Nonlinear Phased Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Tunnels Under Fire Exposure

Fire analysis of precast segmental tunnels involves several problems, mainly related to the soil-structure interaction during fire exposure, coupled with material degradation. Temperature increase in the tunnel is the cause of thermal expansion of the lining, which is resisted by the soil pressure. Furthermore, the increase of temperature in the lining leads to severe damage to the reinforced concrete precast elements, which can jeopardise structural safety. This problem has been analysed using an ideal case of a precast segmental tunnel excavated in a stratified soil. The analysis has been conducted with a commercial nonlinear FE element code. Initially, excavation of the tunnel was modelled in order to predict stresses in the lining due to the soil pressure and eventually fire exposure was considered. The reinforced concrete lining was modelled with a crack model in order to simulate the actual behaviour. Results show the importance of considering the interaction with the soil and the degradation of the concrete lining.