Induced deformation during tunnel excavation: Evidence from geodetic monitoring

This “induced” deformation is not due to effects such as nearby excavations, changes in the hydrological conditions, etc., and to tertiary creep; its distribution along the tunnel axis seems to depend on the potential of “host” sections to accommodate additional stresses from neighboring deformation “source” sections, and it may lead to a progressive, domino-type failure. The overall process is reminiscent of the triggering of new earthquakes by Coulomb static stress changes caused by a certain earthquake, on the condition that the stress level in the epicentral areas of the new events was close to the rupture limit.