Specifics of geotechnical risk control in the design of underground structures

Abstract

The underground space development is associated with the emergence of complex and dangerous situations, often leading to accidents. The condition for their development is the potential geotechnical risks. High-quality execution and analysis of design work at all the stages of design, starting from the early stages, is one of the effective ways to control risks. Clarification of the characteristics and features of the rock mass adjacent to the projected underground structure makes it possible to identify the potential cause of the occurrence of an adverse event with a certain probability during the construction and operation of an underground structure. The purpose of a qualitative risk analysis is to identify risk factors in underground construction. The value of the total geotechnical risk, expressed by the sum of each of the possible risks, should be numerically estimated at the design stage of a specific underground facility. At the same time, it is extremely important to develop a methodology for managing geotechnical risks, which would make it possible to assess their probability of development at an early stage of project preparation and propose measures to reduce or prevent them. This technique is given in the article. The results of the study conducted in accordance with the presented methodology showed that geotechnical risk control proved an effective method in preventing accidents during underground construction.

Keywords

• underground construction
• risk factors
• construction
• geotechnical risk
• risk assessment
• risk control
• emergency