Physical modeling of tunnel induced displacement in sandy grounds.

Evaluation of ground behavior due to tunneling is a key factor in designing and construction of tunnels, especially in soft grounds. In this study, a physical model setup has been designed and constructed to simulate the excavation procedure of a full-face circular tunnel. Silica sand was used with four different densities and three different cover to tunnel diameter ratios. Full-face excavation was simulated with variation of the tunneling-induced volume loss. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique was employed to monitor the ground deformation throughout the excavation process. A new empirical equation is introduced to predict the maximum ground settlement as a function of ground relative density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]