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DEM investigation of soil arching effect induced by vertical unloading under high geostress
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DOI：10.1016/j.compgeo.2026.108490.png)
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Abstract
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To reveal the evolution mechanism of the soil arching effect induced by vertical unloading under high geostress, a validated discrete element modelling framework was developed. The framework was established based on trapdoor model tests conducted at simulated burial depths of 10–90 m using a self-developed high geostress trapdoor apparatus, and was validated against both the ground reaction curve (GRC) and the displacement field. The results show that high geostress significantly localizes stress redistribution and deformation, resulting in a flatter and more compact arch structure. Unlike the conventional four-stage response observed under low stress levels, the GRC under high geostress exhibits a two-stage pattern consisting of an initial arching stage and a stable stage. The displacement required to reach the minimum soil arching ratio increases from 5.89 mm at a burial depth of 10 m to 13.25 mm at 90 m, indicating that high geostress delays arch initiation and suppresses the repeated failure-reformation process driven by soil dilatancy. Stress path analysis further identifies three typical zones above the trapdoor: a loosened zone dominated by local unloading, a stress deflection zone characterized by stress redirection, and an arch foot zone responsible for load reconcentration and downward transfer. In addition, a transfer efficiency index, E, was introduced to quantify the load transfer capacity per unit arch thickness. The results indicate that E increases with burial depth but decreases with continued trapdoor movement. The proposed framework provides quantitative insight into unloading induced soil arching in deep ground and may support the analysis and design of deep underground geotechnical structures.
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