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In order to study the seismic performance of Dowel-Slot Grouting Assembly Station, the displacement and stress changes of the station and the cast-in-place station under horizontal, vertical and horizontal-vertical coupled earthquakes were compared by the finite element numerical simulation method based on a subway station in Changchun. The results indicate that the two stations have the same stress concentration position and the same weak point under different seismic actions, and both meet the aseismic requirements. Compared with the traditional cast-in-place station, the assembly station has obvious advantages in vertical seismic performance, but the horizontal seismic ability is relatively weak, and the difference of the displacement Angle between layers is 20%~60%. Compared with the difference of 46.43% in the maximum seismic stress and 28.51% in the vertical seismic time, the difference of 58.02% in the coupled seismic action shows that the stress concentration is more obvious. It provides reference for further optimization of assembly station.

Abstract The interfacial microstructures of Josephson junctions are vital for understanding the microscopic mechanism to improve the performance of superconducting qubits further. However, there remain significant concerns about well understanding the correlation between atomic structures and electrical behaviors. Here, we propose a new method to define the interface of the barrier in Josephson junctions, and investigate the factors that affect the electrical properties of junctions using material analysis techniques and first principles. We find that the aluminium–oxygen ratio of the interface contributes greatly to the electrical properties of junctions, which is consistent with the conclusions obtained by utilizing the generative adversarial network for data augmentation. When the aluminium–oxygen ratio of the interface is 0.67–1.1, the model exhibits a lower barrier height and better electrical properties of the junction. Moreover, when the thickness of the barrier is fixed, the impact of the aluminium–oxygen ratio becomes prominent. A detailed analysis of Josephson junctions using a microscopic model has led to identifying of process defects that can enhance the yield rate of chips. It has a great boost for determining the relationship between microstructures and macroscopic performances.

To provide reference and guidance for ensuring the safe construction of tunnel construction,taking a mountain road tunnel project as the background,the finite element numerical simulation method is used to study the excavation of large longitudinal slope tunnel by TBM method.The vertical displacement of surrounding rock shows the deformation trend of vault subsidence and arch bottom uplift,and the peak value of lateral displacement decreases gradually with the increase of longitudinal slope gradient.The segment at the vault and arch bottom of the tunnel are subjected to positive bending moment,and the spandrel arch waist and arch foot are subjected to negative bending moment.The maximum value of the absolute value of the axial force is located at the arch waist.In addition,the deformation characteristics of the surrounding rock and the stress characteristics of the segment during the tunnel crossing the fault fracture zone are analyzed.The research shows that the vertical displacement of the surrounding rock is significantly larger than that of the intact stratum,and the closer to the fault fracture zone,the larger the vertical deformation is,and the closer to the tunnel entrance section,the larger the uplift deformation is.The horizontal displacement of the surrounding rock is obviously smaller before it enters the fault fracture zone,and the displacement increases rapidly when it is constructed to the fault range,and reaches the peak at the center of the fault.After crossing the fault,the displacement changes little.

Polymer-modified cementitious repair materials have gained attention as innovative and environmentally friendly construction materials due to their superior water retention, adhesion, freeze-thaw resistance, corrosion resistance, air permeability, and shrinkage resistance compared to ordinary repair materials. Adding a small amount of polymer can alter the concrete microstructure and form a composite material through the interaction between polymer film formation and cement hydration. This review shows that adding a certain percentage of polymers to concrete can improve the physical, fresh properties, durability, mechanical properties and microstructural development of concrete and improve the effectiveness of concrete repair treatment of underground structures. The discovery of different types and amounts of polymer cement from both physical and chemical perspectives can significantly enhance the performance of cement mortar. Various modifications, such as fibers and nanomaterials are explored to improve the properties of polymer cement for optimal treatment results. Finally, this paper summarizes key findings and provides recommendations for future research.

