A numerical study of the effect of soil and grout material properties and cover depth in shield tunnelling

For shield-driven tunnels, the influence of the soil and grout material properties and of the cover depth on the surface settlements, the loading and deformation of the tunnel lining and the steering of the TBM is investigated numerically. To this end, comparative numerical simulations of a mechanised tunnel advance in homogeneous, overconsolidated, soft, cohesive soil below the ground water table are performed and sensitivities are evaluated. The advancement of the step-by-step tunnel construction process is modelled using a three-dimensional finite element model, which takes into account all relevant components of shield tunnelling. The material behaviour of the saturated soil and the tail void grout is modelled by a two-field finite element formulation in conjunction with an elasto-plastic Cam-Clay model for the soil and a hydration-dependent constitutive model for the grout. The analyses provide valuable information with regard to the significance of the investigated parameters and demonstrate the complexity of the various interactions in shield tunnelling.