Numerical Analysis of New Shield Tunnel on Mechanical Behavior of Existing Parallel Tunnel

Abstract

A three-dimensional numerical analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of a new shield tunnel excavation on the internal forces and deformation induced in an existing parallel tunnel and soil plastic zones around it. Special attention was paid to the influence of relative positions between two tunnels. The results of the analysis show that the relative positions affect the mechanical behavior of the existing parallel tunnel and the soil mass behavior around it. When a new tunnel is driven below or above an existing parallel tunnel, important increments are induced in deformation and bending moment in the lining of existing tunnel at its crown and springline, compared to that of induced by new tunnel excavation in horizontally parallel to the existing one. The plastic zones around tunnels also extend larger when tunnels are driven in vertically parallel than they are in horizontally parallel. For the safety concern, it is concluded that horizontally parallel configuration model between two tunnels should be adopted in practice.