journal article·2025-12-11Open access

Complex Predictions for Stress and Displacement of Deep Buried Tunnels with Concrete Lining in Parallel Inclined Multi-Layered Surrounding Rocks

Xuefei Hong, Peng Lin, Haiyan Liu, Zongliang Zhang, Yong Xia, Zhiyun Deng

Applied Sciences· Volume 15· Issue 24

Abstract

A plane strain analytical model was developed for the interaction between inclined multilayered rock strata and concrete tunnel lining in deep buried tunnels, with both structures treated as homogeneous isotropic elastic bodies and two contact modes, no-slip and full-slip, considered. A non-iterative complex variable function method was employed, by which analytical challenges in multiply connected domains were overcome and explicit stress and displacement solutions were obtained. Validation was performed through boundary-condition checks and comparative numerical simulations. The results show that under different tangential contact modes, layer inclinations, and lateral pressure coefficients, the stress error on the inner surface of the lining remains in the order of 10−2 Pa. The stress and displacement components on both sides of each interface satisfy the associated continuity conditions with excellent agreement. The proposed analytical method nearly perfectly satisfies all boundary and continuity conditions. Under non-hydrostatic loading conditions, the numerical and analytical results for different tangential contact modes also show excellent agreement. The von Mises stress errors are generally controlled within 0.03 MPa, and the maximum relative error—located near the inner surface of the lining—remains below 4%, while displacement errors stay below 0.2 mm. Interface stress jumps are accurately captured and oscillations in zones with high stiffness contrast are effectively avoided. The method is presented as a fast and reliable analytical tool for tunnel design under complex multilayered rock conditions.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Geotechnical Engineering and Analysis · Geotechnical Engineering and Underground Structures · Rock Mechanics and Modeling

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

Sichuan Energy Internet Research Institute, Tsinghua University, Chengdu 610213, China

Power Construction Corporation of China, Beijing 100048, China

Powerchina Chengdu Engineering Corporation Limited, Chengdu 610031, China

Technological Innovation Center of Hydropower, Wind, Solar and Energy Storage of Tibet Autonomous Region, Chengdu 610072, China

Funding

Open Project Foundation of the Key Laboratory of Urban Underground Engineering of Ministry of Education · National Natural Science Foundation of China · National Key R&D Program of China · Science and Technology Major Project of Tibetan Autonomous Region of China

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