Calculation method for soil pressure of loess above trapdoor under different water mass fraction

doi:10.3785/j.issn.1008-973X.2026.12.020

Journal of ZheJiang University (Engineering Science)

2026, Vol. 60

Issue (12): 2745-2754 DOI: 10.3785/j.issn.1008-973X.2026.12.020

Calculation method for soil pressure of loess above trapdoor under different water mass fraction

Yao LI1(

),Xingli CHEN1,Lin LI1,Xing DONG2,Xuchao DU1,Haoran MENG1,Haoyu ZHANG1

1. School of Highway, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710064, China
2. School of Infrastructure Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China

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Abstract

A series of trapdoor tests were conducted using loess-like materials with different water mass fraction in order to analyze the soil arching effect and the distribution characteristics of surrounding soil pressure above the tunnel crown in loess under varying water mass fraction. The stress distribution above the trapdoor and the configuration of the soil pressure arch were obtained, and a calculation method for earth pressure was established through theoretical analysis. Results showed that the soil arch above the trapdoor changed from a rectangular shape to a triangular shape as the water mass fraction increased. Both the height and extent of the loosening zone gradually increased, while the load-transfer capacity decreased. A water mass fraction factor was introduced to the analysis of the soil arching effect and the calculation of the loosening zone based on the trapdoor tests and the composite arch model for sand and loess, and soil-pressure-arch analytical models were established for loess with low-to-medium and high water mass fraction. The proposed approach provided closer alignment with field-measured pressure values compared with conventional methods, and could characterize the progressive evolution of surrounding soil pressure during crown settlement.

Key words： loess tunnel trapdoor test soil arch analytical model surrounding soil pressure

Received: 29 October 2025 Published: 21 October 2026

CLC:

U 451

Fund: 国家自然科学基金资助项目（52078045）.

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Cite this article:

Yao LI,Xingli CHEN,Lin LI,Xing DONG,Xuchao DU,Haoran MENG,Haoyu ZHANG. Calculation method for soil pressure of loess above trapdoor under different water mass fraction. Journal of ZheJiang University (Engineering Science), 2026, 60(12): 2745-2754.

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https://www.zjujournals.com/eng/10.3785/j.issn.1008-973X.2026.12.020 OR https://www.zjujournals.com/eng/Y2026/V60/I12/2745

不同含水率下黄土活动门上方土压力计算方法

为了研究不同水质量分数条件下黄土隧道土拱效应及拱顶围岩压力分布特征，开展不同水质量分数的黄土相似材料活动门试验，获得活动门上方应力分布及土压力拱形态，结合理论分析建立土压力计算方法. 结果表明，随着水质量分数的升高，活动门上方压力拱由近矩形转变为三角形，松弛区高度和范围逐渐增大，土拱荷载转移能力减弱. 基于活动门试验，在砂土和黄土复合拱模型基础上，将水质量分数因素引入土拱效应分析与松弛区计算，建立中低水质量分数和高水质量分数黄土压力拱分析模型. 工程算例表明，利用本文方法计算得到的拱顶围岩压力较现有方法更接近实测值，且本文方法能够表征围岩压力随拱顶下沉的演化趋势.

关键词： 黄土隧道, 活动门试验, 土拱分析模型, 围岩压力

Fig.1 Trapdoor test apparatus

Tab.1 Physical and mechanical parameters of prototype soil and similarity soil with different water mass fraction

Fig.2 Arrangement of soil pressure cells

Fig.3 Schematic layout of soil pressure cells along different measurement lines and directions

Fig.4 Stable soil-pressure arch configuration of loess similar material at different water contents

Fig.5 Simplified diagram of ground reaction curve

Fig.6 Soil pressure arching model under low-to-medium water mass fraction

Fig.7 Force analysis of differential soil strip element

Fig.8 Soil pressure arching model under high water content

Fig.9 Differential element and equivalent height

Fig.10 Comparison between experimental and calculated soil arch extents

Fig.11 Comparison between experimental and calculated GRC curves

Fig.12 Relationship between natural density and water mass fraction

Fig.13 Relationship between cohesion and water mass fraction

Fig.14 Relationship between angle of internal friction and water mass fraction

Tab.2 Comparison of trapdoor test result and corrected formula calculation result

Tab.3 Physical and mechanical parameters of loess in Luochuan Tunnel

Fig.15 Comparison of measured arch stress and calculated arch stress curves


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