Workshop Part 2

09 Jun 2017
11:20-11:40
Auditorium

Workshop Part 2

Time Presentation Title
11:20 – 11:40 Practical Engineering example Part 3 – Creep (Itasca FLAC): Analysis of Time-dependent Rock masses using the Convergence-Confinement Method.

Abstract

During the excavation of a tunnel the accumulated wall displacement and the loading of tunnel support is the result of both the tunnel advance and the time-dependent behaviour of the surrounding rockmass. The current approach to analyze the wall displacement increase is based on the convergence-confinement method performed with either analytical (closed form solutions) or the usage of the Longitudinal Displacement Profiles. This approach neglects the influence of time-dependency resulting in delayed deformation that may manifest even minutes or hours after excavation. Failure to consider the added displacements in the preliminary design can result in false selecting the time of installation and the type of support system causing safety issues to the working personnel, leading to cost overruns and project delivery delays. This presentation focuses on investigating and analyzing the total displacements around a circular tunnel in a visco-elastic medium, proposing a new yet simplified approach that practitioners can use taking into account the effect of time.