A Numerical Study on Effects of Dynamic Input Motion on Response of Tunnel-Soil System

Abstract eng:
A tunnel is an underground horizontal passage that is constructed to provide services such as transportation, storage places, water, wastewater lines, and the like. Since the tunneling depth in most of the large cities is shallow and lies within the soft ground zone, it is clear that there is a need for a complete understanding of tunnel behavior in soft ground. Underground facilities constructed in soft soils and weak rocks are more vulnerable to earthquake loads when compared to those that are constructed in intact rock. Tunnels experience large stresses, and severe damages may occur when they are subjected to dynamic loading. Hence, proper consideration of an earthquake event in the analysis of tunnels is very important to ensure that these tunnels are safe and stable. In this study, a fully non-linear plane strain analysis was performed using the finite element program, PLAXIS2D AE.02 in order to examine the influence of the dynamic input motion parameters on the behavior of a tunnel during an earthquake. A numerical model is validated by centrifuge test results against tunnel-induced surface settlement in a static condition. The same numerical model is extended to carry out dynamic analyses by using input motions of different amplitudes and frequencies. A parametric study shows that the dynamic axial force and bending moment in a tunnel lining increases with an increase in the magnitude of the earthquake. The results show that the maximum and residual dynamic earth pressure around the tunnel lining is enormously affected by the magnitude and duration of the maximum base acceleration.

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