The use of Eulerian finite element method in face stability analysis of shield tunnels in undrained clay

Abstract

This article reports the application of the Eulerian FE method in face stability analysis of shield tunnels in undrained clay. Numerical simulation was first conducted under the total stress framework to verify the accuracy of the approach. Then it was extended to effective stress analysis combined with a critical state model, taking complex behaviours (small strain non-linearity) of soil into consideration. The predictions under the two analysis frameworks were compared in detail, which indicated the small strain formulation of the effective stress constitutive model does not influence the solution for the collapse load but may enhance the predictions of deformation.

Keywords:

• Eulerian FE method
• face stability
• undrained clay
• effective stress analysis
• critical state constitutive model

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support from the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2017YFC0805407), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41630641), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51808387).