IJE TRANSACTIONS B: Applications Vol. 34, No.

05, (May 2021) 1085-1093

International Journal of Engineering

Journal Homepage: www.ije.ir

A Numerical Study of the Effect of Tunneling on Surface Settlement and Existing

Buildings
A. M. Rajabi*a, M. Mahmoudib, M. Taebib
a Engineering Geology Department, School of Geology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
b Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Qom, Qom, Iran

PAPER INFO A B S T R A C T

Paper history: This study aimed to determine the effect of various influencing parameters such as tunnel diameter (D),
Received 10 November 2020
Received in revised form 09 February 2021 depth (H), width (B), length (L), number of floors, and the horizontal distance of the building from the
Accepted 28 February 2021 tunnel axis (X), as well as soil properties such as internal friction angle (ϕ), Poisson ratio (υ), modulus
of elasticity (E), and cohesion (C) on surface settlement using ABAQUS finite element software.
According to the results, the settelment increases with increasing tunnel diameter at a constant depth,
Keywords: while it decreases with increasing tunnel depth. Changes in the width and length of the building also
Ground Settlement affect the settlement directly; consequently, as the width and length of the building increase due to
Tunneling increasing the cross-sectional area of the building and its rigidity and stiffness, the settlement of the
ABAQUS Finite Element foundation becomes more uniform and resistant to displacement, leading to a decrease in the surface
Numerical Modeling
settlement. Also, as the distance of the building from the tunnel axis increases, the settlement decreases
and follows a constant trend after a distance equal to the tunnel diameter. Based on the results of the
sensitivity analysis, the depth of the tunnel has the greatest effect on the surface settlement, which can
be prevented by controlling the depth of the tunnel from the ground surface. Also, among the soil
geomechanical parameters, the modulus of elasticity had the greatest effect on settlement in the present
study. Finally, according to the results, the effect of tunnel, building, and soil properties on surface
settlement is very important, particularly in urban environments.
doi: 10.5829/ije.2021.34.05b.02

NOMENCLATURE
E soil modulus of elasticity ν the Poisson's ratio
K earth pressure coefficient at rest 𝜀𝐿 Lateral strainsurface
Greek Symbols β the angular distortion
𝜀𝑃 the average maximum main strain

1. INTRODUCTION1 factors influencing the surface subsidence (such as the

type of soil layering, tunnel depth and dimensions, and
Tunneling affects the surface (such as buildings, bridges, tunneling methods) has led to numerous calculations and
etc.) and underground (urban facilities, tunnels, metro predictions of subsidence by researchers. All theories
stations, etc.) structures. Therefore, such structures related to the surface subsidence calculation show a
change the behavior of the ground around the tunnel. In relationship between the volume of soil that is loosened
urban environments, such deformations have adverse by tunneling (and fills the excavated space) and the
effects on surface and underground structures. Improving volume of the subsided surface. Given the loosened mass
the design and construction of underground structures above the tunnel, further deformations and ground
can guarantee the quality, the safety of engineering subsidence will be inevitable even if the pores between
structures, and coordination between numerical the soil particles are filled. The loosening and subsequent
calculations and actual results. The great variety in the changes in the soil will continue during the tunneling

*Corresponding Author Institutional Email: [email protected] (A. M.

Rajabi)

Please cite this article as: A. M. Rajabi, M. Mahmoudi, M. Taebi, A Numerical Study of the Effect of Tunneling on Surface Settlement and Existing
Buildings, International Journal of Engineering, Transactions B: Applications Vol. 34, No. 05, (2021) 1085-1093
 A. M. Rajabi et al. / IJE TRANSACTIONS B: Applications Vol. 34, No. 05, (May 2021) 1085-1093 1086