IntroductionGut-microbiota-brain axis is a potential treatment to decrease the risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Phosphoglycerate mutase 5 (PGAM5), a mitochondrial serine/threonine protein phosphatase, resides in mitochondrial membrane and regulates mitochondrial homeostasis and metabolism. Mitochondria mediates intestinal barrier and gut microbiome.ObjectivesThis study investigated the association between PGAM5 and gut microbiota in mice with TBI.MethodsThe controlled cortical impact injury was established in mice with genetically-ablated Pgam5 (Pgam5−/−) or wild type, and WT male mice were treated with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from male Pgam5−/− mice or Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila). Then the gut microbiota abundance, blood metabolites, neurological function, and nerve injury were detected.ResultsTreated with antibiotics for suppressing gut microbiota in Pgam5−/− mice partially relieved the role of Pgam5 deficiency in the improvement of initial inflammatory factors and motor dysfunction post-TBI. Pgam5 knockout exhibited an increased abundance of A. muciniphila in mice. FMT from male Pgam5−/− mice enabled better maintenance of amino acid metabolism and peripherial environment than that in TBI-vehicle mice, which suppressed neuroinflammation and improved neurological deficits, and A. muciniphila was negatively associated with intestinal mucosal injury and neuroinflammation post-TBI. Moreover, A. muciniphila treatment ameliorated neuroinflammation and nerve injury by regulating Nlrp3 inflammasome activation in cerebral cortex with TBI.ConclusionThus, the present study provides evidence that Pgam5 is involved in gut microbiota-mediated neuroinflammation and nerve injury, with A. muciniphila-Nlrp3 contributing to peripheral effects.

The construction of traffic network brings opportunities to the development of tunnel construction technology. At present, the construction of rock tunnels is still dominated by drilling and blasting. There are some problems in conventional blasting, such as over and underexcavation, damage of surrounding rock, large blasting vibration, and high content of tunnel dust. The energy-concentrated hydraulic blasting technology (ECHBT) combines the advantages of energy-concentrated blasting technology (ECBT) and hydraulic blasting technology (HBT) and makes up for the defects of conventional blasting. This paper summarizes the principle of ECHBT and its application effect in tunnel construction in China. In addition to solving the problems existing in conventional blasting technology, ECHBT can also improve tunneling efficiency, can be used in special stratum tunnels, and can save construction costs. However, there are also some factors affecting the blasting effect in practical applications, which need to be paid attention to. At present, there is little theoretical research on ECHBT; with the further improvement of optimization research, it can be expected to be more widely used in the field of tunnel construction.

All-nitride Josephson junctions are being actively explored for applications in superconducting quantum chips because of their unique advantages including their antioxidant chemical stability and high crystal quality. However, the theoretical research on their microstructure mechanism that determines transport properties is still absent, especially on the defects. In this paper, we apply the first principles and non-equilibrium Green’s function to calculate the electrical transport characteristics of the yellow preset model. It is first revealed that the N-vacancy defects play a crucial role in determining the conductivity of the NbN-based Josephson junctions, and demonstrate the importance for the uniformity of vacancy distribution. It is found that the uniform number of vacancies can effectively increase the conductance of Josephson junction, but the position distribution of vacancies has little effect on the conductance. The work clarifies the effect of the N-vacancy defects on the conductivity of the NbN-based Josephson junctions, which offers useful guidance for understanding the microscope mechanism of the NbN-based Josephson junction, thus showing a great prospect in the improvement of the yield of superconducting quantum chips in the future.

In face of the complicated and changing geological conditions, safety issue is always a primary concern during the construction phase of tunnel in the mountainous regions of China. This Express Letter reports data collection concerning the geo-hazardous events recorded in tunnel system in the period from 2002 to 2018. These accidents include collapse, water inrush, gas explosion, portal landslide, suffocation and avalanche. A total of 97 geohazard events resulted in 393 deaths, 467 injuries and 51 missing. Statistical results indicate that collapse is the primary geohazard in mountain tunnel construction. The data confirmed a high correlation between the number of casualties and geohazard accidents quantity. It is also observed that water inrush is more likely to happen in karst region, while the collapse is mainly recorded in loess and karst areas. During the period under the review, the data illustrates an overall decrease of casualties and geohazard events, but it still faces a grim situation regarding the geohazard prevention in mountain tunnels construction of China. Hence, countermeasures and future research attempts focusing on geohazards prevention and mitigation are recommended.

