Verification and Comparison of Direct Calculation Method for the Analysis of Support–Ground Interaction of a Circular Tunnel Excavation

A direct algorithmic process can deal with the solution of the support–ground interaction in a circular tunnel excavation through the convergence-confinement method (CCM) with the concept of increment. This process is the so-called direct calculation method (DCM) that can find solutions, the mobilized support pressure and the convergence, in the analysis of CCM. To achieve the solution, using two linear equations in the elastic region and Newton’s recursive method to find the roots in the plastic region are proposed and realized by a calculated spreadsheet. The validity of the algorithmic process for the analytical solutions was investigated and verified by the finite element computation, and compared with the published results, Rocksupport (2004), Oreste (2009), and Gschwandtner-Galler (2012). The results obtained between DCM and related studies show no significant differences.