process. In fact, it is not possible to eliminate them even compared the results with experimental values and
with further measures taken inside the tunnel. By showed that the estimation of ground subsidence by the
addressing these conditions is only possible by restoring finite difference method predicted the subsidence
the original soil density and level of the subsided mass. through to be shallower and wider than the actual value,
Numerous experiments on intact soil samples have and these differences were greater in shallow tunnels.
shown that soil behavior is nonlinear and stress- Franzius and Potts [12] conducted a study on the effect
dependent. The actual distribution of stresses in the soil of meshing geometry on three-dimensional analysis of
requires consideration of its actual behavior. It is tunneling finite elements. They concluded that a distance
noteworthy that the calculation of soft soil substructure of 13 times the diameter of the tunnel was sufficient to
force is more accurate, and the error of deformation minimize the effect of boundaries on the results.
calculation is larger [1]. In general, studies to predict Extensive studied [13-16] were conducted on the reaction
surface subsidence have focused on finite element of different structures due to the construction of
methods [2], artificial intelligence [3], fuzzy studies [4], underground tunnels and ground subsidence by finite
and cracking particle method [5, 6]. element method. They concluded that the reaction of
Researchers have always known that it is possible to structures significantly depends on the type and shape of
use numerical methods indefinitely to solve engineering the structure as well as soil conditions. To calculate
problems; however, given a large amount of time and surface settlement under different types of loading,
money spent on programming and executing the similar studies have been conducted [17-20]. In general,
programs by computers, the use of empirical numerical models can provide more complete
relationships was more preferable. Nevertheless, information than other methods due to their high
experimental methods cannot provide accurate solutions flexibility. However, incorrect model selection,
for the problems, despite their ease of use. Obviously, the inaccurate use of parameter values, and
closer the model made in numerical methods is to reality, misunderstanding of the construction process can lead to
the more accurate the answer will be. Numerical methods erroneous results.
have obtained more popularity in recent years due to the Although many studies have been conducted to
advancement of technology and related sciences such as determine the amount of ground subsidence due to
computers and their applicability in various fields. The tunneling in different conditions, investigation of
numerical methods are basically classified according to subsidence concerning underground structures is still one
the type of environment used. The most important of the most challenging issues in the field of geotechnical
numerical methods are finite element method, finite engineering. Considering the importance of this issue, the
difference method, and distinct element method. present study has investigated the effect of soil, building,
Moorak [9] performed an extensive parametric study and tunnel parameters on the ground subsidence using
on the effects of tunnel construction on ground numerical modeling with ABAQUS [16]. The
movements and near buildings constructed on clay soil. importance of these parameters on the ground subsidence
He used the discrete element method (DEM) for due to tunneling has been also examined while
modeling and compared the results obtained from this performing sensitivity analysis between the parameters.
modeling with the field data. He also proposed an
equation for the ratio of tunnel depth to diameter (Z/D)
and damage conditions as well as the ground structural 2. NUMERICAL MODELING
destruction for different structures in the form of
Equation (1) [12]: Since practical experiments are very costly, the use of
𝜀𝑃 = 2
𝜀𝐿 cos 𝜃𝑚𝑎𝑥 + finite element simulations can be an alternative tool in the
𝛽 (1) soil-structure interaction analysis. Among the software
β sin 𝜃𝑚𝑎𝑥 cos 𝜃𝑚𝑎𝑥 ; (tan(2𝜃𝑚𝑎𝑥 ) =
𝜀𝐿 using the finite element method to analyze engineering
Equation (1) was compared with field observations problems, ABAQUS software is one of the most useful
and the results showed it can be used for structural research and practical computer programs for finite
evaluation in the design phase of underground structures element analysis due to its unique capabilities. Therefore,
and tunnels in clay soils. ABAQUS software was used in this study to investigate
Dalong et al. [10] conducted studies on the land the interaction between soil and tunnel structure and
deformation due to tunneling in Shenzhen region of examine the effect of different parameters on surface
China using monitoring data analysis. They investigated subsidence.
the states with and without the presence of the tunnels The characteristics of soil, tunnel, building, and
and provided an equation to obtain the amount of ground configuration of the elements used in this study are
subsidence when tunneling with a shield [10]. described in the following. As shown in Fig. 1, a
Selby [11] modeled tunnels in the UK using the hypothetical tunnel with a diameter of D and depth of H
Lagrangian finite difference method. Finally, he in a soil with parameters such as internal friction angle,
1087 A. M. Rajabi et al. / IJE TRANSACTIONS B: Applications Vol. 34, No. 05, (May 2021) 1085-1093

