Pressure waves acting on wall of a tunnel and their impact on the tunnel’s structural safety

Abstract

The transient pressures induced by trains passing through a tunnel and their impact on the structural safety of the tunnel lining were numerically analyzed. The results show that the pressure change increases rapidly along the tunnel length, and the maximum value is observed at around 200 m from the entrance, while the maximum pressure amplitude is detected at 250 m from the entrance when two trains meeting in a double-track tunnel. The maximum peak pressure on the tunnel induced by a train passing through a 70 m² single-track tunnel, 100 m² double-track tunnel and two trains meeting in the 100 m² double-track tunnel at 350 km/h, are −4544 Pa, −3137 Pa and −5909 Pa, respectively. The aerodynamic pressure induced axial forces acting on the tunnel lining are only 8%, 5% and 9%, respectively, of those generated by the earth pressure. It seems that the aerodynamic loads exert little underlying influence on the static strength safety of the tunnel lining providing that the existing cracks and defects are not considered.

Keywords

high-speed train / tunnel / pressure change / tunnel lining / structural safety

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