Semianalytical Solution for Large Deformation of Salt Cavern with Strain‐Softening Behavior

A semianalytical solution of stress and displacement in the strain‐softening and plastic flow zones of a salt cavern is presented. The solution is derived by adopting the large deformation theory, considering the nonlinear Hoek–Brown (H‐B) strength criterion. The Romberg method is used to carry out numerical calculation, and then, the large deformation law of displacement is analyzed. The results are compared with those obtained by former numerical methods, and the solutions are validated. The results indicate that the displacement of the plastic zone decreases with the increase in distance away from the salt cavern. Similarly, it decreases with an increase in the geological strength index or running pressure, with the running pressure having a more significant effect on the displacement. It increases with the dilation angle, and the impact degree gradually increases. Compared with the softening parameter, h, of the plastic zone, the flow parameter, f, has little impact on the displacement. The displacement of the plastic zone obviously increased when considering the strain‐softening of salt rock. When considering the shear dilation and softening behaviors of salt rock, the analytical solution obtained by employing the experiential regression Hoek–Brown (H‐B) criterion, which considers many factors such as the structural characteristics of the salt formation and the rock mass quality, is safer and closer to the actual situation. This study can provide reference for many applications, including but not confined to analyzing the deformation of the surrounding rock of an underground salt cavern storage facility during construction.