Cracking mechanism of secondary lining for a shallow and asymmetrically-loaded tunnel in loose deposits

•Triaxial shear tests are carried out to obtain the parameters of loose deposits.•The cracks are in agreement with the line of asymmetrical lateral stress.•Stress concentration occurs and leads to local cracking at the secondary lining.

Tunnels constructed in loose deposits with low strength and complex composition are usually subjected to asymmetrical stresses at the entrance and exit. The secondary tunnel lining is prone to excessive deformation, cracking, or even collapse, seriously affecting the safety of tunnel construction and operation. In this paper, a large shallow highway tunnel in loose deposits is used as an example to study the cracking mechanism of secondary lining. Triaxial consolidated-drained shear tests are carried out on large remolded specimens to obtain the mechanical parameters of the surrounding soil. Three-dimensional numerical modeling is conducted based on the field monitoring data to simulate the process of tunnel construction and to analyze the mechanical mechanism of cracking in the secondary lining. It is shown that even with the 30 m advance pipe roof at the tunnel entrance, the apparent difference in stiffness between the retaining wall and the surrounding soil results in an obvious stress concentration at the spring of the secondary lining near the end of the retaining wall, due to the effect of highly asymmetrical stresses. In addition, loose deposits are very sensitive to construction disturbances. Large horizontal deformation towards the lower topography occurs during tunnel construction. With increasing overburden depth, the stress concentration at the spring level and the horizontal deformation in the secondary lining increases, which are the main reasons for cracking in the secondary lining. These findings can be useful for tunnel design and construction in the similar type of loose deposits.