Poisson ratio, cohesion, and modulus of elasticity, along applied in a way that in addition to high accuracy of
with a building with specified length and width is results, the modeling speed was also acceptable.
modeled in the ABAQUS software [16] environment. Investigations showed that the finer mesh dimensions
After making the desired geometric model, introducing have no effect on the output. Fig. 1 shows the schematic
the properties of the materials used, and defining the geometric drawing of tunnel of the studied models.
analytical methods and boundary conditions in the
ABAQUS software, the environment is meshed into 2. 1. Soil Properties The soil properties
finite elements and then the analysis method is defined. considered in this study were according to clayey sand
The ABAQUS software works based on dividing the soil with internal friction angle (ɸ) of 15, 20, 25, and 30
model into smaller components. Accordingly, continuous degrees, cohesion (C) of 10, 20, 30, and 40 kPa, modulus
element with linear interpolation and an eight-node of elasticity (E) of 13, 23, 33, and 44 MPa, and Poisson's
reduction integration (C3D8R) of regular hexagonal type coefficient (υ) of 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 according to Table (1).
has been used for soil and tunnel meshing. The Various models have been proposed by researchers to
continuous element with linear interpolation and a 10- determine the criterion of soil failure. The elastoplastic
node reduction integration (C3D10) of quadrilateral type model is the best model in determining soil behavior. Soil
has been selected for structural meshing. Also a number is neither elastic nor a completely plastic material and
of 7624, 8546, and 33640 elements were considered for shows a combination of the elastoplastic behavioral
the building, the tunnels, and the soil, respectively. The model. Accordingly, the Mohr-Coulomb model has been
selection of mesh dimensions in different parts of used in this study to determine soil behavior.
modeling has been conducted. Trial and error was

(a) (b)

(c) (d)
Figure 1. The geometry of the studied models a) Schematic of tunnel and building position b) deformations without building c)
deformations of building; U in mm d) deformations with building; U in mm
 A. M. Rajabi et al. / IJE TRANSACTIONS B: Applications Vol. 34, No. 05, (May 2021) 1085-1093 1088

TABLE 1. The properties of soil used in modeling 2. 2. Tunnel and Buildings Properties The
υ E(MPa) C(kPa) Φ specifications of building and tunnel lining parameters
0.2 23 20 20
used in modeling are given in Table 2.
The results of the present study are first compared
0.3 33 30 25 with previous studies, after which modeling of a tunnel
0.4 44 40 30 with different diameters and depths, and a building with

TABLE 2. Specifications of building and tunnel parameters used in this study

Building Parameters Tunnel Lining Parameters
Distance from Width of Length of Lining Modulus of Tunnel Tunnel
No. of Poisson
the tunnel Building (B) Building (L) diameter elasticity (E) Diameter (D) Depth (H)
Stories ratio (υ)
axis (X) (meters) (meters) (cm) (MPa) (meters) (meter)
3 10 5 10 0.2 30 37000 3 30
3 20 10 15 0.2 30 37000 5 50
3 30 15 20 0.2 30 37000 7 70
3 40 20 25 0.2 30 37000 9 90

