Abstract
Oxygen deficiency and coldness are the main challenges for highway tunnel construction in high-altitude areas such as western Sichuan plateau. The artificial oxygen supply and anti-freezing structure in the tunnel construction process has a significant impact on vocational health and the environment. Thus, the conditions of tunnels need to be carefully evaluated before construction. However, the current design code for tunnel construction contains few instructions about these aspects. This paper attempts to establish a simple evaluation method to guide the construction design by analyzing the oxygen partial pressure of trachea, the mean temperature of the coldest month, and the maximum freezing depth for tunnel projects in western Sichuan plateau. Based on the on-site meteorological monitoring at different altitudes of three typical tunnels in the western Sichuan plateau and the comparative analysis of the existing meteorological data, the corresponding relationships between the three parameters and the altitude were investigated. The thresholds by altitude for grading the tunnels are identified as 2100 m and 4200 m, respectively. The highway tunnels in the western Sichuan plateau are graded in three categories, namely, general-altitude tunnels, high-altitude tunnels, and ultra-high-altitude tunnels. The corresponding measures of oxygen supply and freezing prevention for different graded tunnels are recommended. The results would provide a basis for the design and construction of new tunnels and enhance the service life and operations safety of the tunnels in western Sichuan plateau and other similar high-altitude areas.