Discontinuum analyses of openings constructed with side drift and limited rock cover

The design of rock support for a typical horseshoe shaped tunnel with considerations of it being excavated into a twin arch tunnel was studied using the distinct element method (DEM). Two different competent rock covers, i.e. 4 m and 7.5 m above the tunnel crown, were analysed. The results are relevant to the granitic geological unit in Singapore which has a weathering profile with rockhead found at some locations to be only 20–35 m below ground level and undulating, leaving limited rock cover for some sections along tunnels of similar depth. The verification of the adequacy of competent rock cover is important to ensure that the choice of ground support is suitable, particularly when the tunnel is excavated using the drill-and-blast method. In the opening geometry analysed in this study, a side drift is excavated adjacent to the first tunnel to create a twin arch opening. This creates a pillar between the openings during the intermediate construction stage. The influence of excavating the side drift on the support of the first opening was studied. We found that the bolt forces in the pillar approximately doubled during the excavation of the side drift, which may have been due to the rock joint inclinations and adopted strength parameters. This paper shows how DEM analyses may be used to complement conventional empirical rock mass classifications to design rock supports. Limitations of the pressure relaxation approach to model 3D effects in 2D are acknowledged.