Full-scale tests on a segmented tunnel lining

In order to gain a better understanding of the complex structural lining behavior of bored tunnels in the specific Dutch soils, a test set-up has been developed in the Stevin Laboratory at Delft University of. Technology (TU Delft). In this facility full-scale models consisting of three segmented rings of tunnel linings with a range of diameters, can be subjected to construction and serviceability loading. The first test series have shown that higher stresses occur in the construction phase than under serviceability conditions, therefore in recent tests the construction phase was emphasized. The influence of an uneven ring joint on the force distribution in the lining has been investigated by creating gaps at some supporting points in the ring joint. The relation between gap width and observed damage in the segments has been compared with the results of 3-D FEM simulations, in which the joints and the gaps had been modeled.