A method of load calculation in a tunnel was adopted in consideration of the state of covering depth. Due to the macropore characteristics of loess soil, the existing demarcation regulations of deep and shallow tunnels are inappropriate for large-section and shallow loess in highway tunnels. To determine the load of large-section loess tunnel and provide a proper reference for structural design, the theoretical basis for distinguishing depth of deep and shallow tunnels, as well as the characteristics of common calculation methods for surrounding rock load on depth, were analyzed. Through statistical analysis and significance analysis, the significance of the variation of surrounding rock pressure with cover depth was studied. Correlation analysis was carried out on significant results to fit the relationship between cover depth and surrounding rock pressure. The results showed that the surrounding rock pressure varied linearly with the cover depth, and the surrounding rock pressure was about 0.3 times the initial pressure in deep tunnels. The surrounding rock pressure of shallow tunnels did not change significantly with the cover depth, and the surrounding rock pressure was loose pressure. A method based on statistics was proposed to distinguish the cover depth threshold (CDT) of deep and shallow tunnels.

The urban shallow tunnelling process in silty soil is easy to cause large displacement of surface and tunnel. Obviously, if the strata and the tunnel face are not treated by reasonable reinforcement method, instability and collapse phenomenon will be encountered during the tunnel excavation. There are a series of studies on construction methods of shallow tunnels, but these methods have limitations in silty soil. In this study, a comprehensive construction plan of the urban shallow tunnel in silty soil was proposed and applied to a case study in Fuzhou, Fujian Province in South China. The in situ monitoring tests and numerical simulation were employed to address displacement characteristics of surface and tunnel. Results indicated that the urban shallow tunnelling process could achieve good effect by dewatering of silty soil, reinforcing surface by vertical jet grouting piles, and advanced small pipes and circumferential grouting in the tunnel face; surface settlement during dewatering process accounted for about 30% of total surface settlement in silty soil; the excavation of the top heading, the middle, and lower benches had great effect on displacement of surface and tunnel for three-bench seven-step excavation method in silty soil; surface settlement troughs in silty soil were deeper and wider; lock-feet bolts had good effect on restricting horizontal convergence; and ratio of total crown settlement and total horizontal convergence was in range of 1.43∼1.59 when b/h was 0.88 in silty soil. The construction plan proposed in this paper is helpful for further study of shallow tunnel tunnelling process in silty soil.

Automatic monitoring system is one of the main means to ensure the safety of underground engineering construction. This paper summarizes the current international research and application status of the underground engineering monitoring system from three aspects of data acquisition, data transmission, and data processing and emphatically introduces the mainstream new technology of the monitoring system. Furthermore, this paper puts forward specific and implementable technical routes based on the current intelligent technology and the challenges faced by future monitoring, which can provide direction and reference for future research, including high-precision real-time acquisition and safe and reliable transmission of monitoring data, multisource data fusion, and the visual intelligent early warning platform.

It is possible to pass through a collapsible loess stratum during metro tunneling. When the surrounding potential water sources with pressure are induced by external influences, the tunnel structure will be influenced in the affected area of loess collapsibility. To deal with the water inrush disaster of the tunnel in a collapsible loess stratum, the mechanism of grouting diffusion in the loess stratum is analyzed. It is found that the main influencing factors of the grouting effect are the radius of the grouting ring and the permeability coefficient of the grouting ring. Then, based on the water inrush section of a metro tunnel in Xi’an city, China, the treatment effect of the project is compared and analyzed through field tests, field monitoring, and finite element simulation. The results show that the water pressure at the measuring point of the tunnel vault is reduced by 4 MPa; the maximum and the minimum principal stresses at the top of the segment lining increased by 34.9 kPa and 8.8 kPa, respectively, which is less than the increase without grouting; and the maximum displacement of the surrounding rock is reduced by 19 mm. The plastic area produced by local water source infiltration is about 62% of that before grouting. The treatment measures of grouting in the tunnel are safe and effective. This study is of valuable meaning for the treatment of water inrush disaster of a loess tunnel under the water environment.

