Based on the strength reduction method, the laws of slope displacement and the changing positions of the sliding surface during the filling process are studied. The model of multistage fill slope is established by the finite element software PLAXIS. The difference is compared between the slope with no reinforcement and with reinforcement under the same working condition. Sensitivity analysis is carried out from two aspects which are internal factors and external factors. The finite element analysis shows that the settlement of the multistage fill slope with no reinforcement is mainly concentrated on the right side of the slope and gradually decreases with the increase of the filling height. The position of the sliding outlet is located at the joint of the first and the second grade of the slope. The effect of the reinforcement on the sliding surface is ideal. It is obvious that the reinforcement can supply the slope with a better position of the sliding surface, which is beneficial to the stability of the slope. The sensitivity analysis shows that unit weight, ratio of slope, and height of each grade are negatively correlated with the safety factor. At the same time, the platform width, cohesion, and internal friction angle are positively correlated with the safety factor. The internal friction angle has the greatest influence on the stability of the slope. Besides, the platform width and the height of each grade should be controlled at about 4 m. The sensitivity analysis provides a reference for the design of the multistage filling slope.

Laterally loaded piles are widely used in structural foundations under horizontal loads such as wave load, wind load, seismic load, and traffic load. Based on the complexity of pile-soil interaction, a test simulation of single pile through the indoor 1 g model test was conducted, in order to study the influence of different loading heights and relative stiffness of pile and soil on the bending moment, soil resistance, and horizontal displacement of pile. It is found that the shear modulus of soil from large to small is arranged as dry fine sand, dry coarse sand, saturated fine sand, and saturated coarse sand. The shear modulus of dry fine sand, dry coarse sand, and saturated fine sand are close under the same loading height and horizontal displacement of pile top, while the shear modulus of saturated coarse sand decreases sharply. Under the condition of water saturation, the particle size has a significant effect on the shear modulus of soil. The relative stiffness of pile soil is found to be the main influencing condition of pile horizontal displacement. Compared with the displacement and bending moment of the pile, the loading height has more influence on the soil resistance, and the main influence area is the soil resistance of the pile toe.

The artificial ground freezing method (AGF) is widely used in underground construction to reinforce the ground and ensure construction safety. This study systematically evaluates the implementation of the artificial ground freezing method in the construction of a metro tunnel cross-passage, with a focus on analyzing the soil’s thermo-mechanical behavior and assessing safety performance throughout the construction process. A combined approach integrating field monitoring and refined three-dimensional numerical simulation using FLAC3D is adopted, considering critical factors, such as freezing pipe inclination, thermo-mechanical coupling, and ice–water phase transitions. Both field data and simulation results demonstrate that increasing the density of freezing pipes accelerates temperature reduction and intensifies frost heave-induced displacements near the pipes. After 45 days of active freezing, the freezing curtain reaches a thickness of 3.7 m with an average temperature below −10 °C. Extending the freezing duration beyond this period yields negligible improvement in curtain performance. Frost heave deformation develops rapidly during the initial phase and stabilizes after approximately 25 days, with maximum vertical displacements reaching 12 cm. Significant stress concentrations occur in the soil adjacent to the freezing pipes, with shield tunnel segments experiencing up to 5 MPa of stress. Thaw settlement is primarily concentrated in areas previously affected by frost heave, with a maximum settlement of 3 cm. Even after 45 days of natural thawing, a frozen curtain approximately 3.3 m thick remains intact, maintaining sufficient structural strength. The refined numerical model accurately captures the mechanical response of soil during the freezing and thawing processes under realistic engineering conditions, with field monitoring data validating its effectiveness. This research provides valuable guidance for managing construction risks and ensuring safety in similar cross-passage and cross-river tunnel projects, with broader implications for underground engineering requiring precise control of frost heave and thaw settlement.

The anisotropy of deformation and strength behavior in quartz mica schist is fundamental to rock mechanics. Here, we concentrated on the practical application of the numerical simulation of the anisotropy of schist rock. First, the existence of the anisotropy of the schist rock in engineering application was reported, tested in situ, and analyzed. Then, a set of specially designed multi-angle uniaxial compression tests was conducted. Based on these, two numerical simulation methods (explicit and implicit) for anisotropy were demonstrated and discussed. Between the two methods, the implicit method was more practical. Ultimately, the implicit method was adopted to perform an excavation simulation of the exploratory tunnel CPD-1. Our findings demonstrated the feasibility of the implicit method as a practical numerical method to determine the anisotropy of schist rock.

The creep characteristics of soft clays have been studied for decades. However, the lateral deformation of soils is not allowed during the commonly used one‐dimensional consolidation tests, which cannot describe the real deformation features of soils in practice. On the other hand, the influence of drainage distance on the mechanical properties of soil is still controversial, classified as hypothesis A and hypothesis B. For a better understanding of deformation characteristics of soft clay, especially which in long‐terms, a series of conventional oedometer tests as well as novel geometric confined consolidation tests was conducted on soft dredger fill. The results show that the secondary consolidation coefficient of the soil sample C_α would increase firstly, followed by a small decrease with the increase of consolidation pressure generally. C_α would decrease with the consolidation time and also be reduced by preloading. The strain at the completion of primary consolidation would increase with the drainage distance, but the C_α would be affected little. Both compression index C_c and C_α of soft clay would reduce after preconsolidation, in which two parameters show an approximate linear relationship. The creep coefficient of soft clay under the geometric confinement is larger than that under the oedometer test C_αε. However, the trends of the relationship between the creep coefficient and loading are consistent regardless of the confinement conditions.