Investigation on the Performance of Pipe Roof Method Adjacent to the Underground Construction

In this paper, the behaviour of the pipe roof method with different pipe roofs disposition schemes including the pipe roof gate system and L-shaped system is discussed in terms of ground settlement reduction in the condition of underground space construction adjacent to the existing structure by using numerical simulation method. Considering the construction sequences of parallel underground tunnels with rectangular cross sections, the appropriate parameters and ground response characteristics of the corresponding pipe roof methods are evaluated by the ground surface displacement. The results indicated that the construction impacts from new buildings can be reduced by the pipe roof method. However, the theoretical performance of pipe roofs is highly dependent on the spacing between two structures. Generally, the L-shaped system is more effective in case of the distance (D) that is less than or equal to 1/2 width of box culvert (R) under the condition of a new structure constructed nearby the existing building. When two structures are constructed simultaneously, the excavation and the construction of structures influence each other reciprocally. The conclusions could provide a reference for the pipe roof method with the application scenario of adjacent building protection.