Floor Heave Mechanism and Effect of Countermeasures for Mountain Tunnels

Abstract

In mountain tunnels, floor heave may gradually progress. However, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are not yet fully understood. Therefore, no countermeasure design method has to date been established. In this study, we first conducted a literature review of floor heave cases to study the underlying mechanisms. Then, drawing on the insights gained through the literature review, we reproduced the estimated mechanisms in a model experiment. Based on the results of these experiments, this paper proposes an explanation of the floor heave mechanism and a suitable countermeasure against this phenomenon. The effect of the countermeasure was evaluated by numerical analysis.