effect, and the lower of hydraulic pressure is often accompanied with the growth of its displacement. The changing of the excavation disturbed zone during the excavation in the undersea tunnel was also studied. The results show that the excavation disturbed zone in fault is larger than that in surrounding rock mass, and the excavation disturbance effects in the filling type fault are both transient and persistent. When the displacement and hydraulic pressure in the undersea tunnel change sharply during excavation, there are relatively slow and continuous change trend of the displacement and hydraulic pressure. For practical purposes, to prevent water inrush in the undersea tunnel, more attentions should also be paid to the undersea tunnel after excavation.