Three-Dimensional Numerical Analysis of the Tunnel for Polyaxial State of Stress

Abstract EN

The aim of this study is to have a comprehensive understanding of the mechanical behavior of rock masses around excavation under different value of intermediate principal stress.

Numerical simulation was performed to investigate the influence of intermediate principal stress using a new polyaxial strength criterion which takes polyaxial state of stress into account.

In order to equivalently substitute polyaxial failure criterion with Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion, a mathematical relationship was established between these two failure criteria.

The influence of intermediate principal stress had been analyzed when Mohr-Coulomb strength criterion and polyaxial strength criterion were applied in the numerical simulation, respectively.

Results indicate that intermediate principal stress has great influence on the mechanical behavior of rock masses; rock strength enhanced by intermediate principal stress is significant based on polyaxial strength criterion; the results of numerical simulation under Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion show that it does not exert a significant influence on rock strength.

Results also indicate that when intermediate principal stress is relatively small, polyaxial strength criterion is not applicable.