Limit Analysis of Collapse Mechanisms for Tunnel Roofs Subjected to Pore Water Pressure: A Numerical Approach

The collapse mechanism of a circular unlined tunnel roof subjected to the pore water pressure under plane strain conditions is investigated in this article. First, the model of calculating the function expression of the detaching surface for the collapsing block is formed in the framework of the upper bound theorem of limit analysis and the extremum principle. The analytical solution of the pore water pressure around the tunnel in a two-dimensional steady seepage field is employed in the equations of the model. Then, the numerical approach based on the Runge–Kutta algorithm and traversal search method is proposed to solve the complex equations. The obtained expression of the detaching surface for the collapsing block provides the shape of the collapsing block and a theoretical basis for designing the support force for tunnels. The proposed limit analysis method and numerical approach are verified by comparing with existing theoretical solutions and the numerical simulation result, and they are suitable for deep, shallow tunnels and layered strata. Moreover, the effects of different parameters on the collapse mechanism are investigated, and qualitative results are provided.