Soil-foundation interaction model for the assessment of tunnelling-induced damage to masonry buildings

•A simplified model is developed for tunnel-soil-building interaction problems.•The soil response is represented by a nonlinear Winkler model.•The soil-foundation model provides a good match with 3D finite element analysis.•Frictional sliding at the soil-foundation interface is a significant mechanism. Shallow tunnel construction inevitably causes local ground movements to occur. In an urban environment, these ground movements may cause damage to existing buildings on the ground surface. This paper describes a new, simplified, one-dimensional (1D) soil-foundation interaction model for use in damage assessment analyses of buildings that are at risk of tunnelling-induced damage. Simplified models of this sort facilitate efficient building risk assessments for urban infrastructure projects. The proposed soil-foundation interaction model is intended principally for buildings with traditional load-bearing masonry construction founded on embedded shallow foundations. A nonlinear Winkler model (incorporating shear and normal tractions acting on the foundation and the possibility of frictional sliding and gapping beneath the footing) is used to represent the soil-foundation interaction; the model also provides a means of specifying the tunnel-induced ground movements. The soil-foundation interaction model is demonstrated by combining it with a 2D plane stress model of a building facade; the combined model is shown to provide a close representation of the response of the facade to tunnel-induced ground movements, as computed with a corresponding 3D finite element model, but at a small fraction of the computational cost.