Semi-analytical solution for internal forces of tunnel lining with multiple longitudinal cracks

Abstract

Longitudinal cracks on the tunnel lining significantly influence the performance of tunnels in operation. In this study, we propose a semi-analytical method that provides a simple and effective way to calculate the internal forces of tunnel linings with multiple cracks. The semi-analytical solution is obtained using structural analysis considering the flexural rigidity for the cracked longitudinal section of the tunnel lining. Then the proposed solution is verified numerically. Using the proposed method, the influences of the crack depth and the number of cracks on the bending moment and modified crack tip stress are investigated. With the increase in crack depth, the bending moment of lining scetion adjacent to the crack decreases, while the bending moment of lining scetion far away from the crack increases slightly. The more the number of cracks in a tunnel lining, the easier the new cracks initiated.

Keywords

• Semi-analytical method
• Multiple cracks
• Tunnel lining
• Structural analysis