Physical modeling of floor heave for the deep-buried roadway excavated in ten degree inclined strata using infrared thermal imaging technology

Abstract The paper presents an experimental study on the floor heave of roadway excavated in deep ten degree inclined strata. During the processes of roadway floor heave, infrared thermography and video camera were employed for capturing the thermal response and displacement of roadway’s section, meanwhile, strain gauges installed with a circular layout in surrounding rocks was used for measuring roadway sectional deformation. Floor heave and failure was investigated by the combined analyses of the acquired infrared images, video photographs and straining field variations. A numerical model was also implemented based on the physical model for verifying the tunnel displacements obtained by image analysis of the photographs. The results showed that the horizontal stress had a great effect on the floor heave failure and the rock mass failure was accompanied with abnormal temperature change.