Effect of near-fault ground motions with long-period pulses on the tunnel

Investigations from recent strong earthquakes indicate most of the tunnels severely damaged are located near the causative faults. First, the dynamic response of the tunnel to the near-fault and far-field ground motions was investigated. The results show that the near-fault motions with long-period pulses especially the forward directivity pulses are more damaging than the typical far-field records, which should be reflected in the seismic design guideline for tunnels near causative faults. Furthermore, the effects of the key parameters for the simplified pulse on the dynamic response of the tunnel were also studied. Generally, the pulse with larger amplitude brings more energy and leads to larger strains in rock. Consequently, it becomes more damaging to the tunnel. The period of the pulse can remarkably influence the response of the tunnel. When the period of the pulse is less than 3.0 s, the pulse becomes less damaging to the tunnel with the increase of the period. Once the period exceeds 3.0 s, the pulse has little effect on the dynamic response of the tunnel. Thus, the earthquake with lower magnitude, which is likely to leads to lower period, may be more damaging to the tunnel. Besides, as the number of significant cycles increases, the damage potential of the ground motions increases accordingly. For the sake of security, two significant cycles in velocity-time history are recommended for the seismic design of tunnels close to ruptured faults.