Effect of shield tunnel underpass construction on the upper existing pipeline

The construction of the shield tunnel results in the deformation of the surrounding soil and the existing pipeline. It is important to analyze the deformation of the existing pipeline during the excavation of the tunnel. Based on the two-stage analysis method, the shear effect of pipeline due to the uneven settlement was considered and the deformation and internal force of existing pipeline due to the tunnel excavation were studied. The theoretical formulas were verified by the in-site monitoring. Compared with the theoretical calculation, the three-dimensional numerical simulation was established to simulate the deformation of the existing pipeline and the ground surface during the tunnelling. The effect of the Poisson' s ratio, the tunnel diameter and the pipeline shading on the deformation of the existing pipeline were further investigated. The results show that the deformation curves of the pipeline and the ground surface conform to the Gaussian distribution, and the position above the axis of the tunnel experiences the maximum. When the excavation surface of tunnel crosses underneath the pipeline, the pipeline and the ground surface experience larger deformation and more subsidence, respectively. A certain amount of uplift is generated for the pipeline and the ground surface at +- 20 m away from the center line of the tunnel. The deformation of existing pipelines is affected by the tunnel excavation within its diameter range. The results can provide a reference for the design and construction of the shield tunnel underpass.