ABSTRACT
In order to increase the applicability of displacement curves and trend lines, the surface displacements of shallow tunnels excavated in rock were evaluated. For this, several geologies were simulated by the authors using the finite element software PLAXIS 3D Tunnel. Nineteen simulations include homogeneous and nonhomogeneous geologies with zones of different materials, with better or worse properties, with different lengths inside the rock mass. The behavior of the surface displacement components curves was similar to the walls displacements curves. However, displacement vector orientations curves presented some considerable differences. A dependence of the curves to the distance from face that the trend is been evaluated is evident. Furthermore, the shape and peaks are different from crown displacement vector trend lines. Notably, it occurs in the near-face portion of excavation by the stress distribution that occurs from depth of the excavation to surface.
