‘Tunnel 99’, the Swedish National Road Administration´s (SNRA) general technical specification for road tunnels requires that the load bearing system must be designed to withstand specified design explosion loads. This paper presents the results of an SNRA study to provide a perspective of design analyses tailored to comply with the new requirement. The paper provides an example of a design analysis for assumed tunnel conditions using a numerical model. Dynamic predictions of potential damage to the rock mass and ground support system (rock bolts and shotcrete) from the specified explosion loads are presented including the nonlinear response of the shotcrete.

"Tunnel 99", qui fixe les règles de l'Administration nationale suedoise des Routes (Vagverket) concernant la conception et la construction des tunnels routiers, requiert entre autres que la structure porteuse soit capable de resister à certaines contraintes specifiques resultant d'explosions. Cette etude presente les resultats d'une etude effectuee par Vagverket en vue d'obtenir une perspective d'analyses de conception specialement elaborees pour se conformer aux nouvelles règles. Il contient un exemple d'analyse en fonction de conditions determinees, basee sur un modèle numerique. Des previsions de'etudes dynamiques de dommages potentiels subis par la masse rocheuse et les systèmes de soutènement (boulons d'ancrage et beton projete) du fait des contraintes liberees par la force d'explosion specifiee sont egalement presentees, y compris dans le cas d'une reaction non lineaire du revêtement en beton.

"Tunnel 99" - die Vorschriften fuer Strassentunnel der Nationalen Schwedischen Behörde fuer Straßenwesen - (Vagverket) - fordern vom Tragsystem eine Auslegung in der Form, dass es spezifischen Explosionsbelastungen standhalt. Dieser Artikel prasentiert die Ergebnisse einer Studie der Behörde, um einen Ausblick ueber konstruktive Auslegungen zu geben, die geeignet sind, die neuen Vorschriften zu erfuellen. Der Artikel zeigt ein Beispiel einer konstruktive Auslegung fuer eine angenommene Tunnelsituation mit Hilfe eines numerischen Modells. Voraussagen unter Beachtung der vollstandigen dynamischen Berechnung zu potentiellen Schadigungen des Gebirges und des Ausbaus (Anker und Spritzbetonauskleidung) durch die spezifizierten Explosionsbelastungen, einschließlich des nichtlinearen Verhaltens der Spritzbetonauskleidung, werden gezeigt.

Introduction

The Swedish National Road Administration (SNRA) has updated its general technical specification for road tunnels in 'Tunnel 99'1. Several new design requirements were added. One such requirement states that the tunnel load bearing system (i.e., rock mass and ground support) in addition to static loads must be designed for specified accidental explosion loadsa. This reflects the permission to transport goods of a volatile nature but limited explosive energy in Swedish rock tunnels. The SNRA recognized the unique aspects of the requirement and the possible need to provide a perspective of its compliance. In addition, the effects of particular explosive loads on the general stability of tunnel configurations in 'typical' Swedish rocks were somewhat uncertain. In terms of design analyses, the SNRA anticipated that contributions from numerical models would be needed. To improve understanding of the problem in general, and to demonstrate the behavior of the load bearing system when subjected to explosion loads, the SNRA initiated a study concerning this specific area of tunnel design. The project goals were:

  1. to provide a basis for prospective modifications of the specified explosion-load functions in the context of model limitations (e.g., stress wave propagation).

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