The reasons, prevention, and control of loess disaster are of great concern in practice. In recent years, Xi’an city, China, has taken the leadership in large-scale construction of subway lines in the loess strata. To study the structural response of the tunnel in loess region under local hydrodynamic environment, an experimental testing in 1g as well as a numerical simulation were performed, in which the achieved results were verified and were found to be in good agreement. Furthermore, the results showed that when the water outlet point is above the lining, the overall stress of the lining is “peanut shell,” as the water pressure of the outlet point decreases, the tensile stress of the top and bottom of the lining increases, while the compressive stress on both sides decreases; the channel form of the flow to the lining changes with the variation of the position of the water outlet point. It is worth mentioning that in the process of water gushing, the closer to the water source, the greater surface subsidence is, and there is a positive correlation between water pressure and surface subsidence. This study is of significant benchmark for the construction, maintenance, and prevention of tunnel in loess strata under the influence of water environment.

Building information modelling (BIM) can be applied to tunnel engineering to address a number of problems, including complex structure, extensive design, long construction cycle and increased security risks. To promote the development of tunnel engineering in China, this paper combines actual cases, including the Xingu mountain tunnel and the Shigu Mountain tunnel, to systematically analyse BIM applications in tunnel engineering in China. The results indicate that BIM technology in tunnel engineering is currently mainly applied during the design stage rather than during construction and operation stages. The application of BIM technology in tunnel engineering covers many problems, such as a lack of standards, incompatibility of different software, disorganized management, complex combination with GIS (Geographic Information System), low utilization rate and poor awareness. In this study, through summary of related research results and engineering cases, suggestions are introduced and an outlook for the BIM application in tunnel engineering in China is presented, which provides guidance for design optimization, construction standards and later operation maintenance.

In collapsible loess area, migration of soil moisture often causes the temporal discontinuity and spatial nonuniformity of collapsibility, which leads to great damage for infrastructures. Therefore, the research on water infiltration is the key to solving the problem of collapsibility. The aim of this paper is to investigate the spatiotemporal evolution of infiltration characteristics of collapsible loess. A field soaking experiment was conducted on collapsible loess in western China, in which a soaking pool with diameter of 15 m was built. Time-Domain-Reflectometry (TDR) system and soil sampling were employed to measure the water content within the depth of 12 m. Then the saturation isograms were drawn for visualization of the process of infiltration. Also, a pilot tunnel was excavated to investigate how the free face can affect the infiltration behaviors. The experimental results revealed the characteristics of infiltration in both horizontal and vertical directions. Moreover, the response of free face on infiltration behaviors was also found. These findings of research could provide the data for the infiltration laws of unsaturated loess and thereby provide the basis for integrated treatment of collapsible loess.

Structural health assessment is one of the key activities in maintaining the performance of a tunnel during its service life. Due to the development of modern detection technology, comprehensive structural health assessment system is being established for operating tunnels. To evaluate the actual operational state of Shitigou tunnel, overall detection of the liner crack, tunnel seepage, and liner void was conducted by employing the modern detection technology, such as crack width monitoring technology, concrete strength monitoring technology, and electromagnetic wave nondestructive monitoring technology. Through the statistical analysis of the detection results, the distribution characteristic, development law, and damage grade of structural defects were obtained. Tunnel liner cracks are mainly located on the middle wall; serious water leakage is encountered on the side wall, middle wall, and vault; the strength of foundation and liner structure of left tunnel does not meet the design requirement; the liner voids are mostly located at the tunnel entrance section, especially, on the tunnel vault; and the proportion of influence factors of structural defects should be considered. The research results presented for this study can serve as references for effective design and health assessment of existing multiarch tunnel projects.