specific length, width, and distance from the tunnel axis relationships presented by Cao et al. [13] and Bobet [8]
on a soil with different internal friction angle, modulus of with the numerical modeling used in the present study. In
elasticity, Poisson ratio, and cohesions were carried out this comparison, the diameter of the tunnel is equal to 3
and the effect of these parameters on surface settlement meters, and the tunnel burial depth is equal to 30 meters.
were investigated. The soil parameters include modulus of elasticity,
Poisson ratio, and internal friction angle, which are 17
MPa, 0.3, and 30 degrees, respectively.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION According to Figure 3, the curve obtained from the
ABAQUS software is closer to the curve obtained by the
3. 1. Comparison of the Present Study with the Cao et al. [13] method and shows some overlap. Also, the
Previous Research In this section, the surface two curves obtained from the numerical modeling and
settlement has been calculated for different tunnel depths Cao et al. [13] intersect at a distance of 15 meters from
(30, 50, 70, and 90 meters) using equations defined by the tunnel axis, which can be due to the boundary
Atkinson [7]. Then, the surface settlement has been conditions defined by Cao et al. [13] method obtained
calculated for the tunnel diameter of 9 meters and the from experimental observations and simple hypotheses.
internal friction angle (ɸ)and modulus of elasticity (E) of Besides, these relationships are just for undrained
30 degrees and 17 MPa, r by increasing the distance of conditions.
the building from the tunnel, the impact of the tunnel on
the settlement of the building decreases, resulting in the 3. 2. Numerical Study in the Present Study
decreasing of the surface settlement. Indeed, the ground Generally, with increasing the horizontal distance of the
in the parts outside the tunnel acts as a suppor, building from the tunnel, the effect of the tunnel on
.espectively along with the Poisson's coefficient () equal building settlement decreases, leading to decreasing of
to 0.3. Finally, the results have been compared. the surface settlement. Indeed, the ground around the
According to Figure. 2, the amount of settlement tunnel acts as a support. This section investigates the
calculated by ABAQUS software is greater than the effect of different parameters on surface settlement.
experimental relationships, and the graph obtained from
Atkinson [7] relationships is closer to numerical 3. 2. 1. Effect of the Tunnel Depth Relative to
modeling. Also, at a depth of 30 meters, the amount of Diameter (H/D) and Internal Friction Angle of the
settlement in Atkinson [7] relation is equal to 4.6 mm, Soil on Surface Settleme Figure 4 shows the
while at the same depth, the amount of settlement results of numerical modeling for the case where a
obtained from ABAQUS software is equal to 6 mm, building with the width and length of 10 and 20 meters,
which shows about 30% higher values. Fig. 3 compares respectively, is located above the tunnel axis and the
the amount of surface settlement with increasing diameter of the tunnel is equal to a constant value of 3
distance from the tunnel center in the analytical meters and different depths of 30, 50, 70, and 90 meters.
1089 A. M. Rajabi et al. / IJE TRANSACTIONS B: Applications Vol. 34, No. 05, (May 2021) 1085-1093

The internal friction angle of the soil is 15, 20, 25, and 30 According to this figure, the settlement decreases with
degrees in this case. According to Figure 4, the maximum increasing the internal friction angle of the soil. In other
settlement is for the internal friction angle of 15 degrees words, the amount of surface settlement is more when the
and the tunnel depth of 30 meters. ratio of the tunnel depth to diameter is equal to 10
compared to when this ratio is equal to 30.

7 PECK
3. 2. 2. Effect of Cohesion Relative to Modulus of
ATKINSON Elasticity (C/E) and Internal Friction Angle of the
6
Soil on Surface Settlement
Surface Settlement (mm)

Present Study Ф=30 The effect of

5 cohesion relative to the soil modulus of elasticity is
4
investigated in this section for different values of the
internal friction angle of sand-clay soils. Figure 5 shows
3 the results of numerical modeling for the case where a
2 building with the width and length of 10 and 20 meters,
respectively, is located above the tunnel axis.
1 The soil modulus of elasticity is considered as 13
0 MPa, and its cohesion is 10, 20, 30, and 40 kPa,
20 40 60 80 100 respectively. The tunnel burial depth and the diameter of
Tunnel Depth (m) the tunnel are 50 and 5 meters, respectively. Besides, the
Figure 2. Comparing the amount of surface settlement in internal friction angles of soil are 15, 20, 25, and 30,
experimental and numerical relations while the Poisson’s ratio has been considered to be equal
to 0.3.
According to Figure 5, the maximum amount of
12 Bobet(2001) settlement is for the internal friction angle of the soil
Loghanathn-poulos(1983) equal to 15 degrees and the soil cohesion of 10 kPa.
10 Present Study (ABAQUS) Based on the observations, the settlement decreases with
increasing the soil internal friction angle. As can be
Ground Settlement (m)

8
observed, for a constant modulus of elasticity equal to 13
6
MPa, surface settlement decreases with the increasing
ratio of the soil cohesion to modulus of elasticity.
4
3. 2. 3. Effect of the Building Length Relative to the
2 Tunnel Depth (D/L) and the Soil Internal Friction
Angle on the Surface Settlement The effect
0
of the Building length relative to the tunnel diameter is
10 20 30 40
Distance from the Tunnel Center (m) investigated for different internal friction angles in
sandy-clay soils. The width and length of the building are
Figure 3. Comparison of the amount of settlement in
analytical and numerical methods
4.2
4.1
4.5
Surface settlement (mm)

4
4
Surface Settlement (mm)

