Influence of plastic shear strain and confinement-dependent rock dilation on rock failure and displacement near an excavation boundary

Excavation-induced rock failure and displacement near an underground opening boundary is closely associated with rock mass dilation. A better understanding of rock mass dilation around the excavation helps us to predict or anticipate displacements and extent and shape of the failed zone, and subsequently assist design of proper ground support systems. A calibrated cohesion weakening and frictional strengthening (CWFS) model with a constant dilation angle can capture the stress-induced brittle failure shape in hard rocks. However, the use of a constant dilation angle, in either CWFS, Mohr–Coulomb perfectly elasto-plastic, or Mohr–Coulomb strain-softening models, cannot simulate the displacement distribution near the excavation reasonably. In the present study, numerical simulations are performed to study excavation-induced displacement around tunnels located in different rock mass types, i.e., coarse-grained hard rock, medium-grained hard rock, fine–medium-grained soft rock, and fine-grained soft rock, using a mobilized dilation angle model that depends on both confining stress and plastic shear strain. It is illustrated from a few examples that displacement distributions obtained from the dilation angle model are more reasonable when compared with the general trend measured underground.