A field study on monitoring of blasting-induced vibrations of tunnels and its possible use for in-situ stress interferences

The authors performed ground motion measurements during blasting operations at several tunnels in association of rehabilitating the intercity roadways in Turkey in Zonguldak. The authors have been monitoring the blasting-induced vibrations in adjacent tunnel near at Uzulmez tunnel excavated through an urbanized area to see the effects of blasting on adjacent tunnels and ground surface. In this study, the outcomes of monitoring of vibrations in tunnels and at ground surface are presented and some empirical attenuation relations used for assessing the effects of blasting on the adjacent structures are proposed. The authors also attempted to infer in-situ stresses using the damage of blasted-holes. The authors utilized the fault striation method (Aydan 2000) and blasted hole damage method (BHMD) (Aydan 2013). Aydan (2013) proposed a method to estimate the stress state from the damage zone around blasted holes. This method was applied to damage zone around blasted holes and some stress inferences made for the tunnel face. Estimations of in-situ stress estimations from different methods were compared. Finally, the outcomes of the field monitoring of blasting-induced vibrations of tunnels and their environmental effects are presented and discussed.