Finite Element Limit Analysis for Stability of Tunnels Considering the Effect of Seismic Force

Abstract

This article presents a study on the stability of a circular tunnel in clay by considering the effect of pseudo-static seismic body force, were the finite element limit analysis software, namely OptumG2, is used to analyze the tunnel stability in a two-dimensional system. This finite element limit analysis can provide a great accuracy and can handle complicated problems. The shear strength soil including C and Ø are considered by using the Mohr-coulomb model. The considered parameters are the cover-depth ratio and horizontal seismic coefficient. The findings of this investigation demonstrates that a higher horizontal seismic coefficient can cause an increase in the pressure inside the circular tunnel.