Investigation on deformation behavior and bearing capacity of a segmental ring based on the horizontal convergence

Abstract

AbstractIn this study, a refined numerical model, which contains the detailed geometric construction of the longitudinal joints, is established to investigate the bearing performance of the segmental ring based on the horizontal convergence. Firstly, the model is verified by comparing it with the reported results of a documented full‐scale model test. Then, according to the load‐structure method, this numerical model is employed to investigate the deformation behavior and bearing capacity of the segmental ring. Moreover, the effects of the coefficient of lateral pressure and subgrade reaction are extensively taken into consideration through comprehensive numerical analyses. According to the numerical results, a bilinear model is proposed to describe the relation between the convergent displacement and the stratum pressure, which could be used to preliminarily estimate the convergence after the completion of tunnel construction. Otherwise, the development of structural defects, such as the joint opening and the water leakage, has close association with the horizontal convergence. Therefore, a simple evaluation method for tunnel structure safety assessment is proposed using horizontal convergence deformation as an indicator to predict the tunnel service state. Since this indicator is easy to obtain during the tunnel operation, it is convenient for the engineers to assess the bearing capacity of the segmental ring and the service state of the tunnel structure quickly.