Ground uncertainty implications in the application of the observational method to underground works. Comparative examples.

Abstract

The geotechnical risk of a tunnel is strongly dependent on ground properties and on the construction techniques and rate of advance. In the urban environment, design is often determined by serviceability limit states of adjacent structures and, to a lesser extent, of the tunnel itself. The observational method (OM) is an effective risk management tool in geotechnical engineering and particularly in tunnel construction. It helps with deciding in the presence of uncertainty in ground conditions. A fundamental prerequisite for its application is that only epistemic uncertainties are present, so that uncertainty reduction of the relevant parameters may be achieved by monitoring. Deterministic models are often used, limiting the versatility and significance of the OM. In this paper conceptual considerations about the implications of ground uncertainty with due account of spatial correlation are presented. A combined computational framework for random finite difference models based on MATLAB and FLAC is introduced. A case study of a tunnel in stiff clayey ground is presented to evaluate the relative importance of the magnitude, type of variability, and spatial correlation of both deformability and shear resistance parameters. A simulated application of the OM is presented with a comparative analysis of the decisions in an OM approach.