Feedback Analysis Technique for Tunnel Safety by Using Displacements Measured during the Tunnel Excavation

The purpose of this study is to develop a new technique to quickly assess the quantitative stability of a tunnel by using measured displacement at the tunnel construction site. To achieve this purpose, in this study, a critical strain concept was introduced for the first time and applied to an assessment of a tunnel under construction. The new technique calculates numerically the strains of the surrounding ground by using displacements measured during tunnel excavation. The techniques considering the relative displacement, shotcrete, and anisotropic characteristics of ground were newly introduced after reinvestigating the existing analysis technique. In addition, an analysis module was developed based on the proposed analysis technique in this study, and the applicability of the developed module was verified. To verify the module, first of all, the calculated excavation displacements of a cylindrical tunnel by analytic method and commercial programs (Pentagon-3D, Flac-2D) were compared for the confirmation of applicability of commercial programs. Then, the calculated excavation displacements under the same initial condition, both with and without a shotcrete lining, by two commercial programs were compared. finally, we assess the load condition and material properties of in-situ ground by inputting tunnel excavation displacement, which was calculated by a commercial program, into the developed analysis module (FAST-Ver. 1.2, feedback Analysis System for Tunneling), and checked whether the assessed results conform to the originally assumed values.