Application of Convergence Confinement Analysis to the study of preceding displacement of a squeezing rock tunnel

Summary This paper deals with a study on the geomechanical behavior of the rock mass around the tunnel. The Convergence Confinement Analysis is one of the most appropriate way to estimate this behavior. Elasto-plastic models proposed by Hoek and Brown, Egger and Kastner were adopted in this study.Measurements of the preceding displacement were performed in a road tunnel in Japan, the geology of which is Neogene squeezing mudstone. The measured data was compared with the results of Convergence Confinement Analysis.The preceding displacement was about 40% against the upper bench face converged displacement and 17% against the final converged displacement. Meanwhile, it increased drastically in lower bench excavation step.Back analysis was also executed to calculate the extension of the plastic zone of the rock mass, which was half of that estimated by Convergence Confinement Analysis in upper bench excavation step. But, in lower bench excavation step, the results of the two analyses were very similar. The support pressure and support stiffness were also calculated.