Tunnelling-induced deformation and damage on historical masonry structures

Abstract

The analysis of deformation and damage mechanisms induced by shallow tunnelling on masonrystructures is carried out using an integrated, geotechnical and structural, numerical approach based on two-dimensional finite-element analyses. The masonry construction, schematised as a block structure with periodic texture, is regarded at a macroscopic scale as a homogenised anisotropic medium. The overall mechanical properties display anisotropy and singularities in the yield surface, arising from the discrete nature of the block structure and the geometrical arrangement of the blocks. The soil ismodelled by means of a linear elastic-perfectly plastic model. The numerical analyses are performed assuming plane strain and plane stress conditions for the soil and the masonry structure, respectively. A displacement-controlled technique is adopted to simulate the tunnel construction, which produces settlement troughs in agreement with the empirical Gaussian predictions at different volume losses under free-field conditions. In order to test the numerical approach, a preliminary set of parametric analyses is carried out considering a simple masonry wall, characterised by different geometrical and mechanical properties, founded on a clayey deposit. Then, the case study of the Felice aqueduct in Rome (Italy), undercrossed by two tunnels of a new metro line, is considered. Significant differences are observed between the uncoupled analysis, where displacements predicted under free-field conditionsare simply applied at the foundation level of the structure, and the interaction-based one, the latter being characterised by a reduced amount of tensile plastic strain. Numerical results in terms of vertical displacements at the ground level and on the structure are found to be in good agreement with monitoring data, thus validating the numerical model for this class of soil-structure interaction problems

Evaluation of InSAR monitoring data for post‐tunnelling settlement damage assessment

“…Both mechanisms are compatible with the interaction between tunnelling and a relative stiff structure. In particular, regarding (a), similar effects of settlement profile flattening were observed in field monitoring, experimental testing, and numerical modelling, and regarding (b), soil compaction and consequent larger displacements above the tunnel match recent centrifuge results for building located in an asymmetric position with the tunnel and with one end of the building immediately above the tunnel axis. More examples of InSAR measurements for buildings are reported in Appendix .…”

Finite Element Analysis of the State of Stresses on the Structures of Buildings Influenced by Underground Mining of Hard Coal Seams in the Jiu Valley Basin (Romania)

“…While in the specialized literature there are numerous in-depth studies on the numerical modelling of the influence of tunnel excavation on surface buildings [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32], in the case of underground mining of deposits of useful mineral substances, these studies are less frequent [3,[33][34][35]. Therefore, we consider that this study has a certain contribution to the elucidation of the behaviour of buildings under the influence of coal seam mining by means of the longwall faces, especially by analyzing the development of the state of stresses in the structural elements of the buildings.…”

Rigid block and finite element analysis of settlement-induced failure mechanisms in historic masonry wall panels

“…Therefore, there is a need for developing assessment tools for the prediction of damage that should be based on a proper H description of the masonry structure and its non-linear behaviour. A number of approaches for the prediction of settlementinduced damages were proposed in the literature that consider masonry either as an assembly of discrete blocks [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] or as a continuum medium [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. The comparison between discrete and continuous models to study masonry behaviour is also a widespread topic [20][21][22].…”