Modeling of tunneling-induced ground surface movement

Surface subsidence control during tunnelling in urban areas is required to minimize any disturbance to nearby buildings and services. The main focus of previous studies concerning surface subsidence was basically on empirical solutions derived from field research. The number of analytical studies which have been carried out is not enough because they do not consider complex ground conditions; hence, it is required to model the effect of surface subsidence caused by tunnelling based on comprehensive analytical solution combined with numerical modelling. This paper presents the results of tunneling-induced surface settlement modelling based on finite element method. The effect of the overconsolidation ratio of soils expressed in terms of the coefficient of earth pressure at rest (K₀) on surface subsidence caused by tunnelling is investigated. It is demonstrated that value of K₀ is an essential factor affecting accuracy of consolidation settlement estimate in overconsolidated clays.