Soil-Structure Interaction of Tunnel Excavation Beneath Existing Buried Pipeline

An increasing number of tunnels are constructed below existing pipelines due to rapid development of urban cities which result in closer and closer pipe-tunnel spacing. However, this soil-pipe-tunnel interaction problem attracts relatively little research attention and most previous research work on this problem simplified the tunnelling process as a two-dimensional problem. In addition, systematic studies on the effect of pipe-tunnel spacing on pipeline response are not available. In this study, a series of three-dimensional finite element analysis are conducted to simulate tunnel excavation beneath a perpendicularly crossing buried pipeline. This parametric study aims at investigating the effect of tunnel-pipe distance on the response of the pipe. Computed results are presented and discussed in terms of ground surface settlement trough, deformation of pipeline, bending moment induced on pipeline and plastic strain developed around tunnel and pipeline due to tunnelling.

Keywords:

Tunnelling , Pipelines , Three-dimensional , Perpendicular crossing