Back analysis of an operating subsea tunnel considering the degradation of ground and concrete lining

ABSTRACT

An evaluation of the stability of subsea tunnels during operation is very important considering the risks involved with subsea tunnels. Although a large volume of monitoring information can be obtained, back analysis has been performed based on the internal displacement. In this study, the efficiency of an estimation of the safety of an operating subsea tunnel has been improved by implementing the back analysis algorithm based on various monitoring information. The differential evolution algorithm was adopted for back analysis of an operating subsea tunnel. The differential evolution algorithm was improved to accommodate the multiple target variables for back analysis, such as the elastic modulus, cohesion, friction angle of the ground, and the time-dependent elastic modulus of concrete lining. In addition, the elastic modulus of the concrete lining and the properties of reinforced ground can be evaluated with the proposed algorithm using a range of monitoring data, such as the internal displacement and stress acting on the lining. In summary, back analysis with a differential evolution algorithm can be used to evaluate the stability of an operating subsea tunnel.