Structural optimization of shotcrete lining - load capacity comparison of optimized and non-optimized excavation sections / Strukturoptimierung von Spritzbetonschalen - Versagensanalysen von Spritzbetonschalen bei Betrachtung von Vortriebsoptimierungen

A framework with a robust design of the driving classes is fundamental for the tunnel design. During tunnel advance, the detailed design of the lining is depending on the documented geology and the observed system behaviour. To reduce costs, the excavation profile is optimized with the aim of reducing overbreaks and shotcrete masses. This achieved profile accuracy is beneficial for the load-bearing capacity of the rock and the shotcrete lining. For temporary and permanent tunnel shotcrete linings, the excavation profile accuracy influences the stress distribution, the crack pattern and the expected deformations. In the course of this study, the effect of the excavation geometry on the load-bearing capacity of the primary lining of drill and blast tunnels was examined. For this purpose, shotcrete linings, reinforced by steel meshes and fibre-reinforced linings, were compared in optimized and non-optimized scanned excavation cross-sections. In each case, an ultimate load and failure analysis was carried out to assess shells in the hardened state by means of numerical modelling (ATENA). The aim is to determine the load-bearing capacity of the shell structure in order to obtain a conclusion regarding its structural robustness. The interaction between the rock/soil soil and the structure as well as a time-dependent material behaviour were not considered. It could be shown how an irregular overbreak or an inconsistent shell thickness has a negative effect on the load-bearing capacity of the structure.