ABSTRACT
The hydro-mechanical incidents that occur at the vicinity of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) affect the ground settlement and the structural forces in the lining. In other words, the generation and dissipation of excess pore pressure in conjunction with the mechanical pressures in the grout mortar and surrounding soil significantly influence the process of the fluid flow around the tunnel. In addition, the mechanized tunneling process induces volume loss around the tunnel that triggers a stress redistribution. The main challenge in the design of tunnels in saturated soil is how to adequately simulate the volume loss and backfill grouting. Therefore, this research studies the influence of the numerical simulation technics along with idealized assumptions to address the stress redistribution and HM interactions around the tunnel on the model responses. Based on the results, depending on the expected level of accuracy for a given model response, appropriate technique can be chosen.
