TUNNEL SUPPORTS

CIRCULAR TUNNEL
(IN CONTINUATION OF TUNNEL IN WEAK ROCK)

Created By:
Shaloo Puri
Website: www.geotechnicaldesigns.com.au
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Email id : [email protected]
WhatsApp: +61452075310
BASIC CONCEPT
This presentation is based on paper by Hoek : Tunnels in weak
rocks
Based on basic concepts:

❖ The process of designing of support system.

❖ How rock mass surrounding tunnel deforms
❖ How support system acts to control this
deformation.

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Dimensionless Plots of Tunnel Deformation
This Figure is a
plot between

• Percentage
strain i.e. ratio
of tunnel wall
displacement
to tunnel radius
and

• the ratio of rock

mass strength to
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Dimensionless Plots of Tunnel Deformation
This plot shows that:
Rock mass Strength Vs In situ Stress
If Rock mass strength
(cm) reduced below <
20% of in situ stresses
(po).

Deformation increases
substantially, if it is not
controlled by any
support system, the
opening will collapse. 4
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 Tunnel closure Vs Tunnel Diameter
Based on observations
and measurements it is
being suggested:

If Tunnel Closure >

1% of Tunnel
Diameter

There is onset of
instabilities in the
tunnels

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Therefore from the above two conditions the conclusion
is the following
➢ If Rock mass strength (cm) reduced below < 20%
of in situ stresses (po).

➢ Tunnel Closure > 1% of Tunnel Diameter

Deformation increases substantially, if it is not controlled

by any support system, the opening will collapse

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 Tunnel Displacement for Different
Support Pressures

Internal Support Pressure pi

pi which called here internal pressure means support
pressure like rock bolts, shotcrete, steel ribs etc.

pi = 0 means unsupported tunnel

Here we talk internal pressures with respect to in situ
Stress i.e. pi/p0
Rockmass Strength cm
Strength of the rock mass surrounding the tunnel plays an important
roll in determining the support pressures. This strength we usually
determined from
Roclab software. The parameters required for determining its
value are USC, GSI, Ei, depth from surface, D blasting factor. 7
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 Tunnel Displacement for Different
Support Pressures

Y – axis : Percentage strain  (tunnel

closure/tunnel diameter)
As per slide number 5, the convergence shall be
less than 1%.

X-axis: Rockmass strength/in situ stress

Statistical Curve : for different support

pressures/in situ stress
The series of curves shown in figure are defined
by equation below:

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 Practical Example
A drainage tunnel of 4m is to excavate in rock mass behind the slope of open pit
mine. So following are inputs of this example:
Inputs
Tunnel Span = 4m
Tunnel depth = 150m
Unit weight of rock = 0.027MN/m3
Granodiorite
UCS of intact rock = 100Mpa (from lab)
GSI = 55
Fault Zone
UCS of rock in fault zone = 10MPa (from lab)
GSI = 15
All above parameters will be used to determine the rock mass properties
Rock mass properties of Granodiorite and Fault zone
RocLab (Rocscience software)
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 Practical Example
Rock mass properties of Granodiorite and Fault zone
RocLab (Rocscience software)

Granodiotite
Po = 150 x 0.027 = 4.05MPa
cm/po = 33/4.05 = 8.15 8.25
As per graph

• The size of the plastic zone and the

induced deformations will be
negligible
• No support system is reauired.
• Spot bolting and shotcrete provided.

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 Practical Example
Rock mass properties of Granodiorite and Fault zone
RocLab (Rocscience software)

Fault
cm/po = 0.6/4.05 = 0.15
For unsupported tunnel with 2m radius
Pi = 0 (internal support pressure inside tunnel)

rp = 7.5m (Radius of plastic zone)

In Graph for
p0/pi = 0 & cm/po = 0.15
Stain in tunnel = 9%, therefore
Deformation = 0.18m 11
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 Practical Example
Determination of Support Measures
Support System for Tunnel in Fault
Zone
Deformation in tunnel = 180mm (Deformation is very High needs Support
system)
Strain Tunnel = 9%
Therefore substantial support is required in order to prevent collapse and
convergence to an acceptable level.

Assume the acceptable limit is 2%

and cm/po = 0.15
From graph the determined internal support
pressure is approximately
pi/po = 0.25
po = 4 MPa (provided in slide 10)
 pi = 0.25x 4 = 1MPa (required internal pressure
to support tunnel at 2% convergence. 12
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 Support System for Circular Tunnel
This is the figure from where we
will select supports to generate
support pressures inside tunnel
greater that 1MP (determined in last
slide.

Support Capacity > 1MPa

Supports that can be provided in the

tunnel are:
1. Steel Sets
2. Lattice Girder
3. Shotcrete
4. Concrete lining
5. Rock bolts or cables
6. Combination of above supports

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 Support System for Circular Tunnel
From Figure 8, select:
X – Axis – 4m tunnel diameter
Y – Axis – 1Mpa Support Pressure

In this figure number are given,

which are corresponding to support
measures provided in figure in last
slide.

Therefore, now numbers can be select

for support pressure greater than >
1MPa can be selected.
And support can be selected to support
tunnel.

There are many constraints of this

method which are not covered in this
presentation. To know more, read 14
www.geotechnicaldesigns.com.au Tunnels in Weak Rock paper by
Hoek.
 Support System for Circular Tunnel
The required internal support pressure is 1MPa. Therefore the provided
shall be more than 1Mpa.
In graph in slide 14, there are curve numbers 1 to 26 which represents
type of support like steel ribs, lattice girder, shotcrete, concrete lining, rock
bolts which are presented in figure provide slide no 13.

From figure 8 in slide 13, you can decide the type of support you need to
provide to support the tunnel.

Support system depends upon the rock class tunnel is going through like in
Good Rock – Spot Bolting & Shotcrete
Fair Rock – Pattern Bolting & Shotcrete
Poor Rock – Pattern Bolting & Shotcrete
Very Poor to Extremely Poor – Steel Ribs and Shotcrete

Here Tunnel is passing through fault zone so the it is very poor to

extremely poor rock. Therefore the support system should be steel ribs .
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 Support System for Circular Tunnel
From Slide 14, we will select no. 3 curve number as it is providing
internal support pressure more than required support pressure of
1Mpa .

Curve No. 3

Maximum Support pimax = 7.0 D-1.4/s = 7.0 x 4-1.4/1

= 4.9 MPa is the provided pressure by Steel Ribs spaced at 1m

distance.

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Ground Reaction Curve Vs Support Reaction
Ground Reaction Curve is shown as curve and Support Reaction Curve is
shown
as linear .
• Red line shows failure of support if support being applied as the deformation
of tunnel just initiated. In this case as tunnel deforms all the pressure come on
support and it fails.
• Blue line shows the right time of installing supports, allowing a certain
amount of convergence in tunnel (like 2% in example we adopted).

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 THANK YOU
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