Blast vibration of a large-span high-speed railway tunnel based on microseismic monitoring

Ground vibration is one of the most undesirable effects induced by blast operation in mountain tunnels, which could cause negative impacts on the residents living nearby and adjacent structures. The ground vibration effects can be well represented by peak particle velocity (PPV) and corner frequency (fc) on the ground. In this research, the PPV and the corner frequency of the mountain surface above the large-span tunnel of the new Badaling tunnel are observed by using the microseismic monitoring technique. A total of 53 sets of monitoring results caused by the blast inside tunnel are recorded. It is found that the measured values of PPV are lower than the allowable value. The measured values of corner frequency are greater than the natural frequencies of the Great Wall, which will not produce resonant vibration of the Great Wall. The vibration effects of associated parameters on the PPV and corner frequency which include blast charge, rock mass condition, and distance from the blast point to mountain surface, are studied by regression analysis. Empirical formulas are proposed to predict the PPV and the corner frequency of the Great Wall and surface structures due to blast, which can be used to determine the suitable blast charge inside the tunnel.