Time influence of tunnel support on the factor of safety

Before taking any measures to build a tunnel, the rock (soil) is in a primary stress state, which means that the stress state is a function of the thickness of the overburden. At the moment when the measures necessary to excavate a tunnel are taken, the rock state changes from primary to secondary, leading to stress concentration, especially in the tunnel abutments. If the rock is capable of accepting these stresses, a state of equilibrium is reached after certain deformations. Plastic deformations can occur if the stresses are larger than the strength of the rock mass. To avoid excessive deformations or collapse of the rock and the tunnel excavation, it is necessary to place a support. The achieved factor of safety is a function of both the support type and the time when the support is installed. This paper shall present a numerical example of different pressures considered in order to obtain the rock’s reaction curve