• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.595-603
• /
• 2019

A modified model combining Kriging and Monte Carlo method (MC) is proposed for probabilistic estimation of tunnel face stability in this paper. In the model, a novel uniform design is adopted to train the Kriging, instead of the existing active learning function. It has advantage of avoiding addition of new training points iteratively, and greatly saves the computational time in model training. The kinematic approach of limit analysis is employed to define the deterministic computational model of face failure, in which the Hoek-Brown failure criterion is introduced to account for the nonlinear behaviors of rock mass. The trained Kriging is used as a surrogate model to perform MC with dramatic reduction of calls to actual limit state function. The parameters in Hoek-Brown failure criterion are considered as random variables in the analysis. The failure probability is estimated by direct MC to test the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed probabilistic model. The influences of uncertainty level, correlation relationship and distribution type of random variables are further discussed using the proposed approach. In summary, the probabilistic model is an accurate and economical alternative to perform probabilistic stability analysis of tunnel face excavated in spatially random Hoek- Brown media.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.11 no.6
• /
• pp.867-877
• /
• 2016

Collapse shape of tunnel roof in layered Hoek-Brown rock media is investigated within the framework of upper bound theorem. The traditional collapse mechanism for homogeneous stratum is no longer suitable for the present analysis of roof stability, and it would be necessary to propose a curve failure mode to describe the velocity discontinuity surface in layered media. What is discussed in the paper is that the failure mechanism of tunnel roofs, consisting of two different functions, is proposed for layered rock media. Then it is employed to investigate the impending roof failure. Based on the nonlinear Hoek-Brown failure criterion, the collapse volume of roof blocks are derived with the upper bound theorem and variational principle. Numerical calculations and parametric analysis are carried out to illustrate the effects of different parameters on the shape of failure mechanism, which is of overriding significance to the stability analysis of tunnel roof in layered rock media.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.15 no.3 s.56
• /
• pp.228-235
• /
• 2005

Friction angle and cohesion of rock masses can be estimated from Hoek and Brown failure criterion and then plastic corrections can be applied using Mohr-Coulomb yield function. This study finds that this estimation procedure would not be appropriate for weak rock masses and for cases where low confining stress is expected to develop. A procedure is outlined in this paper for estimating plastic corrections directly from Hoek and Brown material model. Comparative study shows that direct procedure would simulate non-linear failure surface better than indirect procedure especially in the low confining stress regime.

• Explosives and Blasting
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.20-28
• /
• 2008

In the design stage of a tunnel, the wall convergence is commonly estimated through an elasto-plastic analysis of the tunnel, which has been a topic drawing many researcher's attention so far. Despite its importance, however, the elasto-plastic behavior of a circular tunnel excavated in a generalized Hoek-Brown rockmass is still poorly understood. In this study, a simple munerical method based on Lee & Pietruszczak (2008) for the elasto-plastic analysis of a circular tunnel surrounded by reinforced annulus is proposed. It is assumed that the tunnel is excavated in a strain-softening rockmass obeying the generalized Hoek-Brown failure condition. The commercial code FLAC is used for the verification of the proposed method. The influence of the Hoek-Brown strength parameter a and the thickness of the reinforcement annulus on the elasto-plastic behavior around the tunnel was discussed by conducting some example analyses. The results show that the influence of these two parameters on the distribution of stresses and displacements is substantial.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.235-245
• /
• 2019

This paper presents a novel methodology for face stability assessment of rock tunnels under water table by combining the kinematical approach of limit analysis and numerical simulation. The tunnels considered in this paper are excavated in fractured rock masses characterized by the Hoek-Brown failure criterion. In terms of natural rock deposition, a more convincing case of depth-dependent mi, GSI, D and ${\sigma}_c$ is taken into account by proposing the horizontally layered discretization technique, which enables us to generate the failure surface of tunnel face point by point. The vertical distance between any two adjacent points is fixed, which is beneficial to deal with stability problems involving depth-dependent rock parameters. The pore water pressure is numerically computed by means of 3D steady-state flow analyses. Accordingly, the pore water pressure for each discretized point on the failure surface is obtained by interpolation. The parametric analysis is performed to show the influence of depth-dependent parameters of $m_i$, GSI, D, ${\sigma}_c$ and the variation of water table elevation on tunnel face stability. Finally, several design charts for an undisturbed tunnel are presented for quick calculations of critical support pressures against face failure.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.11-23
• /
• 2020

