ABSTRACT
Damage to rock tunnels from shock loading resulting from explosions in rock is of great interest to the engineer designing for tunnel blasting and for protection of underground structures, including underground explosives storage safety. However, prediction of the explosion loading and the damage criteria to be used in design, can present some difficulties due to the highly variable nature of the rock mass and the varying conditions under which explosions can take place. Different sources of explosion loading may produce significantly different effects, because of the many factors at play. A review of the literature reveals large variations in the ground shock prediction equations and definitions of tunnel damage. It is thus important to have a rational approach to the prediction of the explosion loading and the analysis of tunnel response and damage. A clear understanding of the characteristics of the loading sources and how the various factors affect the explosion effects is essential to this approach.
