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Stresses and ground response analysis of four rock types of Rohtang Tunnel in the Himalayas

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Abstract

The Rohtang tunnel is an important road tunnel in the Himalayas providing all weather connectivity between Manali and Keylong, headquarter of the Lahul Spiti District. Major folds and faults are present in and near the vicinity of the Rohtang tunnel indicating the complex geology of the area. The 8.8-km-long tunnel consists of uniformly dipping sequences of phyllites/schists and gneissose rocks with an average overburden of about 600 m and a maximum of 1900 m. Anataxis and migmatization of rock have led to the complexity of the area. The closed-form solution and finite element method were used for studying the phenomena of stresses and convergence in four rock types. The study includes four sections of different metamorphic rocks, excavated in very poor rock class (Q classification) with different depths and K0 conditions. Assessment of stress and displacement was carried out to determine the ground response of the tunnel and applicable support for tunnel stability. The ground response was analyzed up to a distance of 60 m from the tunnel face under different K0 conditions. Analyzed deformations were also compared with observed deformation at these sections. Squeezing was observed in a short period for K0 value almost equal to 1, whereas, time-dependent deformation was observed for K0 values greater than 3. However, no deformation was observed for K0 values less than 1 and 1.53 in very poor rock class.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. NHPC Limited, Faridabad, Haryana, India, 121003

    Ashwani Jain

  2. Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khaz, New Delhi, 110016, India

    Ashwani Jain & Seshagiri K. Rao

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  1. Ashwani Jain
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  2. Seshagiri K. Rao
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Correspondence to Ashwani Jain.

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Jain, A., Rao, S.K. Stresses and ground response analysis of four rock types of Rohtang Tunnel in the Himalayas. Arab J Geosci 16, 191 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-023-11282-8

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