Tunnel Support Design Software - Tunnelling Association of Canada

Hoek, E., Carvalho, J., Diederichs, M. Tunnel Support Design Software. 1993 Tunnelling Association of Canada Annual Publication.
Tunnel Support Design Software
E. Hoek
Vancouver, British Columbia
Jose Carvalho
Golder Associates
Mississauga, Ontario
M. Diederichs
Geomechanics Research Centre
Sudbury, Ontario
Abstract:
Instability of the rock mass surrounding tunnels can be divided into two categories: structurally
controlled instability and stress induced instability. In the first category, instability is caused by
blocks or wedges which are defined by intersecting structural features such as bedding planes,
joints and faults. In the second category, the strength of the rock mass is exceeded by the stresses
induced by excavation of the tunnel, resulting in spalling, slabbing or squeezing of the rock. The
Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto, with funding provided by the
mining industry, has developed a family of user-friendly microcomputer programs to address
these problems. The three programs described in this paper are DIPS, a program for the analysis
of structural geology data, UNWEDGE, a program for the analysis and visualization of wedges in
the rock around an opening and PHASES, a program for the analysis of stress induces instability.
These programs are intended for use in iterative design procedures in which alternative support
systems can be compared in rapid succession. The programs are accessed through a common
graphical interface and as much of the input and calculation is done automatically, using default
values which can be edited if required.
Resume:
Les instabilites de la masse rocheuse formant les parios des galeries souteraines peuvent etre
divisees en deux groupes: les instabilites causees par la composition structurale du roc et les
instabilites causees par les contraintes internes. Dans la premiere categorie, les instabilites sont
causees par des blocs et des cales qui sont cree par des proprietes structurales presentes dans le
roc comme les failles et les joints. Dans la deuxieme categorie, les contraintes induites lors de
l'excavation de la galerie depassent la resistance du roc. Il en resulte l'effrittement, l'equarissage
ou la surcompression du roc. Le departement de genie civil de l'Universite de Toronto, avec
l'appui financier de l'industrie rniniere, a developpe une serie de logiciels inforrnatiques "facile a
utiliser" (user-friendly) qui s'adressent a ces problemes. Le programme DIPS analyse les donnees
structurales de la geologie. Le programme UNWEDGE analyse et visualyse les cales qui sont a
proximite d'une ouverture. Le demier programme, PHASES, analyse les instabilites causees par
des contraintes trop elevees. Ces programmes peuvent etre utilisees lors de la conception par
iterations a travers lesquelles les systemes de support alternatifs peuvent etre rapidement et
successivement compares. De plus, les programmes peuvent etre accedes par une interface
graphique. L'entree des donnees et les calculs sont fait automatiquement en utilisant les valeurs
par defaut qui peuvent etre changees si necessaire.
Keywords: Analysis of structural geology data; Analysis of structurally controlled failure;
Analysis of stress induced instability; DIPS; UNWEDGE; PHASES.
This Compilation of TAC Papers was prepared courtesy of