In this study, a new analytical-numerical procedure is developed to give the stresses and strains around a circular tunnel in rock masses exhibiting different stress-strain behavior. The calculation starts from the tunnel wall and continues toward the unknown elastic-plastic boundary by a finite difference method in the annular discretized plastic zone. From the known stresses in the tunnel boundary, the strains are calculated using the elastic-plastic stiffness matrix in which three dimensional Hoek-Brown failure criterion (Jiang and Zhao 2015) and Mohr-Coulomb potential function with proper dilation angle (i.e., non-associated flow rule) are employed in terms of stress invariants. The illustrative examples give ground response curve and show correctness of the proposed approach. Finally, from the results of a great number of analyses, a simple relationship is presented to find out the closure of circular tunnel in terms of rock mass strength and tunnel depth. It can be valuable for the preliminary decision of tunnel support and for prediction of tunnel problems.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.289-296
• /
• 2014

A simple analytical approach for stability assessment of underground storage caverns against ground uplift of overburden rock above the rock caverns for high pressurized fluid such as compressed air energy storage (CAES) and compressed natural gas (CNG) was developed. In the developed approach, we assumed that failure plane of the overburden is straight upward to ground surface, and factor of safety can be calculated from a limit equilibrium analysis in terms of this cylindrical shape failure model. The frictional resisting force on the failure plane was estimated by Hoek-Brown strength criterion which replaces with Mohr-Coulomb criterion such that both intact rock strength and rock mass conditions can be considered in the current approach. We carried out a parametric sensitivity analysis of strength parameters under various rock mass conditions and demonstrated that the factor of safety againt ground uplift was more sensitive to Mohr-Coulomb strength criterion rather than Hoek-Brown criterion.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.12-21
• /
• 2012

Although the Mohr-Coulomb and Hoek-Brown failure criteria have been adopted widely in rock mechanics, they neglect the ${\sigma}_2$ effect. The result of true triaxial tests on rock samples, however, reveals that the ${\sigma}_2$ effect on strength of rocks is considerable, so that rock failure criteria taking into account the influence of ${\sigma}_2$ are necessary for the precise stability evaluation of rock structures. In this study, a new nonlinear 3-D failure criterion has been suggested by combining the Hoek-Brown criterion with the smooth octahedral shape function taken from Jiang & Pietruszczak (1988). The performance of the new criterion was assessed by comparing the strength predictions from both the suggested criterion and the corresponding linear 3-D criterion. The resulting fit of the new criterion to the true triaxial test data for six rock types taken from the literature shows that the criterion fits the experimental data very well. Furthermore, for the data sets having data taken in the low ${\sigma}_3$ range, the nonlinear failure criterion works better than the linear criterion.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.219-227
• /
• 2013

Although Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion has limitations in that it is a linear criterion and the effect of the intermediate principal stress on failure is ignored, this criterion has been widely accepted in rock mechanics design. In order to overcome these shortcomings, the Hoek-Brown failure criterion was introduced and recently a number of 3-D failure criteria incorporating the effect of the intermediate principal stress on failure have been proposed. However, in many rock mechanics designs, the possible failure of rock mass is still evaluated based on Mohr-Coulomb criterion and most of practitioners are accustomed to understanding the strength of rock mass in terms of the internal friction angle and cohesion. Therefore, if the equivalent Mohr-Coulomb strength parameters of the advanced failure criteria are calculated, it is possible to take advantage of the advanced failure criteria in the framework of the Mohr-Coulomb criterion. In this study, a method expressing the tangential Mohr-Coulomb strength parameters in terms of the stress invariant is proposed and it is applied to the generalized Hoek-Brown criterion and the HB-WW criterion. In addition, a new approach describing the geometric meaning of the ${\sigma}_2$-dependency of failure criteria in 3-D principal stress space is proposed. Implementation examples of the proposed method show that the influence of the intermediate principal stress on the tangential friction angle and cohesion of the HB-WW criterion is considerable, which is not the case for the 2-D failure criterion.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.81-88
• /
• 2014

In the course of performing the stability analysis of rock structures, there are times when the strength of the Hoek-Brown rock mass needs to be understood in terms of the internal friction angle and cohesion. In this case, the original Hoek-Brown criteion, giving the relationship between ${\sigma}_1$ and ${\sigma}_3$ at failure, have to be transformed to the corresponding Mohr envelope. A new approach to derive the Mohr envelope of the Hoek-Brown criterion is suggested in this study. The new method is based on the Londe's transformation making the stress components dimensionless. The correctness of the derivation leading to the new ${\tau}-{\sigma}$ relationship is confirmed by comparing the calculation results with the Bray's solution through a verification example.