Nonlinear Response of a Subsea Tunnel Constructed by Two Tunnelling Methods subjected to Strong Seismic Shaking

In this paper, a three-dimensional numerical model is built to study the seismic response of a subsea tunnel constructed by two tunnelling methods, including the TBM tunneling and drill-and-blast tunneling. In the numerical model, the plastic-damage model is used to simulate the elastic and plastic behaviour of concrete under dynamic loadings. To illustrate the seismic response of the tunnel and yet limit the amount of data included in the paper, the work presented is limited to the deformation of tunnel cross sections and dynamic stress responses. Based on the results, the deformation and stressed of different tunnel sections are discussed. Results show that the amplitude of maximal principal stress occurs at sidewall basement of the inner liner. The spandrel and the sidewall basement are the most precarious area.