Mechanism and countermeasures of domino-like failure in underground pre-fabricated structures

Progressive failure frequently occurs in underground pre-fabricated structures (UPSs), and its mode looks like a line of dominos falling. However, due to the complex interaction between the soil medium and the multi-body structure, the mechanism behind the domino-like failure in UPSs remained unclear. In this article, the domino-like failure in an UPS was simulated and reproduced using coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) modelling technique. By analysing the loads on the UPS, the mechanism behind the domino-like failure became clear. Confronting the inherent limitations of the UPS, several countermeasures against domino-like failure were then proposed, and their effectiveness was further discussed.