Ying Zhu1,2, Minghui Hu3, Shengxu Wang1,2, Xiaoliang Dong3,*, Xuewen Xiao1,2, Richeng Liu3, Meng Wang1,2, Zheng Yuan3
CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.146, No.2, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmes.2026.076381
- 26 February 2026
Abstract In-situ enlargement of super-large-span tunnels can intensify excavation-induced unloading in the surrounding rock, increasing deformation demand and failure risk during construction. This study combines laboratory model tests with FLAC3D simulations to evaluate the stabilizing role of prestressed anchor cables and to establish an energy-balance framework for support optimization. Comparative model tests of existing and enlarged tunnel sections, with and without anchors, show that reinforcement increases load-carrying capacity, reduces displacement, and confines damage to more localized zones. The numerical simulations reproduce displacement fields, shear-strain localization, and plastic-zone evolution with good agreement against the experimental observations. The energy More >