Complex Variable Function Solutions in the Mechanical Analysis of Tunnels

This book covers the mechanical problems of tunnels in traffic, hydraulic and mining engineering. By extending the complex variable method in mechanical analysis, it proposes accurate analytical solutions for tunnels. The solutions are further applied to the back analysis of tunnels, hole shape optimization, support design and estimation of tunnel stability. The considered rock characteristics involve elasticity, elastoplasticity, viscoelasticity and anisotropy, and various geometric conditions are included, such as circular/noncircular single/multiple tunnels with/without support at deep/shallow depths. Some original achievements are provided, including new mapping functions for complex regions, precise determination of the noncircular plastic zone around single/twin tunnels and related elastoplastic solutions and quantitative analysis of the interaction between rock and the support, which are new developments of theory and method in rock mechanics. The proposed analytical solutions are reliable tools to initially estimate the design parameters and achieve optimal design, providing guidance in the conceptual stage of the design process. They can clearly reveal the influences of parameters in functional form and provide a benchmark against which the overall correctness of numerical analyses can be assessed. This book summarizes the author's research achievements over more than 20 years. It is a valuable reference for professionals working in geotechnical engineering.