Assessment of long-term behaviour of a shallow tunnel in clay till

Ground settlements and pore pressure changes were monitored around a shallow tunnel constructed in clay till during the excavation and primary lining installation. The settlements above the tunnel continued to develop for up to 100 days after the primary lining installation. Triaxial compression tests were carried out to estimate the short-term and long-term deformation characteristics of the till. Numerical simulation was conducted to history match the field measurements, and thus, to quantify the settlements induced by ground stress relief, consolidation and creep. It was found that the surface settlements due to ground stress relief, consolidation and creep are 17, 12 and 71% of total settlement (about 44 mm), respectively. In addition, early installation of rigid concrete lining could be an effective means to reduce the settlement due to creep.