The lining cavities in tunnels have strong concealment and pose significant risks, seriously affecting tunnel operational safety. Therefore, it is necessary to develop efficient and high-precision detection techniques for tunnel lining cavities. In this study, concrete slabs with different parameter cavities were selected as the research object, and experiments on remote detection using Laser Doppler Vibrometry were conducted. During the experiments, the vibration parameters of the concrete surface were measured for cavities of varying sizes and depths, filled with different materials, and under different detection distance conditions. The vibration differences between the defective and healthy parts were analyzed using the spatial spectral entropy algorithm. The results showed that for cavities with side lengths of 200mm, depths of 50mm, and filled with hollow wooden boxes, the maximum velocity amplitudes of the surface concrete were 10.68, 3.55, and 4.01 times higher than those of the healthy parts, respectively. Moreover, at the same frequency, larger cavity areas and shallower depths resulted in greater surface vibration amplitudes. The vibration amplitudes of the surface with hollow wooden box filling were higher than those with foam polystyrene board filling. With increasing detection distance, the overall surface vibration velocity of the cavities was higher at a distance of 3 m from the laser probe compared to 5 m, indicating the ability to quantitatively describe the apparent vibration characteristics of concrete cavities under different parameters. This study demonstrates the significant effectiveness of laser Doppler vibrometry in remote detection of lining cavities in tunnels.

The high water content of the surrounding rock in loess tunnels will lead to the deterioration of rock strength, causing deformation and damage to the initial support structure and thereby affecting safety during construction and operation. This article first analyzes the strength characteristics of loess under different water contents through indoor physical and mechanical tests. Secondly, based on numerical simulation results, the ecological environment, and design requirements, the water content threshold is determined. Finally, a reinforcement scheme combining surface precipitation measures and curtain grouting measures is proposed, and the reinforcement effect is analyzed based on on-site monitoring data. The results show that as the water content of loess increases, the cohesion, internal friction angle, and elastic modulus of the surrounding rock all decrease, leading to an increase in the sensitivity of the surrounding rock to excavation disturbances and a deterioration in strength. During the construction process, it shows an increase in the vault settlement and sidewalls’ convergence. During the process of increasing the distance between the monitoring section and the palm face, the settlement and convergence of the tunnel show a rapid growth stage, slow growth stage, and stable stage. The water content threshold is determined to be 22%. The reinforcement scheme of combining surface precipitation measures with curtain grouting measures not only meets the requirements of the ecological environment but also makes the settlement and convergence values lower than the yellow warning deformation values required by the design.

This study systematically investigated the construction mechanical behaviour and surrounding rock loose zone evolution patterns during the in-situ reconstruction and expansion of highway tunnels, utilizing the GDEM discrete element program integrated with field monitoring data to analyse the excavation process of the reference Tingxin Tunnel project. The key conclusions are as follows: During the in-situ expansion of the bidirectional four-lane separated tunnel, the vertical stresses at various monitoring points primarily exhibit tensile stresses with a gradual decreasing trend; the thickness of the surrounding rock loose zone increased by 76.62% before and after the expansion construction, with the entire inter-tunnel rock wall entering the loose zone post-expansion, and the maximum extension occurring at the shoulder positions. Therefore, implementing pre-support or reinforcement measures for the surrounding rock prior to in-situ excavation in close-spaced tunnels can significantly enhance the tensile strength of the rock mass above the tunnel crown and improve the load-bearing capacity of the inter-tunnel rock wall. This holds substantial engineering significance for improving construction safety, mitigating collapse risks and associated economic losses, and accelerating project progress.

To enhance construction efficiency, improve lining quality, and reduce project costs, this study proposes a prefabricated arch structure scheme for large-span open-cut highway tunnels, specifically targeting the ongoing construction of an eight-lane open-cut tunnel on Chongqing’s Xinsen Avenue. By establishing a finite element “load-structure” integrated calculation model and adopting an iterative analysis method, the impact of joint stiffness variations on internal force distribution was determined. Combined with long-term field monitoring and measurements, a thorough analysis was conducted on the performance of the prefabricated arch structure during different construction stages. The results indicate that after assembly into a ring, the structure undergoes a self-adaptive adjustment phase, during which the joints experience significant stress and deformation. Following top-layer backfilling and water level restoration, the axial force on the joints increases, while stress and deformation decrease, exerting a positive effect on the joint bearing capacity. From the construction period to post-opening operations, the stress variation experienced by the joints remains within a controllable range, demonstrating substantial safety margins. This fully validates the safety and reliability of the prefabricated arch structure scheme.

Increasingly, research indicates that steel fibers can significantly enhance the engineering properties of mortar and concrete; however, few studies have examined their impact on the reinforcement of in-service tunnel linings within sleeve arch structures. In this study, a series of 1:2 scale experiments were conducted using a specialized loading device to compare the reinforcement performance of steel fiber-reinforced concrete sleeve arches and traditional reinforced concrete sleeve arches on prefabricated cracks with depths of 1/3 and 2/3 of the lining thickness. The experimental results were validated using numerical simulations. The results indicate that under the same load, when reinforcing components with 2/3 prefabricated cracks, the maximum compressive strains for steel fiber-reinforced and reinforced concrete sleeve arches were −852 με and −985 με, respectively, and the maximum deflections were 3.57 mm and 5.48 mm. Composite sleeve arches of both materials provide a certain degree of reinforcement to linings with varying damage. The reinforcement performance of steel fiber-reinforced concrete sleeve arches is superior to that of traditional reinforced concrete sleeve arches, with particularly significant reinforcement for linings with 2/3 prefabricated cracks. Numerical simulations have shown that the stress in reinforced concrete at the concentrated stress regions is 16.15%, 6.01%, 12.68%, 36.62%, and 4.82% higher than that in steel fiber-reinforced concrete, respectively, thereby validating the reliability of the experimental results. Therefore, this study recommends the application of steel fiber materials in sleeve arches to achieve superior maintenance and reinforcement, addressing cracking issues in in-service tunnel linings and thereby improving the safety and durability of these structures.