Experimental Analysis of Wheel Load on Tunnels

Abstract

Construction of tunnels in urban areas for various purposes such as underground transportation and sewage disposal usually includes excavation in soil or semi-rigid media. The need for analysis of wheel loads on tunnels arises due to the future development in the area above the tunnel. If it is a road development, as vehicles pass through it, load of those vehicles may finally act upon the tunnel. But for the present stress calculations, the tire load effect is not considered. The load effect depends upon the height of soil above the tunnel. At higher thickness of soil above the tunnel, the wheel effect is minimum and at lower thickness the tire load plays an important role for the development of stress in the tunnel lining. So the effect of wheel load should be taken into consideration. The present study aims at assessing the wheel load stress acting over the pavement which finally comes to tunnel through a model setup. The study takes into account the different types of loading, i.e., parallel and perpendicular loading for both rigid and flexible pavement for different thicknesses. The result so obtained helps to determine the stress induced in the tunnel due to the overlying wheel load.