Parallel numerical simulation with domain decomposition for seismic response analysis of shield tunnel

The research presented in this paper deals with parallel explicit finite element simulation with domain decomposition for seismic response analysis of shield tunnel, which is the non-linear and time dependent behaviour of complex structures in engineering. Such simulations have to provide high accuracy in the prediction of deformations and stability, by taking into account the long-term influences of the non-linear behaviour of the material as well as the large deformation and contact conditions. The limiting factors of the computer simulation are the computer run time and the memory requirement during solution of large-scale problems. To overcome these problems, a domain decomposition method and dynamic-explicit time integration procedure are used, and the latter is used for the solution of the semi-discrete equations of motion, which is very suited for parallel processing. Using the high performance computer ShenWei-I, the seismic response of shield tunnel in Shanghai is processed, and the number of nodes and elements in final finite element model exceeded 4.0 million and 3.8 million, respectively. The results reveal the weak position in the shield tunnel under Shanghai seismic wave. The paper provides references for the antiseismic design of the shield tunnel. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.