Physical model tests and numerical simulation for assessing the stability of tunnels

Nowadays, numerical modelling is increasingly used to assess the stability of tunnels and underground caverns. However, an analysis of the mechanical behaviour of existing brick-lined tunnels remains challenging due to the complex material components. One promising approach is to carry out a se...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Chen, Han-Mei
Format: Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
Language:English
Published: 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/14127/
_version_ 1848791887968731136
author Chen, Han-Mei
author_facet Chen, Han-Mei
author_sort Chen, Han-Mei
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Nowadays, numerical modelling is increasingly used to assess the stability of tunnels and underground caverns. However, an analysis of the mechanical behaviour of existing brick-lined tunnels remains challenging due to the complex material components. One promising approach is to carry out a series of small-scale physical tunnel model tests representing the true behaviour of a prototype under extreme loading in order to validate and develop the corresponding numerical models. A physical model test is advisable before any field study, which might be dangerous and costly. During the tests, advanced monitoring techniques such as the laser scanning and photogrammetry would be used to register tunnel deformation and lining defects. This investigation will show how these may substitute or supplement the conventional manual procedures. Simultaneously, numerical models will be developed, primarily using FLAC and UDEC software, to simulate the physical models after comparing their results. In this way, numerical simulations of physical models would be achieved and verified. These numerical models could then be applied to the field study in the future research, enabling accurate prediction of the actual mechanical behaviour of a masonry tunnel, in combination with advanced monitoring techniques.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T18:35:39Z
format Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
id nottingham-14127
institution University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
institution_category Local University
language English
last_indexed 2025-11-14T18:35:39Z
publishDate 2014
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling nottingham-141272025-02-28T11:29:00Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/14127/ Physical model tests and numerical simulation for assessing the stability of tunnels Chen, Han-Mei Nowadays, numerical modelling is increasingly used to assess the stability of tunnels and underground caverns. However, an analysis of the mechanical behaviour of existing brick-lined tunnels remains challenging due to the complex material components. One promising approach is to carry out a series of small-scale physical tunnel model tests representing the true behaviour of a prototype under extreme loading in order to validate and develop the corresponding numerical models. A physical model test is advisable before any field study, which might be dangerous and costly. During the tests, advanced monitoring techniques such as the laser scanning and photogrammetry would be used to register tunnel deformation and lining defects. This investigation will show how these may substitute or supplement the conventional manual procedures. Simultaneously, numerical models will be developed, primarily using FLAC and UDEC software, to simulate the physical models after comparing their results. In this way, numerical simulations of physical models would be achieved and verified. These numerical models could then be applied to the field study in the future research, enabling accurate prediction of the actual mechanical behaviour of a masonry tunnel, in combination with advanced monitoring techniques. 2014-07-09 Thesis (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en arr https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/14127/1/Han-Mei_Chen_PhD_Thesis.pdf Chen, Han-Mei (2014) Physical model tests and numerical simulation for assessing the stability of tunnels. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham. Numerical modelling Mechanical behaviour of tunnels Structural monitoring Structural stability
spellingShingle Numerical modelling
Mechanical behaviour of tunnels
Structural monitoring
Structural stability
Chen, Han-Mei
Physical model tests and numerical simulation for assessing the stability of tunnels
title Physical model tests and numerical simulation for assessing the stability of tunnels
title_full Physical model tests and numerical simulation for assessing the stability of tunnels
title_fullStr Physical model tests and numerical simulation for assessing the stability of tunnels
title_full_unstemmed Physical model tests and numerical simulation for assessing the stability of tunnels
title_short Physical model tests and numerical simulation for assessing the stability of tunnels
title_sort physical model tests and numerical simulation for assessing the stability of tunnels
topic Numerical modelling
Mechanical behaviour of tunnels
Structural monitoring
Structural stability
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/14127/