The performance of the ground treatment is always critical for a tunnel excavated in unstable stratum. Laodongnanlu Xiangjiang Tunnel (Changsha, China) across the Xiangjiang River will be constructed in a sandy gravel ground which is characterized by loose structure, extensive porosity, elevated sensitivity, poor stability, and a high groundwater table. Permeation grouting will be employed to improve the bearing capacity and mitigate groundwater movement into the excavation. In order to seek suitable injection parameters and grouting method, a field trial of vertical grouting was conducted in the sandy gravel stratum in river floodplain. A series of tests focusing on grout material, grouting sequence of boreholes, injection pressure, and grouting volume were performed to improve the sandy gravel mass strength and reduce water permeability. The examination of the results obtained during water pressure testing and core drilling on completion of the grouting trial successfully demonstrated that the specified injection criteria had led to an expected effect. Grouting control method of this saturated sandy gravel stratum was concluded after the test, which would contribute to the future pregrouting work during the tunnelling.

It is well known that the tunnel structure will lose its function under the long-term repeated function of the vibration effect. A prime example is the Xi’an cross tunnel structure (CTS) of Metro Line 2 and the Yongningmen tunnel, where the vibration response of the tunnel vehicle load and metro train load to the structure of shield tunnel was analyzed by applying the three-dimensional (3D) dynamic finite element model. The effect of the train running was simulated by applying the time-history curves of vibration force of the track induced by wheel axles, using the fitted formulas for vehicle and train vibration load. The characteristics and the spreading rules of vibration response of metro tunnel structure were researched from the perspectives of acceleration, velocity, displacement, and stress. It was found that vehicle load only affects the metro tunnel within 14 m from the centre, and the influence decreases gradually from vault to spandrel, haunch, and springing. The high-speed driving effect of the train can be divided into the close period, the rising period, the stable period, the declining period, and the leaving period. The stress at haunch should be carefully considered. The research results presented for this case study provide theoretical support for the safety of vibration response of Metro Line 2 structure.

Cement fly ash gravel (CFG) pile composite foundation is an effective and economic foundation treatment approach, which is significant to building foundation, subgrade construction, and so forth. The present paper aims at investigating the settlement behaviors of saturated tailings dam soft ground under CFG pile composite foundation treatment, in which FEM and laboratory model test were utilized. The proposed findings demonstrate that CFG pile treatment is effective in reinforcing saturated tailings dam and loading has little influence on settlement of soil between piles. The variation of soil between piles settlement in FEM has a good agreement with the laboratory model test. Additionally, the cushion deformation modulus has a small effect on the composite foundation settlement, although the cushion thickness will generate certain influence on the settlement distribution of the composite foundation.

Cement fly-ash gravel (CFG) pile is a widely used ground reinforcement technique. This paper aims to address the mechanical characteristics of CFG composite foundation in consolidating saturated mine tailings (MTs) dam. The field static load tests were employed to explore the bearing capacity of the CFG composite foundation, and finite element (FE) models in three dimensions validated through comparison with experimental results were used to discuss the pile-soil stress distribution and pile-soil stress ratio of the CFG composite foundation. The results indicate that the distribution of earth pressure and pile stress is relatively homogeneous and stable over depth and load, while the development of CFG composite foundation bearing capacity is insufficient, in which the developed bearing capacity of CFG piles is less than 50% of its characteristic value. Additionally, compared with the laboratory model test results, the pile-soil stress ratio decreases with the increasing of the load in FEM results proved to better conform to the actual engineering conditions. Furthermore, the deformation modulus and thickness of cushion exert significant influence on pile-soil stress ratio and integral bearing capacity of CFG composite foundation.

