Some practical considerations in designing underground station structures for seismic loads

Under seismic loading, underground station structures behave differently from above ground structures. Underground structures do not require designated energy dissipation system for seismic loads. These structures are traditionally designed with shear or racking deformation capacity to accommodate the movement of the soil caused by shear waves. The free-field shear deformation method may not be suitable for the design of shallowly buried station structures with complex structural configurations. Alternatively, a station structure can develop rocking mechanisms either as a whole rigid body or as a portion of the structure with plastic hinges. With a rocking mechanism, station structures can be tilted to accommodate lateral shear deformation from the soil. If required, plastic hinges can be implemented to develop rocking mechanism. Generally, rocking structures do not expect significant seismic loads from surrounding soils, although the mechanism may result in significant internal forces and localized soil bearing pressures. This method may produce a reliable and robust design of station structures.