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  Numerical Investigation of the Interaction between Twin Tunnels

  The construction of twin tunnels is common practice in either conventional or mechanized shield-driven tunnelling for safety and functionality reasons. However, existing design methodologies focus on single tunnels, thus neglecting the potential interaction between neighbouring tunnels, especially if the latter are closely spaced. This paper investigates the interaction between twin circular supported tunnels, via 3D numerical analyses with the finite element code Abaqus. The analyses focus on the primary support (shotcrete) loads and internal forces (normal forces and bending moments), examining a wide range of: (i) pillar width values (transversal distance between the sides of the adjacent parallel tunnels), (ii) geotechnical conditions (strength and deformability parameters, in-situ stress values etc.), (iii) tunnel depth values. An additional aspect of the investigation is the determination of the most critical interaction parameter, i.e., the parameter causing the largest influence on the interaction effect and the determination of the critical value of the pillar width that minimizes the interaction effect. The results are presented in normalized diagrams that indicate the influence of the examined parameters on interaction. The interaction is determined or influenced in a significant degree by the following parameters, the pillar width, the geostatic stress ratio and the geotechnical conditions.

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