3.9
3.5 3.8
ɸ =15
3 ɸ =20 3.7
ɸ =25
3.6
2.5 ɸ =15
3.5 ɸ =20
2 ɸ =25
3.4
1.5 0.008 0.013 0.018 0.023 0.028
10 15 20 25 30
Ratio of Soil Cohesion to Modulus of Elasticity (C/E)
Tunnel Depth to Diameter Ratio (H/D) Figure 5. Changes in the surface settlement for the ratio of
Figure 4. Surface settlement changes for the tunnel depth to soil cohesion to modulus of elasticity (C/E) where modulus
diameter (H/D) ratio, where D is 3 meters of elasticity is 13 Mpa
 A. M. Rajabi et al. / IJE TRANSACTIONS B: Applications Vol. 34, No. 05, (May 2021) 1085-1093 1090

10 meters. The tunnel diameter is variable and equal to 3, and variable widths of 5, 10, 15, and 20 meters. The soil
5, 7, and 9 meters with a burial depth of 50 meters. The Poisson Ratios were 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4. The tunnel
soil internal friction angles are 15, 20, 25, and 30, while diameter is 5 meters with a burial depth of 50 meters, and
the modulus of elasticity, cohesion, and the Poisson’s the internal friction angle, cohesion, and modulus of
ratio of the soil are 17 MPa, 20, and 0.3, respectively. elasticity were 30 degrees, 20 kPa, and 23 MPa,
Figure 6 shows the results of modeling. As shown in respectively. With increasing the width of the building,
Figure 6, the surface settlement decreases with an the ratio of the building width to length grows from 0.25
increase in the soil internal friction angle. to 1, increasing the stiffness and rigidity of the building
At a constant length of 10 meters for the building, the and decreasing the surface as well as building settlement.
surface settlement increases with an increase in the tunnel Similarly, by increasing the soil Poisson ratio from 0.1 to
diameter. As the diameter of the tunnel increases, the 0.4, the surface settlement also increases.
settlement increases due to the increasing excavation
volume, the removal of part of the soil mass, and the 3. 2. 5. Effect of the Building Width Relative to its
occurrence of strains leading to the settlement. Length (B/L) and the Soil Cohesion on the Surface
Settlement The effect of building width on land
3. 2. 4. Effect of the Building width Relative to its settlement for different amounts of soil cohesion has been
Length (B/L) and the Poisson’s Ratio on the investigated. A building with different widths of 5, 10,
Surface Settlement Figure 7 shows the modeling 15, and 20 meters and a constant length of 10 meters is
results for a building with a constant length of 20 meters located above the tunnel axis. The tunnel diameter is 5
meters and its burial depth is 50 meters. Besides, the soil
cohesion values are 10, 20, 30, and 40 kPa. According to
1.9 Figure 8, the maximum settlement is for the soil cohesion
ɸ =15
1.85 ɸ =20 of 40 kPa and the building width of 20 meters. It is also
Surface Settlement (mm)

1.8 ɸ =25 observed that with increasing soil cohesion, settlement

ɸ =30
1.75 decreases. Therefore, the soil with the cohesion of 30 kPa
1.7 has less settlement than soil with cohesion of 10 kPa. As
1.65 the width of the building increases at the constant
1.6
building length equal to 20 meters, the stiffness of the
building increases, and settlement decreases.
1.55
1.5
3. 2. 6. Effect of the Building width Relative to its
1.45
Length (B/L) and the Soil Modulus of Elasticity on
1.4 the Surface Settlement Figure 9 shows the
0.3 0.5 0.7 0.9
numerical modeling results for a building with a length
Ratio of the Tunnel Depth to the Building Length (D/L) of 20 meters and different widths of 5, 10, 15, and 20,
Figure 6. Changes in the surface settlement for the ratio of respectively. The soil modulus of elasticity is different
the tunnel depth to the building length (D/L) where the and equal to 13, 23, 33, and 44 MPa. The tunnel burial
building length is 10 meters

3.5
5 C =10
ϑ=0.4 ϑ=0.3 3.45 C =20
4.5 C =30
Surface Settlement(mm)

ϑ=0.2
Surface Settlement (mm)

