Investigation on pile-soil-tunnel interaction due to adjacent loaded pile row by 3D FEM

Abstract

The effect of adjacent loaded pile row on the existing tunnel is analysed by 3D finite element method. The MRTA project is used as reference case in this study. The case study is divided into two cases, tunnel and pile tip located in soft clay and stiff clay, respectively. The pile diameter of 1 m and pile tip located at the elevation of tunnel crown with various number of piles within the row were considered. The analysis results are shown in terms of total soil displacement (without tunnel) and maximum tunnel deformations. Both total soil displacements and tunnel deformation increase with the number of piles and approach a maximum value when the number of piles is greater than 13 and 11 for cases tunnel in soft and stiff clay, respectively. This reveals that the tunnel deformation mechanism is primarily due to the soil displacement.