Adaptive Computational Simulation of TBM-Soil Interactions during Machine-Driven Tunnel Construction in Saturated Soft Soils

In soft, partially or fully saturated ground conditions, machine-driven tunnel construction causes short- and long-term ground deformations resulting from the disturbance of the virgin stress state of the soil and changes in the pore water conditions. These variations are, in turn, influenced by the heading face support, shield skin friction and by the gap grouting. Realistic large-scale 3D simulations are, therefore, increasingly required to investigate the interaction between machine-driven tunnel construction and the surrounding soil in order to provide reliable estimates of the expected settlements and associated risks of damage for existing structures, respectively, in particular in urban tunneling projects. If performed properly, these simulations involve complex interactions between individual components of the numerical model. The presented paper is concerned with recent advances in the process-oriented adaptive computational simulation of the excavation and steering processes in mechanized tunneling in soft soils using the finite element method. A novel automated adaptive mesh-refinement procedure is proposed to allow a refined resolution of the region of interest in the vicinity of the tunnel face during the TBM advancement. This procedure allows for an accurate assessment of the tunnel face stability and for the investigation of the immediate soil deformation and pore pressure changes around the tunnel. Furthermore, selected aspects of the numerical treatment - such as the stabilization of low order, two-phase, finite elements and the sub-stepping schemes inherent in the numerical integration of elasto-plastic models -,are also addressed in the presentation.