Development of a probabilistic model for the prediction of building damage due to tunneling induced settlements

Tunnel construction can cause deformations of the surrounding ground, which endanger buildings and other structures located in the vicinity of the tunnel. The prediction of these deformations and the damages to the buildings is difficult due to limited knowledge of the geotechnical conditions and uncertainty in the response of the structures to the settlements. This paper presents a probabilistic model for prediction of the damage to buildings due to tunneling, which combines the volume loss method with the equivalent beam model. It furthermore proposes a probability-based method for determination of the limiting value of settlement that is used for control purposes during the tunnel construction. Updating of the limiting settlement with measurements gathered during the construction is described. The proposed methodology is applied to a masonry building affected by the construction of the L9 metro line tunnel in Barcelona.