The influence of fiber-reinforced shotcrete on the ground settlement in tunnel excavation: A case study of Tabriz metro line 2

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Mining Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz, Iran.

2 Department of Civil Engineering, Islamic Azad university, Tabriz, Iran.

10.22059/ijmge.2025.374218.595159

Abstract

In recent years, as cities expand and populations increase, the importance of public transportation, particularly subways and underground spaces, has grown. In-situ concreting in underground areas is time-consuming, costly, and requires significant space for molding. However, Shotcrete can be applied quickly with high quality and minimal space needed. The main purpose of this study is to investigate settlement of the ground surface resulting from tunnel excavation using the 3D numerical modeling. This study investigates the use of shotcrete reinforced with recycled and industrial fibers as an alternative tunnel support system in section 4 of the third phase of the Tabriz metro line 2. Evaluation of the load-carrying capacity of shotcrete-lattice and fiber-reinforced shotcrete support systems showed that the maximum tensile stress for the preferred support systems is 165.1 MPa and 1.284 MPa, respectively. Results of finite element analysis revealed that shotcrete with 40 of industrial steel fibers and 30 of recycled materials can be a viable alternative to the traditional shotcrete-lattice tunnel support system in the Tabriz metro line 2 in terms of resistance and surface settlement properties. The use of recycled fibers is cost-effective, and a smaller quantity of recycled fibers can provide similar mechanical properties compared to a larger quantity of industrial fibers.

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References

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International Journal of Mining and Geo-Engineering

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 18 January 2025

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