The construction blasting in a new tunnel will undoubtedly influence the structure of existing tunnel. In order to monitor the effect of the blast-induced vibration on the structure of existing tunnel, a wireless sensor network (WSN) was established, which included the blast vibration monitoring system and the wireless remote data acquisition system. An existing railway tunnel was monitored during the construction of a new tunnel in Shaanxi, China. Concrete strain and peak particle velocity (PPV) were adopted to evaluate the influence of new tunnel construction blasting on the structure of existing tunnel. The monitoring results indicated that the concrete strain was different before and after the two tunnels crossing, which was much larger in front of the excavation face, and then it decreased gradually after the crossing. The PPV at the side wall of existing tunnel toward the blasting source was quite higher, and the location of maximum PPV changes with the process of tunnel excavation. When the distance between the existing and new tunnels was 4 m, the PPV reached 11.83 cm/s, which was already beyond the safe value, so the explosive charge should be reduced.

In recent years, with the rapid growth of economy and sharp rise of motor vehicles in China, the pavement skid resistance in tunnel portals has become increasingly important in cold region. However, the deicing salt, snow removal with machine, and other antiskid measures adopted by highway maintenance division have many limitations. To improve the treatment effect, we proposed a new snow-melting approach employing electric heat tracing, in which heating cables are installed in the structural layer of road. Through the field experiment, laboratory experiment, and numerical investigation, structure type, heating power, and preheating time of the flexible pavement heating system in tunnel portal were systematically analyzed, and advantages of electric heat tracing technology in improving the pavement skid resistance in tunnel portal were also presented. Therefore, such new technology, which offers new snow-melting methods for tunnel portal, bridge, mountainous area, and large longitudinal slope in cold region, has promising prospect for extensive application.

As indispensable components of superconducting circuit-based quantum computers, Josephson junctions determine how well superconducting qubits perform. Reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) can be used to recreate Josephson junction's atomic structure based on experimental data, and the impact of the structure on junctions' properties can be investigated by combining different analysis techniques. In order to build a physical model of the atomic structure and then analyze the factors that affect its performance, this paper briefly reviews the development and evolution of the RMC algorithm. It also summarizes the modeling process and structural feature analysis of the Josephson junction in combination with different feature extraction techniques for electrical characterization devices. Additionally, the obstacles and potential directions of Josephson junction modeling, which serves as the theoretical foundation for the production of superconducting quantum devices at the atomic level, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the particularity of the environment in the tunnel, the rational tunnel illumination system should be developed, so as to optimize the tunnel environment. Considering the high cost of traditional tunnel illumination system with high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps as well as the effect of a single light source on tunnel entrance, the energy-saving illumination system with HPS lamps and LEDs combined illumination in road tunnel, which could make full use of these two kinds of lamps, was proposed. The wireless intelligent control system based on HPS lamps and LEDs combined illumination and microcontrol unit (MCU) Si1000 wireless communication technology was designed. And the remote monitoring, wireless communication, and PWM dimming module of this system were designed emphatically. Intensity detector and vehicle flow detector can be configured in wireless intelligent control system, which gather the information to the master control unit, and then the information is sent to the monitoring center through the Ethernet. The control strategies are got by the monitoring center according to the calculated results, and the control unit wirelessly sends parameters to lamps, which adjust the luminance of each segment of the tunnel and realize the wireless intelligent control of combined illumination in road tunnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the frequent occurrence of rock blasting during traffic tunnel excavation under high ground stress, this paper presents a detailed introduction to microseismic monitoring technology. Firstly, the principle and role of microseismic monitoring are explained, including the characteristics and main processes of microseismic monitoring technology. Secondly, the characteristics of microseismic monitoring technology are introduced, and the different characteristics encountered in the application of microseismic monitoring technology to traffic tunnels are discussed. The introduction of the microseismic monitoring process includes six parts: microseismic signal acquisition, recognition and classification, noise reduction, arrival detection, localization, and microseismic-based forecast and warning. Finally, an outlook on the development of microseismic monitoring in traffic tunnels is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]