Influence of Mesh Geometry on Three-Dimensional Finite-Element Analysis of Tunnel Excavation
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 5, Issue 3
Abstract
Finite element (FE) analysis has become an important tool for predicting building response to tunnel-induced ground movement. Because tunnel construction is a three-dimensional (3D) process, the trend is to apply 3D FE analysis to tunnel-soil-building interaction problems instead of applying the plane-strain models that are commonly used in engineering practice. Since 3D FE analyses require large amounts of computational resources, the geometric dimensions of the 3D models are often kept to a minimum to reduce calculation time. There is, however, a lack of published information concerning appropriate mesh dimensions. This paper investigates the influence of the geometry and the dimension of a 3D FE model on tunnel-induced surface settlement predictions. The paper shows how the vertical boundaries can influence the results. It demonstrates that reasonable results can be obtained by increasing the length of incremental tunnel excavation and by scaling back the settlement values to give a required tunnel volume loss. This study therefore not only highlights the limitations of 3D modeling but also shows its potential for engineering practice.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This work was part of a research project funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) with industrial collaboration with the Construction Industry and Research Information Association (CIRIA), the Geotechnical Consulting Group (GCG), and London Underground Limited (LUL).
References
Addenbrooke, T. L., Potts, D. M., and Puzrin, A. M. (1997). “The influence of pre-failure soul stiffness on the numerical analysis of tunnel construction.” Geotechnique, 47(3), 693–712.
Attewell, P. B., and Farmer, I. W. (1974). “Ground deformations resulting from tunnelling in London clay.” Can. Geotech. J., 11(3), 380–395.
Augarde, C. E., Burd, H. J., and Houlsby, G. T. (1998). “Some experience of modelling tunnelling in soft ground using three-dimensional finite elements.” Proc., 4th European Conf. on Numerical Methods in Geotech. Eng., Udine, Cividini, A., ed., Springer-Verlag, Vienna, 603–612.
Burd, H. J., Houlsby, G. T., Augarde, C. E., and Liu, G. (2000). “Modelling tunnelling-induced settlement of masonry buildings.” Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng. Geotech. Eng., 143, 17–29.
Desari, G. R., Rawlings, C. G., and Bolton, M. D. (1996). “Numerical modelling of a NATM tunnel construction in London clay.” Proc., Int. Symp. on Geotechnical Aspects of Underground Construction in Soft Ground, Balkema, Rotterdam, 491–496.
Dias, D., Kastner, R., and Maghazi, M. (2000). “Three dimensional simulation of slurry shield in tunnelling.” Proc., Int. Symp. on Geotechnical Aspects of Underground Construction in Soft Ground, Balkema, Rotterdam, 351–356.
Doležalová, M. (2002). “Approaches to numerical modelling of ground movements due to shallow tunnelling.” Proc., Int. Symp. Soil Structure Interaction in Urban Civil Engineering, Zurich, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich, Vol. 2, 365–373.
Franzius, J. N. (2004). “Behaviour of buildings due to tunnel induced subsidence.” PhD thesis, Imperial College, Univ. of London.
Franzius, J. N., Potts, D. M., and Burland, J. B. (2005). “The influence of soil anisotropy and on ground surface movements rsulting from tunnel excavation.” Geotechnique, 55(3), 189–199
Galli, G., Grimaldi, A., and Leonardi, A. (2004). “Three-dimensional modelling of tunnel excavation and lining.” Comput. Geotech., 31, 171–183.
Guedes, P. F. M., and Santos Pereira C., (2000). “The role of the soil value in numerical analysis of shallow tunnels.” Proc., Int. Symp. on Geotechnical Aspects of Underground Construction in Soft Ground, Balkema, Rotterdam, 379–384.
Jardine, R. J., Potts, D. M., Fourie, A. B., and Burland, J. B. (1986). “Studies of the influence of nonlinear stress-strain characteristics in soil-structure interaction.” Geotechnique, 36(3), 377–396.
Katzenbach, R., and Breth, H. (1981). “Nonlinear 3D analysis for NATM in Frankfurt clay.” Proc. 10th Int. Conf. Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Vol. 1, Balkema, Rotterdam, 315–318.
Komiya, K., Soga, K., Akagi, H., Hagiwara, T., and Bolton, M. D. (1999). “Finite element modelling of excavation and advancement process of a shield tunnelling machine.” Soils Found., 39(3), 37–52.
Lee, G. T. K., and Ng, C. W. W. (2002). “Three-dimensional analysis of ground settlements due to tunnelling: Role of and stiffness anisotropy.” Proc., Int. Symp. on Geotechnical Aspects of Underground Construction in Soft Ground, Spécifique, Lyon, 617–622.
Lee, K. M., and Rowe, R. K. (1991). “An analysis of three-dimensional ground movement: The Thunder Bay tunnel.” Can. Geotech. J., 28, 25–41.
Möller, S., Lehmann, T., and Rogowski, E. (2004). “Dreidimensionale finite Elemente Berechnung der Setzungsmulde am Beispiel des Steinhaldenfeldtunnels in Stuttgart.” 4. Kolloquium Bauen in Boden und Fels, 275–282, TAE, Ostfildern 2004 (in German).
O’Reilly, M. P., and New, B. M. (1982). “Settlements above tunnels in the United Kingdom—their magnitude and prediction.” Tunnelling ’82. Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, London, 55–64.
Potts, D. M., and Addenbrooke, T. I. (1997). “A structure’s influence on tunnelling-induced ground movements.” Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng. Geotech. Eng., 125, 109–125.
Potts, D. M., and Zdravković, L. (1999). Finite element analysis in geotechnical engineering: Theory, Thomas Telford, London.
Potts, D. M., and Zdravković, L. (2001). Finite element analysis in geotechnical engineering: Application, Thomas Telford, London.
Rowe, R. K., Lo, Y. K., and Kack, G. J. (1983). “A method of estimating surface sttlement above tunnel constructed in soft ground.” Can. Geotech. J., 20, 11–22
Schroeder, F. C. (2003). “The influence of bored piles on existing tunnels.” PhD thesis, Imperial College, Univ. of London.
Shin, J. H., Potts, D. M. and Zdravković, L. (2002). “Three-dimensional modelling of NATM tunnelling in decomposed granite soil.” Geotechnique, 52(3), 187–200.
Standing, J. R., Nyren, R. J., Burland, J. B., and Longworth, T. I. (1996). “The measurement of ground movement due to tunnelling at two control sites along the Jubilee Line Extension.” Proc., Int. Symp. on Geotechnical Aspects of Underground Construction in Soft Ground, Balkema, Rotterdam, 751–756.
Tang, D. K. W., Lee, K. M., and Ng, C. W. W. (2000). “Stress paths around a 3-D numerically simulated NATM tunnel in stiff clay.” Proc., Int. Symp. on Geotechnical Aspects of Underground Construction in Soft Ground, Balkema, Rotterdam, 443–449.
Vermeer, P. A., Bonnier, P. G., and Möller, S. C. (2002). “On a smart use of 3D-FEM in tunnelling.” Proc., 8th Int. Symp. on Numerical Models in Geomech. NUMOG VIII, Balkema, Rotterdam, 361–366.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 5 • Issue 3 • September 2005
Pages: 256 - 266
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Jun 15, 2004
Accepted: Oct 1, 2004
Published online: Sep 1, 2005
Published in print: Sep 2005
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.