C =40
3.4
4

3.5 3.35

3 3.3

2.5 3.25

2 3.2

1.5 3.15
0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
The Building Width to the Length Ratio (B/L) The Building Width to the Length Ratio (B/L)
Figure 7. Changes in the surface settlement for the ratio of Figure 8. Changes in the surface settlement for the ratio of
the building width to the length (B/L) for different Poisson the building width to the length (B/L) for different soil
ratios (L = 20 meters, ɸ =30°) cohesions (C) (L=20 meters, ɸ= 30°)
1091 A. M. Rajabi et al. / IJE TRANSACTIONS B: Applications Vol. 34, No. 05, (May 2021) 1085-1093

depth is 70 meters and its diameter is 5 meters.The 6

maximum settlement is for the soil modulus elasticity of With Structure
5 Without Structure
13 MPa and the building width of 5 meters. It is also
observed that the settlement decreases with the 4

Surface
increasing modulus of elasticity. Accordingly, the soil
with a modulus of elasticity of 44 MPa has less settlement 3
than the case of 13 MPa. As the building width of the 2
building, while the length is constant and equal to 20
meters, the surface settlement decreases. According to 1
Figure 9, when the ratio of building width to length is
0
equal to 1, the settlement is 1.9 mm for the soil with a 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
modulus of elasticity of 13 MPa, and 1.75 mm for the The Tunnel Depth to Diameter Ratio
modulus of elasticity of 44 MPa. This indicates that with
an increase in modulus of elasticity from 13 to 44 MPa, Figure 10. Changes in the surface settlement for the ratio of
the settlement decreased by about 8%. the tunnel depth to diameter with and without considering
the building (D=5 meters)
3. 2. 7. Investigating the Effect of Building Weight
on the Surface Settlement and Surface Building width and length of 10 and 20 meters, respectively. The
The effect of the building weight on the surface tunnel diameter is constant at 9 meters with variable
settlement is investigated in the following. Given that depths of 30, 50, 70, and 90 meters. As the distance of
with increasing the load of the building on the surface the building from the tunnel axis increases, the settlement
surface, the settlement also increases. dramatically decreases; therefore, that after a certain
Figure 10 presents the results of modeling with and distance, settlement decreases to almost zero. Increasing
without considering the building. The tunnel diameter the distance between the building and the tunnel leads to
was 5 meters, and the buried depths were 30, 50, 70, and reduced surface settlement, but the trend becomes
90 meters, along with a 3-story building with a width of constant after a distance equal to the diameter of the
10 m and a length of 20 meters and a load of 1600 kg/m2 tunnel. The maximum increase in settlement is for the
due to the weight of the building. The results show that range of 0-10 meters because most changes in vertical
surface settlement increases with increasing the load on and lateral pressure have occurred in this range.
the soil and the addition of the building.
3. 3.Sensitivity Analysis One of the primary
3. 8. Effect of the Building Distance from the measures after modeling is to determine the sensitivity of
Tunnel Center Relative to the Building Length the target modeled to input parameters. As a general rule,
(X/L) and the Tunnel Depth on the Surface all parameters were kept constant except one parameter,
Settlement Figure 11 shows the numerical which was changed to a certain percentage, to determine
modeling results for a building located at distances of 10, the impact of the input parameters on the target [15].
20, 30, and 40 meters from the tunnel axis and constant Table 3 presents the results obtained in this study based

2.2 E=13Mpa E=23Mpa

0.5
E=33Mpa E=44Mpa
0.45
Surface Settlement (mm)

2.1 H=30 H=50

0.4
Surface Settlement(mm)

H=70 H=90
2 0.35
0.3
1.9 0.25
0.2
1.8 0.15
0.1
1.7 0.05
0
1.6 0.5 1 1.5 2
0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 The distance from the tunnel axis to the
The Building Width to the Length Ratio (B/L)
Figure 9. Changes in the surface settlement for the ratio of Figure 11. Changes in the surface settlement for the ratio of
the building width to the length (B/L) for different soil the distance from the tunnel axis to the building length (X/L)
modulus of elasticity (E) (L=20 m, ɸ= 30°) for different tunnel depths (H in meters) (ɸ =30°)
 A. M. Rajabi et al. / IJE TRANSACTIONS B: Applications Vol. 34, No. 05, (May 2021) 1085-1093 1092

