Potential Roof Collapse Analysis of Tunnel Considering the Orthotropic Weak Interlayer on the Detaching Surface

The evaluation of the roof collapse in tunnels or cavities remains one of the most complex issues in geotechnical engineering. Taking the detaching surface of the tunnel roof collapse as an orthotropic weak interlayer, an analytical approach for determining the limit collapse range considering the arch effect of the tunnel is presented in this paper by the variation calculus. A discontinuity criterion moving from the anisotropic criterion proposed by the present authors is applied to the orthotropic interlayer. The phenomenon of sharp points in collapse blocks is further analyzed. Based on the proposed approach, illustrated examples are analyzed to investigate the effect of the strength parameters and the consideration of the collapse cusp, which show different influence laws on the range of collapse blocks. Those interesting conclusions can provide guidance for the prediction of the collapse mechanism of the tunnel.