Abstract

This study investigates the failure mechanism and load-carrying capacity of a single-shell lining which has no disturbance in transfer of shear force, with respect to a conventional double-shell lining which has separation between layers of shotcrete lining and secondary concrete lining by water-proof membrane. In order to evaluate the capacity, a 2-D numerical investigation is preliminarily carried out and then real-scale loading tests with tunnel lining section specimens are performed on the condition given by the numerical investigation. In the test, a concentrated load is applied for considering a released ground load or rock wedge load. Through this study, it appears that the single-shell lining takes the load-bearing capacity 20% higher than in case of the double-shell lining. In addition, a possibility of a composite single-shell shotcrete layer composed by multiple bonded layers partly involving different contents of high-capacity additives is shown thereby leading to use of less amount of the high-capacity additives on the condition of taking a similar load-bearing capacity.