Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association ISSN:2233-8292(Print) 2287-4747(Online) 한국터널지하공간학회 논문집

In a performance-based design, the structural safety is estimated from pre- defined damage states and corresponding damage indices. Both damage states and damage indices are well defined for above-ground structures, but very limited studies have been performed on underground structures. In this study, we define the damage states and damage indices of a cut-and-cover box tunnel which is one of typical structures used in metro systems, under a seismic excitation from a series of inelastic frame analyses. Three damage states are defined in terms of the number of plastic hinges that develop within the structure. The damage index is defined as the ratio of the elastic moment to the yield moment. Through use of the proposed index, the inelastic behavior and failure mechanism of box tunnels can be simulated and predicted through elastic analysis. In addition, the damage indices are linked to free-field shear strains. Because the free-field shear strain can be easily calculated from a 1D site response analysis, the proposed method can be readily used in practice. Further studies are needed to determine the range of shear strains and associated uncertainties for various types of tunnels and site profiles. However, the inter-linked platform of damage state - damage index - shear wave velocity - shear strain provides a novel approach for estimating the inelastic response of tunnels, and can be widely used in practice for seismic designs.