Numerical investigations of the mechanical properties and energy characteristics of sandy cobble strata considering its internal stochastic structures

Investigating the mechanical properties of sandy cobble strata is essential for optimizing the design and construction of urban tunnels, thereby controlling ground deformation and ensuring tunnel stability. This paper aims to comprehensively investigate the mechanical properties and energy characteristics of heterogeneous sandy cobble strata. Numerical simulations are employed to examine the stress–strain behavior and energy evolution mechanism in scenarios with and without interfaces between the soil matrix and blocks. Subsequent analysis focuses on elucidating the effects of the internal stochastic structures, which characterize heterogeneity, on the overall strength and energy characteristics. The results indicate that the presence of interfaces significantly compromises the overall strength, while exacerbating the occurrence of a tortuous plastic zone around blocks. The volumetric block proportion (VBP), which represents the volumetric content of cobbles, has a significant impact on the overall mechanical behaviour. In the context of high VBP, block sizes, counts and orientations play substantial roles. Finally, the discussion reveals that when blocks are modelled using the elastic model, the overall strength is significantly overestimated compared to the strain-softening and Mohr-Counlomb models, especially in scenarios with high VBP and in-situ stress. It provides an unsafe evaluation (i.e., overestimation) of tunnel stability.