Zonal disintegration mechanism of cross-anisotropic rock masses around a deep circular tunnel

The zonal disintegration phenomenon is investigated for cross-anisotropic rock around a deep circular tunnel under hydrostatic pressure condition as well as the total elastic stress-field distributions. The number and size of fractured and non-fractured zones is determined by using the Mohr–Coulomb criterion. Effects of cross-anisotropic elastic parameters of deep rock mass on the zonal disintegration phenomenon are investigated. Numerical computations are carried out. It is shown from numerical results that the number and size of fractured and non-fractured zones significantly depend on to cross-anisotropic elastic parameters of deep rock mass.