The use of abrasive waterjets (AWJs) for rock drilling offers advantages in urbanized areas, locations that are vulnerable to damage, and piling operations. However, the overall operational cost of AWJ systems remains high compared to that of conventional drilling methods, which constrains the long-term industrial application of AWJs. For instance, the abrasive costs account for over 60% of the total process cost, but the recycling of abrasives remaining after drilling could significantly reduce machining costs. In this study, the post-impact characteristics of abrasives were explored, aiming to enhance their recyclability. The physical properties and particle distribution of used abrasives vary depending on the jet energy, ultimately affecting their recyclability and recycling rate. The particle properties of used abrasives (particle size distribution, particle shape, and mean particle size) were compared under different waterjet energy variables (standoff distance (SOD) and water pressure) and test conditions (dry and underwater). Furthermore, the collision stages of the abrasive particles within a waterjet system were classified and analyzed. The results revealed that abrasive fragmentation predominantly occurred due to internal collisions within the mixing chamber. In addition, an attempt was made to optimize the waterjet parameters for an economical and efficient operation. The findings of this study could contribute to enhancing the cost-effectiveness of AWJ systems for rock drilling applications. (c) 2025 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/ 4.0/).

Since Artificial ground Freezing (AGF) appeared in the 1880s in the mining sector in Europe, it has been used for various construction applications worldwide. In recent years, it has been increasingly popular in urban projects due to its versatility and applicability to complicated site conditions. So far, it has been used to stabilize substrata to nearly 1,000 m below the ground surface, which is considered not possible for many other ground improvement technologies. Due to the growth in field applications, the practice and theories related to AGF have become more mature in the most recent two decades. The improvement in understanding of this topic is a result of lessons that have been learned through numerous projects, as well as a variety of comprehensive studies that have been completed. This paper reviews the existing practice, the recent development on AGF and the challenges of AGF.

Artificial ground freezing (AGF) is a ground improvement technique enabling the construction of underground structures in challenging geological conditions. After constructing an underground structure within the groundice cofferdam, the soil undergoes a thawing process that can impact the structure stability and waterproofing properties of the lining. Minimizing or preventing potential damage, as well as avoiding delays in construction, can be achieved through a rational design of thawing regimes. In this paper, we present a semi-analytical model for the thermal behavior of ice-wall during its natural or artificial thawing. The process is described by three independent one-dimensional mathematical problems: the thawing of the outer surface of the ice wall, the thawing of its inner surface, and the thawing of soils around the freeze pipes (in the case of artificial thawing). The proposed approach facilitates the calculation of natural and artificial thawing times and the power required for artificial thawing. The efficiency of the model is demonstrated by comparison with numerical simulation results. This makes the approach suitable and desirable for engineering practice. Importantly, the model allows for seamless analysis of several combinations of influencing factors to select thawing parameters aligned with the requirements of different construction projects.

Underground infrastructure projects pose significant environmental risks due to resource consumption, ground stability issues, and potential ecological damage. This review explores sustainable practices for mitigating these impacts throughout the lifecycle of underground construction projects, focusing on recycling and reusing excavated tunnel materials. This review systematically analyzed a wide array of sustainable practices, including on-site reuse of excavated tunnel material as backfill, grouting, soil conditioning, and concrete production. Off-site reuses explored are road bases, refilling works, value-added materials, like aggregates and construction products, vegetation reclamation, and landscaping. Opportunities to recover and repurpose tunnel components like temporary support structures, known as false linings, are also reviewed. Furthermore, the potential for utilizing industrial and construction wastes in underground works are explored, such as for thermal insulation, fire protection, grouting, and tunnel lining. Incorporating green materials and energy-efficient methods in areas like grouting, lighting, and lining are also discussed. Through comprehensive analysis of numerous case studies, this review demonstrates that with optimized planning, treatment techniques, and end-use selection informed by material characterization, sustainable practices can significantly reduce the environmental footprint of underground infrastructure. However, certain approaches require further refinement and standardization, particularly in areas like the consistent assessment of recycled material properties and the development of standardized guidelines for their use in various applications. These practices contribute to broader sustainability goals by reducing resource consumption, minimizing waste generation, and promoting the use of recycled and green materials. Achieving coordinated multi-stakeholder adoption, including collaboration between contractors, suppliers, regulatory bodies, and research institutions, is crucial for maximizing the impact of these practices and accelerating the transition towards a more sustainable underground construction industry.

Buried pipelines can be classified as continuous and segmented pipelines. These infrastructures can be damaged either by ground movement or by seismic wave propagation during an earthquake. Permanent ground deformations (PGD) include surface faulting, liquefaction -induced lateral spreading and landslide. Liquefaction is a major problem for both superstructures and infrastructures. Buyukcekmece lake zone, which is the studied region in this paper, is a liquefaction prone area located near the North Anatolian Fault Line. It is an active fault line in Turkey and a major earthquake with a magnitude of around 7.5 is expected in this investigated region in Istanbul. It is planned to be constructed a new 12 steel natural gas pipeline from one side of the lake to the other side. In this study, this case has been examined in terms of two different support conditions. Firstly, it has been defined as a beam in liquefied soil and has built-in supports at both ends. In the other approach, this case has been modeled as a beam in liquefied soil and has vertical elastic pinned supports at both ends. These models have been examined and some solution proposals have been produced according to the obtained results. In this study, based on this sample, it is aimed to determine the behaviors of buried continuous pipelines subject to liquefaction effects in terms of buoyancy.

The growth of cities induced an increased demand for infrastructure including tunnel constructions. Because the urban ground usually is soft soil therefore tunnel constructions may cause ground settlement and damage the structures around. So, it is very important to carefully consider the tunnel construction effect on the design, construction, operation, and risk assessment of structures around the tunnel. In this paper, the finite element method was used to study the influence of the tunnel excavation on beneath piled buildings at the Hanoi metro line 03. These results indicate that the internal forces and displacements of the pile are greatest for the front pile closest to the tunnel in the group, which is the first pile to be loaded in the group. Two parameters: the tunnel burial depth and the distance from the tunnel centreline to the beneath -piled building have been investigated. These results found that the distance from the tunnel axis to the beneath piled building increases, while both the internal forces and displacements of the pile decrease. These internal forces and displacements increase with greater tunnel burial depth. The magnitude of normal forces and bending moments in the tunnel lining increase as the tunnel burial depth increases, while normal forces increase and bending moments in the tunnel lining decrease when the distance from the tunnel axis to the beneath -piled building decreases.