Postprint: Real-Time Monitoring of Adjacent Construction Impact on Shield Tunnels Based on Dynamic Response of Operating Subway Systems
Li Qi, Xie Xiongyao, Zeng Kun
Submitted 2025-09-02 | ChinaXiv: chinaxiv-202509.00016

Abstract

This paper proposes a real-time sensing method based on the dynamic response of an operating metro system to monitor the impact of adjacent construction activities on shield tunnels. The effectiveness of the method is verified through a combination of numerical simulation and model testing. The simulation evaluated the impact of nearby excavation and pile driving operations on the tunnel structure and metro response. Subsequently, model tests were conducted using pile driving as a representative construction scenario. The metro acceleration responses at different stages were analyzed, revealing distinct instantaneous peaks and transient fluctuations. The corresponding short-time Fourier transform (STFT) spectrograms show concentrated energy in the high-frequency band, enabling estimation of the location and intensity of the construction disturbance. This study establishes a framework for real-time detection of external disturbances and potential intrusions using operating metro data, providing technical support for safety monitoring around tunnels.

Full Text

Preamble

Real-Time Monitoring of Adjacent Construction Effects on Shield Tunnels via Dynamic Response of Operating Metro Systems

Qi Li, Xiongyao Xie, Kun Zeng

(1. School of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092)

Abstract

This paper proposes a real-time sensing method based on the dynamic response of operating metro systems to monitor the effects of adjacent construction activities on shield tunnels. The effectiveness of this method is verified through a combination of numerical simulation and model testing. The simulation evaluates the impacts of nearby excavation and pile driving operations on both tunnel structure and metro response, while subsequent model tests focus on pile driving as a representative construction scenario. Analysis of metro acceleration responses at different stages reveals distinct instantaneous peaks and transient fluctuations, with corresponding Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT) spectrograms showing concentrated energy in high-frequency bands. This enables estimation of the location and intensity of construction disturbances. This study establishes a framework for real-time detection of external disturbances and potential intrusions using operational metro data, providing technical support for safety monitoring around tunnels.

Keywords: shield tunnel; adjacent construction; dynamic response; Short-Time Fourier Transform

Submission history

Postprint: Real-Time Monitoring of Adjacent Construction Impact on Shield Tunnels Based on Dynamic Response of Operating Subway Systems