Numerical modeling of tunneling effect on buried pipelines

The underground space in urban areas is frequently congested with utilities, including pipelines and conduits, that are affected by underground construction, e.g., tunneling. This paper carries out finite element (FE) analyses to investigate the effects of tunneling-induced ground movement on pipelines, with special attention to the different soil responses to uplift and downward pipe-soil relative movements. A series of numerical parametric studies with 900 FE simulation runs in total is performed to encompass various combinations of ground settlement profiles, pipe dimensions, material properties, pipe burial depth, and soil properties that are typical for utility pipelines and tunnel construction in urban areas. The results are summarized in a dimensionless plot of relative pipe-soil stiffness versus ratio of maximum pipe curvature to maximum ground curvature, which can be used to directly estimate the maximum pipe bending strain and (or) to directly assess the tunneling-induced risk to pipelines. The FE results and dimensionless plot are validated against field and centrifuge test results reported in the literature. Effect of pipeline orientation with respect to the tunnel centerline is explored. It might be unconservative if design analysis only considers the case that the pipeline is perpendicular to the tunnel centerline. © NRC Research Press 2011.