Improved Design of Tunnel Supports: Volume 3 - Finite Element Analysis of the Peachtree Center Station in Atlanta

Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference Centerhttps://doi.org/10.21949/15267431980PDFTech ReportAzzouz, Amr S.Schwartz, Charles W.Einstein, Herbert H.Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyJohn A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)United States. Urban Mass Transportation AdministrationUnited States. Urban Mass Transportation AdministrationAtlanta (Georgia)TunnelsTunnel liningExcavation and tunnelingFinite element methodStructural designSoil mechanicsUnderground structuresPlastic deformationDOT-TSC-UMTA-80-27.3;UMTA-MA-06-0100-80-6;PB80-225170Volume 3 contains the application of the three-dimensional (3-D) finite element program, Automatic Dynamic Incremental Nonlinear Analysis (ADINA), which was designed to replace the traditional 2-D plane strain analysis, to a specific location. The location is the Peachtree Center Station in Atlanta, Georgia. The purpose of the study was to demonstrate the practical use of such a methodology. Predictions of ground movements and stresses caused by the enlargement of the pilot tunnel to form the test chamber, and by the excavation of the main station cavern are displayed. Plots of calculated stresses and deformation are shown in a form suitable for practical comparisons with instrument readings. This application of the three-dimensional finite element model is intended to illustrate some of the advantages and limitations of such methods when used for design or to compare predicted movements with measured movements. The effectiveness of the 3-D analysis for design is constrained but not excluded by the time and total cost requirements of the analysis. The potential design savings will probably outweigh the analysis costs in cases where complex ground-structure interaction cannot be realistically modeled by other methods.138