The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Numerical modelling of sprayed concrete lined (SCL) tunnels

Numerical modelling of sprayed concrete lined (SCL) tunnels
Numerical modelling of sprayed concrete lined (SCL) tunnels

While considerable effort has been spent investigating the behaviour of the ground during tunnelling, comparatively little work has been done on sprayed concrete tunnel linings. Discrepancies have often been noted between field data of stresses and strains- in sprayed concrete linings and design predictions using "closed-form" analytical or numerical methods. Experimental data suggests that sprayed concrete behaves in a more complex way than is normally assumed in design. These discrepancies can lead to uneconomic or unsafe designs because the factor of safety in the lining cannot be determined with the normal certainty. The goal of this research was to examine the effect of the constitutive model for sprayed concrete in numerical analyses of tunnel linings.

An extensive literature search has been undertaken to examine the state of knowledge of sprayed concrete behaviour. There is considerable experience of SCL tunnelling throughout the world but much of this information is slow to reach countries where SCL tunnelling is relatively new. Problems of increasing complexity have been analysed using the FLAC finite difference program, starting with uniaxial laboratory tests performed on a sample of sprayed concrete, then the large-scale load tests performed on sprayed concrete rings as part of an earlier research project and culminating with the 3D analysis of a single tunnel face as it advances. The results of these analyses have been compared with the results from the original experiments and field data from the Heathrow Express project.

This research has found that the constitutive modelling of sprayed concrete can have a large influence on design predictions of SCL tunnel behaviour. Variations in the construction sequence for the tunnel can also have a significant influence on the loads in the lining.

University of Southampton
Thomas, Alun Howell
9dfa2692-3ef0-4b62-9dcf-7a507efd3cf7
Thomas, Alun Howell
9dfa2692-3ef0-4b62-9dcf-7a507efd3cf7

Thomas, Alun Howell (2003) Numerical modelling of sprayed concrete lined (SCL) tunnels. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Record type: Thesis (Doctoral)

Abstract

While considerable effort has been spent investigating the behaviour of the ground during tunnelling, comparatively little work has been done on sprayed concrete tunnel linings. Discrepancies have often been noted between field data of stresses and strains- in sprayed concrete linings and design predictions using "closed-form" analytical or numerical methods. Experimental data suggests that sprayed concrete behaves in a more complex way than is normally assumed in design. These discrepancies can lead to uneconomic or unsafe designs because the factor of safety in the lining cannot be determined with the normal certainty. The goal of this research was to examine the effect of the constitutive model for sprayed concrete in numerical analyses of tunnel linings.

An extensive literature search has been undertaken to examine the state of knowledge of sprayed concrete behaviour. There is considerable experience of SCL tunnelling throughout the world but much of this information is slow to reach countries where SCL tunnelling is relatively new. Problems of increasing complexity have been analysed using the FLAC finite difference program, starting with uniaxial laboratory tests performed on a sample of sprayed concrete, then the large-scale load tests performed on sprayed concrete rings as part of an earlier research project and culminating with the 3D analysis of a single tunnel face as it advances. The results of these analyses have been compared with the results from the original experiments and field data from the Heathrow Express project.

This research has found that the constitutive modelling of sprayed concrete can have a large influence on design predictions of SCL tunnel behaviour. Variations in the construction sequence for the tunnel can also have a significant influence on the loads in the lining.

Text
949434.pdf - Version of Record
Available under License University of Southampton Thesis Licence.
Download (16MB)

More information

Published date: 2003

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 465394
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/465394
PURE UUID: 668d873f-2f16-4a7f-86ca-c18b2b4f7a46

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 05 Jul 2022 00:42
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 20:09

Export record

Contributors

Author: Alun Howell Thomas

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×