A Study on the Expansion Joint of Concrete Lining and Duct in a Tunnel

Abstract

The installation of the expansion joints in a tunnel concrete lining and duct would minimize the cracking at the location of structural shape and stiffness change, differential settlement, big temperature change, and so on. However, it is difficult to determine the required spacing of the expansion joint in a tunnel concrete lining and duct quantitatively because the spacing is influenced by temperature change, structure construction condition, ground-structure interaction, and etc.Nevertheless, a highway specification (Korea Expressway Corporation, 2012) or a road design manual (Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, 2010) specifies that the expansion joint spacing in a tunnel concrete lining should be installed uniformly smaller than 25 m from the tunnel portals to 50 m inside of a tunnel and elsewhre 20-60 m in a tunnel (because there is no specifcation for a duct it is assumed that a duct follows the specfication of lining). This specification results in several construction and economic problems in relation with a tunnel construction. Accordingly, in order to minimize the problems, this study analyzed both domestic and foreign design standards and specifications.In addition, field test, theoretical and numerical analyses were carried out in relation to the expansion joint in a tunnel lining and duct. The purpose of this study is to reestabilish a criterion for installing the expansion joint in a tunnel concrete lining and duct.