Effect of shear zone on dynamic behaviour of rock tunnel constructed in highly weathered granite

Abstract

Tunnels have become an indispensable part of metro cities. Blast resistance design of tunnel has attracted the attention of researchers due to numerous implosion event. Present paper deals with the non-linear finite element analysis of rock tunnel having shear zone subjected to internal blast loading. Abaqus Explicit schemes in finite element has been used for the simulation of internal blast event. Structural discontinuity i.e., shear zone has been assumed passing the tunnel cross-section in the vertical direction and consist of Highly Weathered Granite medium surrounding the tunnel. Mohr-Coulomb constitutive material model has been considered for modelling the Highly Weathered Granite and the shear zone material. Concrete Damage Plasticity (CDP), Johnson-Cook (J-C), Jones-Wilkins-Lee (JWL) equation of state models are used for concrete, steel reinforcement and Trinitrotoluene (TNT) simulation respectively. The Coupled-Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) method of modelling for TNT explosive and air inside the tunnel has been adopted in this study. The CEL method incorporates the large deformations for which the traditional finite element analysis cannot be used. Shear zone orientations of 0o, 15o, 30o, 45o, 60o, 75o and 90o, with respect to the tunnel axis are considered to see their effect. It has been concluded that 60o orientation of shear zone presents the most critical situation.