The aim of the present paper is to investigate the influence of the constitutive model for shotcrete on the predicted displacements and stresses in shotcrete shells of deep tunnels. Previously proposed shotcrete models as well as a new extended damage plasticity model for shotcrete are evaluated in the context of 2D finite element simulations of the excavation of a stretch of a deep tunnel by means of the New Austrian Tunneling Method. Thereby, the behavior of the surrounding rock mass is described by the commonly used Hoek–Brown model. Differences in predicted evolutions of displacements and stresses in the shotcrete shell, resulting from the different shotcrete models, are discussed and simulation results are compared to available in situ measurement data.
The influence of a tunnel drive on an existing tunnel is primarily the result of the tunnel geometries, the relative location of the two tunnels, the geological‐geomechanical conditions and the associated primary stress state. During construction of the Brenner Base Tunnel, there are constructionally relevant interactions in some places between the running tunnels and the exploratory tunnel (EKS) running centrally and 12 m deeper. The rock mass stress as a result of driving the running tunnels here leads to deformations of the previously driven exploratory tunnel. Due to the high loading on the outer linings of deep tunnels and the high stiffness of the already hardened shotcrete support, slight deformation can cause local cracking in the support layer. This article compares the observed deformations in a fault zone intersecting at a flat angle with numerical simulations, which enables investigation of the geomechanical problems. Comparison of the calculation results with the real deformation behaviour permits the validation of the numerical simulations and the reliability and limits of such analyses.
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