Shell-joint model for lining structures of shield-driven tunnels

A new shell-joint model is proposed for analyzing the mechanical behaviors of the lining structures of shield-driven tunnels. In this model, the segments and the segment rings linked by joint connector elements are represented by shells. The rigidity matrices of joint connector elements and the computing procedure are established according to the characteristics of lining structures. The shear and tension/compression rigidity are redefined in order to imitate the mechanical behaviors of joints accurately. Finally, the shell-joint model is verified by taking some full-scale joint tests on the segment lining of a shield-driven tunnel as an example. The results indicate that the shell-joint model is suitable and accurate for analyzing the mechanical behaviors of lining structures of shield-driven tunnels.