Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 6, 2026

Mechanical Expansion of Steel Tubing as a Solution to Leaky Wellbores
Published on: November 20, 2014
Effects of seepage and weak interlayer on the failure modes of surrounding rock: model tests and numerical analysis
Jing Hu1,2,3, Haijia Wen1,2,3, Qilong Xie2
1Key Laboratory of New Technology for Construction of Cities in Mountain Area, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, People's Republic of China.
Abstract:
The presence of weak interlayers and groundwater are common adverse geological conditions in tunnels. To investigate the modes of failure of rock masses surrounding tunnels owing to weak interlayers and groundwater, model tests and numerical simulations were conducted in this study based on two cases, and a model that considers only the weak interlayer was conducted for comparison. Based on the tests, differences between two models in terms of rock pressure, displacement, cracks and strain were analysed. The results reveal that the presence of groundwater has a significant effect on the space-time distribution of stress, displacement and cracks in the surrounding rock. Furthermore, based on the numerical model, the seepage field was analysed in terms of pore water pressure, permeability and the seepage process to understand the joint action of groundwater and weak interlayer on the failure mechanism of tunnels. The results show that the groundwater and interlayer complement each other to induce the failure mode of the surrounding rock. The water accelerates slip in the interlayer and the development of cracks. Conversely, low strength, muddy weak interlayers serve as the channels of water flow, resulting in deformations and cracks at different locations and different failure modes.
Related Concept Videos
Microcracking in Concrete
Typical Model Studies
Tensile Strength Considerations of Concrete
The dimensions and shape of a concrete specimen...
Stress-Strain Diagram - Brittle Materials
Fatigue
Design Example: Creating a Hydraulic Model of a Dam Spillway