TABLE 3. The effect of increasing the input parameters up to more resistant to displacement. As the lateral distance
20% on the surface settlement (%) between the building and the tunnel (X) increases, the
Parameters D H C E ν Ф surface settlement increases initially, and after an
Values approximately equal distance to the tunnel diameter, the
Obtained settlement changes show a steady trend. The highest
from 0.85 1.05 0.52 0.97 0.74 0.67 increase in settlement is between 0 and 10 meters because
Sensitivity most vertical and lateral pressure changes occur in this
Analysis
range. As the internal soil friction angle (ϕ), soil cohesion
*D: Tunnel Diameter; H: Tunnel Depth; C: Cohesion; E: Modulus of
Elasticity; ν: Soil Poisson's Ratio; Ф: Internal friction angle
(C), and the modulus of elasticity (E) increase, the
surface settlement decreases. According to the results of
sensitivity analysis, among the geomechanical
on a 20% increase in the mentioned parameters. The parameters of the soil examined in this study, the
significant difference between the actual values indicates modulus of elasticity and cohesion had the highest and
the greater impact of the deleted parameter on the results. lowest effect on the surface settlement, respectively. In
Accordingly, the effect of various parameters used in general, the results of numerical modeling showed that if
modeling was investigated. Generally, values greater the exact parameters of soil and building are available,
than 0.9 indicate a significant impact of the parameter on numerical modeling provides acceptable results in the
the output (settlement), and values less than 0.8 represent estimation of surface settlement resulted in from the
a weak effect on the output parameter [14]. surface building.
According to Table 3, the depth of the tunnel had the
highest effect on the surface settlement, which can be
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Persian Abstract
‫چکیده‬
‫ تعداد طبقات و فاصله‬،)L( ‫ طول‬،)B( ‫ عرض‬،)H( ‫ عمق تونل‬،)D( ‫ تاثیر پارامترهای مختلف از جمله قطر تونل‬،‫در این مطالعه با استفاده از نرمافزار اجزای محدود آباکوس‬
‫) روی نشست خاک مورد‬C( ‫) و چسبندگی‬E( ‫ مدول االستیسیته‬،(υ) ‫) نسبت پواسون‬ϕ( ‫) و ویژگیهای خاک شامل زاویه اصطکاک داخلی‬X( ‫افقی ساختمان از محور تونل‬
‫ میزان نشست کاهش یافته و با کاهش مدول االستیسیته و چسبندگی خاک به علت‬،‫ نتایج نشان می دهد که با افزایش زاویه اصطکاک داخلی خاک‬.‫بررسی قرار گرفته است‬
‫ همچنین در یک عمق ثابت با افزایش قطر تونل نشست زمین افزایش مییابد در حالی که با افزایش عمق قرارگیری تونل میزان‬.‫سخت شدن خاک نشست افزایش مییابد‬
‫ تغییرات عرض و طول ساختمان نیز اثر مستقیم بر روی نشست دارد؛ به طوری که با افزایش عرض و طول ساختمان به علت افزایش سطح مقطع پی‬.‫نشست کاهش می یابد‬
‫ همچنین با‬.‫ نشست پی سازه یکنواخت تر و در برابر جابجایی از خود مقاومت بیشتری نشان میدهد و نشست زمین کاهش مییابد‬،‫ساختمان و افزایش صلبیت و سختی آن‬
‫ نتایج آنالیز حساسیت انجام گرفته نشان میدهد‬.‫ روند ثابتی داشته است‬،‫افزایش فاصله سازه از محور تونل نشست زمین کاهش پیدا کرده و پس از فاصله ای معادل با قطر تونل‬
‫ عمق قرارگیری تون ل بیشترین تاثیر را در نشست سطح زمین دارد که با کنترل عمق قرار گیری تونل از سطح زمین میتوان از نشستهای‬،‫در بین پارامترهای انتخاب شده‬
‫ در نهایت‬.‫ در این مطالعه پارامتر مدول االستیسیته بیشترین تاثیر را روی نشست سطح زمین دارد‬،‫ همچنین دربین پارامترهای ژئومکانیکی خاک‬.‫سطح زمین جلوگیری نمود‬
‫ سازه و خاک بر روی نشست زمین به خصوص در محیطهای شهری بسیار حائز اهمیت است و بایستی مورد توجه‬،‫نتایج این مطالعه نشان میدهد تاثیر مشخصات تونل‬
.‫طراحان قرار گیرد‬