ABSTRACT
Rising global temperatures are accelerating the rate of thaw in permafrost soils, resulting in losses of soil volume and shear strength. For tunneling in freezing climates, examination of tunnel structure interactions with permafrost is pertinent. This research analyzes a tunneling scenario in Anchorage, Alaska. A tunnel with precast concrete liner is created to serve as a mode of transportation underneath Elmendorf Air Force Base. Alaska is chosen due to the freezing temperatures that facilitate permafrost soil and its proximity to the Ring of Fire where seismic waves originate. Methodology entails gathering relevant soil properties of the Anchorage region to examine changes in displacement and stress of the tunnel. Static analysis using Finite Element Method (FEM) is performed using RS2 software by Rocscience for frozen and thawed conditions in pursuance of identifying the impacts of melting permafrost on tunnels.
