Homework #2 - Tunnels and Shafts - Edgar Camilo Correa Prada - 09 of September 2023

1a) To compute the normalized displacements d* into the tunnel, for an isotropic state of stresses we can
use the following expression, where E and v are the elasticity parameters, r is the radial distance away from
the center of the tunnel and P is the overburden stress at the depth of the tunnel:

∗
𝑃 𝑎2
𝑑 = ∗ ∗ (1 + 𝑣)
𝐸 𝑟
The abovementioned expression gives the same result that the radial displacements 𝑢 around a circular
opening with 𝑘𝑜 equal to 1, cancelling the sine and cosine terms.

𝑃 = 𝜎𝑉𝑂 = 𝛾 ∗ 𝑧 = 130𝑝𝑐𝑓 ∗ 500𝑓𝑡 = 65,000𝑝𝑠𝑓 = 451.1 𝑝𝑠𝑖

Using a Youngs modulus of 5𝑥105 psi and lateral deformation modulus of 0.35 for the d* equation and
giving multiple values for the radial distances r as a function of the tunnel radius a, we have:

r = f(a) r (in) d(in) d(ft) d*

1 a 120 0.146 10.0 1.00
2 a 240 0.073 20.0 0.50
3 a 360 0.049 30.0 0.33
4 a 480 0.037 40.0 0.25
5 a 600 0.029 50.0 0.20
6 a 720 0.024 60.0 0.17
7 a 840 0.021 70.0 0.14
8 a 960 0.018 80.0 0.13
9 a 1080 0.016 90.0 0.11
10 a 1200 0.015 100.0 0.10

1.20

1.00

0.80
d*

0.60

0.40

0.20

0.00
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Distance away from tunnel = f(a)
1b) The isotropic elasticity theory has the following limitations :
- Utilizes a Ko=1 that represents hydrostatic conditions that are far away from the actual soil
behavior, that is better modelled with a ko that normally ranges between 0.5 and 0.6.
- A more complete strain behavior of soil and rock is not only represented by the elasticity constants
and extra parameters are needed to describe better the material.
- The material keeps deforming by the same slope equal to the modulus of elasticity under an
increasing load, which is unrealistic, as the soil changes its stiffness once is reaches a plastic regime.

2a) For a material that has both cohesion and friction, the following expression relates the extent of the of
the failure zone R (also called the extent of the plastic zone):

𝑁𝜙 −1 2
∗ (𝑃𝑜 + 𝑇)
𝑅 √ 𝜙+1
𝑁
=
𝑎 𝑃𝑖 + 𝑇

Where T, 𝑁𝜙 and Po are computed as:

𝜙 40
𝑁𝜙 = 𝑡𝑎𝑛2 (45 + ) = 𝑡𝑎𝑛2 (45 + ) = 4.60
2 2

2 ∗ 𝑐 ∗ √𝑁𝜙 2 ∗ 50 ∗ √4.60
𝑇(𝑝𝑠𝑖) = − = − = 59.59
1 − 𝑁𝜙 1 − 4.60

𝑃𝑜 = 𝛾 ∗ 𝑧 = 160𝑝𝑐𝑓 ∗ 1400𝑓𝑡 = 224,000𝑝𝑠𝑓 = 1555𝑝𝑠𝑖

If the internal pressure inside the tunnel is assumed to be 25 psi, the expression for R gives:

4.60−1 2
𝑅 √4.60 + 1 ∗ (1555 + 59.59)
= =
𝑎 25 + 59.59

Or in terms of a non-normalized variable, a distance R of 85.23 feet from the center of the tunnel.

2b) The elastoplastic solution for the radial and tangential stresses 𝜎𝑟 and 𝜎𝜃 is divided in two domains.
The first one from a < r < R that corresponds to the plastic region and the elastic region (r >R):

Plastic region
𝜎𝑟 = −𝑇 + (𝑃𝑖 + 𝑇)(𝑟/𝑎)𝑁𝜙 −1 and 𝜎𝜃 = 2𝑐√𝑁𝜙 + 𝑁𝜙 . 𝜎𝑟

Elastic region
𝑅 2 𝑅 2
𝜎𝑟 = (𝜎𝑅 − 𝑃𝑜 ) ( 𝑟 ) + 𝑃𝑜 and 𝜎𝜃 = (𝑃𝑜 − 𝜎𝑅 ) ( 𝑟 ) + 𝑃𝑜 .
Plotting the radial and tangential stresses for the plastic and elastic regions gives:

1.80

1.60

1.40

1.20
Sigma/Pz

1.00

0.80

0.60

0.40
Sigma r (psi)
0.20
Sigma theta (psi)
0.00
0.0 50.0 100.0 150.0 200.0 250.0 300.0
Distance from edge of tunnel (ft)

2c) If the theory of elasticity is used for the whole domain of r values, the tangential stresses keep increasing
until a normalized value of 3, that is not realistic compared with the elastic-plastic solution that displays a
reduction in the tangential stresses toward the edge of the tunnel radius. On other hand, the radial stresses
seem to be in tension rather than compression vs. the elastic-plastic solution that displays radial stresses
going to zero at r/a =1 at the perimeter of the tunnel.

3.50

3.00
Sigma r
2.50
Sigma theta
2.00

1.50
Sigma/Pz

1.00

0.50

0.00
0.0 50.0 100.0 150.0 200.0 250.0 300.0
-0.50

-1.00

-1.50
Distance from edge of tunnel (ft)
2d) For a distance greater than 5 times the radius of the tunnel, which is 250 ft, the radial and tangential
stresses reach an asymptote of 1.0 in the graphic 2b) which means their values are equal to the overburden
stress and therefore, the conditions of the tunnel are approaching to the initial conditions before the tunnel
was constructed.

3a) The ground reaction curves are computed according to the method of (Daemen, 1975):

450

400

350

300

Soil A
250
Pi (psi)

Soil B

Soil C
200

150

100

50

0
0.000 1.000 2.000 3.000 4.000 5.000 6.000 7.000 8.000 9.000 10.000
u (in)

3b) For a given value of Pi, that represents a horizontal line, the displacements are greater for the less
competent soils, e.g., Soil C and Soil B vs Soils A. Also, is a support is to be located a certain slope, the Pi
that it has to resist is greater for the weak soils than (Soil C) than for the strong soil (Soil A)