Longitudinal Displacement Profiles for Convergence-Confinement Analysis of Excavations: Applicability to Tunnelling, Limitations and Current Advancement

Nicholas Vlachopoulos, Ya Su

In the proceedings of GeoSt. John's 2019: 72nd Canadian Geotechnical Conference

Session: Rock Mechanics

ABSTRACT: Convergence-confinement method of analysis for tunnelling is a typical approach used in industry for the preliminary analysis of anticipated ground behaviour due to the excavation of a tunnel. This methodology yields an estimate of the load imposed on the support immediately behind the newly excavated tunnel face. Upon excavation, the area immediately behind the face is partially supported by the face itself and does not carry the full load of an open cavity at that moment. Since the inception of this analytical technique, there have been many investigations into the improvement of the Longitudinal Displacement Profile (LDP) in order to address its limitations. The focus of this paper is to describe the technique, guide potential users as to how to apply such an analytical method, to describe the current limitations and how they may be overcome or further investigated.

RÉSUMÉ: La méthode d'analyse du confinement par convergence pour la construction de tunnels est une approche typique utilisée dans l'industrie pour l'analyse préliminaire du comportement du sol anticipé dû l'excavation d'un tunnel. Cette méthodologie fournit une estimation de la charge imposée au support immédiatement derrière la face du tunnel récemment excavée. Lors de l'excavation, la zone immédiatement derrière la face est partiellement supportée par la face elle-même et ne supporte pas la charge totale d'une cavité ouverte à ce moment. Depuis le début de cette technique analytique, de objectif de cet article est de décrire la technique, d'indiquer aux utilisateurs potentiels comment appliquer une telle méthode analytique, de décrire les limitations actuelles et de déterminer comment elles peuvent être surmontées ou étudiées plus avant.

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Cite this article:
Nicholas Vlachopoulos; Ya Su (2019) Longitudinal Displacement Profiles for Convergence-Confinement Analysis of Excavations: Applicability to Tunnelling, Limitations and Current Advancement in GEO2019. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Geotechnical Society.

@article{Geo2019Paper288,author = Nicholas Vlachopoulos; Ya Su,title = Longitudinal Displacement Profiles for Convergence-Confinement Analysis of Excavations: Applicability to Tunnelling, Limitations and Current Advancement,year = 2019}