Closely-spaced side-by-side mechanized twin tunnels are commonly used in urban metro transit systems. The aim of this paper was to investigate the influence of tunnel construction on an adjacent existing tunnel using the 3D discrete element method (DEM) and propose a new method to protect the existing tunnel. The first tunnel at the left side was initially included in the DEM model. The construction of the second adjacent tunnel at the right side was then modelled in phases. Displacement, stress variation, porosity variation, and coordination of surroundings of the first tunnel were investigated. The results showed that the excavation of the second tunnel had a great negative impact on the existing tunnel surroundings when the distance of twin tunnels was less than the diameter of the tunnel. The maximum horizontal displacement occurred at the angle of 45° and was equal to 103 mm. The influenced area of the existing tunnel is the surroundings between the tunnel crown and the spring line on the second tunnel side near the tunnel lining. The composite reinforcement method consists of pasted fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) sheet method and grouting in a specific area; thus, the structure safety and the normal operation of the existing tunnel nearby can be guaranteed. The protective method can give reference for similar project.

This research paper presents an investigation into the shear behavior of binary mixtures composed of cubic and spherical particles, employing the discrete element method (DEM) through triaxial tests simulations. A range of binary particle samples with varying volume fractions of cubic and spherical particles is generated for analysis. The study primarily focuses on examining the contracting-dilatancy relationship of binary granular material samples by scrutinizing deviatoric stress and volumetric strain curves, while considering the influence of confining pressure, initial porosity, and particle size ratio. Furthermore, the paper sheds light on the evolution of microstructures during the shearing process by presenting coordination numbers and rotational velocity fields for different particle types (overall particles, cubic particles, spherical particles), as well as between cubic-spherical particles. The findings demonstrate the substantial impact of both the volume fraction of cubic particles and the particle size ratio on the shear behavior of binary particles at both macroscopic and microscopic scales. Additionally, a comprehensive investigation reveals the dependence of anisotropy in normal contact forces, tangent contact forces, and contact orientations on the volume fraction of cubic particles.

This paper aims to investigate the impact of the particle shape of granular soil particles on the results of cone penetration test (CPT). The discrete element method (DEM) was used to model the CPT in soil particle samples in 3D. The influence of particle shape is studied by parameters of overall regularity (OR), which is obtained from different mixing ratios of the real shape particles and spherical particles. The real particle shapes are obtained from a 3D laser scanner for the simulations. The particle refinement method is applied to enhance computation efficiency. The cone resistance and sleeve resistance curves are smoothed by fitting equations. The factors of OR of soil, particle friction coefficient, particle roundness and initial porosity were demonstrated to have considerable influences on the cone tip resistance and sleeve resistance. The displacement field and the rotational field were plotted to study the microscopic behaviour of granular soils during the penetration process.

The accumulation of discarded tire rubber poses significant challenges in terms of land usage and environmental hazards. To address this issue, this article explores the potential reuse of rubber in roadbed engineering. This study conducts a comprehensive examination of the vibration compaction process involving a vibratory roller and rubber–sand mixtures, utilizing the discrete element method (DEM) in a two-dimensional (2D) framework to investigate the impact of dynamic vibration compaction on sand mixtures with varying rubber contents under different roller working conditions, while also evaluating the associated energy consumption. The results reveal that both the rubber content and operational parameters of the roller significantly influence compaction vibration effects. Notably, optimal rolling frequency, velocity, and rolling mass show correlations with the rubber content. Furthermore, this research provides a microscopic understanding of the compaction process, offering detailed insights into displacement fields, velocity fields, and contact forces.