Due to the high tensile strength, light weight, high workability, high corrosion resistance, and ease installation on irregular surfaces, Polymer Cement Mortor (PCM) shotcrete by means of Fiber Reinforcement Plastics (FRP) grid for repairing and reinforcing concrete structures has become a reliable technique in civil engineering practices. Extensive experimental verifications have shown that the existing reinforced concrete (RC) members can be strengthened with externally bonded FRP composites. However, until now, the construction cases of applying the FRP-PCM method to tunnel lining are still few, and the design routine of this method based on the quantitative evaluation of reinforcement effects has not been established.
In this paper, we studied the reinforcement effect of the FRP-PCM method on tunnel linings, by conducting numerical simulations of tunnel model with a cavity located in the back of lining. Numerical simulations of tunnel deformation caused by loosening pressure were conducted. Reinforcement effects using the FRP-PCM method in the cases with different rock mass rating, loosening height and deterioration level of lining concrete were also discussed.
