Discrete Element Simulation of Tunnelling Rock Spoils Subjected to Direct Shear Tests for Back- Analysis of Jacking Forces

Pipe jacking is a preferred method for sustainable installations of buried infrastructure in urbanised areas. Jacking forces are a critical factor in the pipe jacking technique, governing the safety and success of such installations. Established mechanistic jacking force models rely on the constitutive behaviours of reconstituted rock spoil obtained from the geology surrounding the installed pipelines. From the current study,discrete element modelling has been successfully used to simulate the behaviours of the reconstituted rock spoil. Techniques were developed to capture the inter-particulate behaviours of the rock spoil. The derived constitutive properties were successfully applied to back-analyse the forces measured from pipe jacking cases.