2000•Journal of the Chinese Institute of EngineersRequires access
A finite‐element limit analysis of tunnel stability problems involving cohesive soils
S.-Y. Leu, Wei‐Hsuin Yang
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Abstract
A finite‐element limit analysis of tunnel stability problems involving cohesive soils is presented. No linings are considered. The problem statement led to the lower bound formulation. Following that, a duality theorem was applied to derive the upper bound formulation and to equate the greatest lower bound to the least upper bound. After a finite‐element discretization, the exact limit load was then approached by solving the upper bound minimization problem using a combined smoothing and successive approximation algorithm. The computed upper bound solutions are rigorous compared with other published results. By the velocity field and streamlines distribution, the motion of a failure zone can be visualized clearly and may provide a guideline for tunneling operations and further development of analytical approaches.