Numerical investigation of the convex effect on the behavior of crossing excavations

A 3D numerical model considering the soil-structure interaction is presented in this paper to examine the ground movement and internal force during the construction of Qingdao North Metro Station, China with a special focus on the convex effect of the crossing excavation. The influence of intersection angles and soil resilience characteristics on deformation behavior is discussed, and the suitability of two alternative constitutive models applied in excavation simulation is also considered. The analysis results show that a notable convex effect appears to be associated with the crossing excavation, and the intersection is the key area requiring special attention. The displacements at the corner decrease with increasing crossing angles. The axial loads of struts along the retaining pile wall are unequal, and the values near the cross section are generally larger than the average loads of the left-sided ones. The modified Cam-Clay (MCC) model, which is capable of describing the loading-unloading criterion and identifying the stiffness difference of strain hardening between loading and unloading, can yield a relatively high accuracy of estimation for the behavior of excavations in comparison to the Mohr-Coulomb (MC) model. Furthermore, slight soil deformation resilience after unloading can reduce the ground surface settlement and enhance the ground stability.