Abstract
PURPOSES: The behavior of a concrete pavement in a tunnel was investigated, based on temperature data obtained from the field and FEM analysis. METHODS: The concrete pavement in a tunnel was evaluated via two methods. First, temperature data was collected in air and inside the concrete pavement both outside and inside the tunnel. Second, FEM analysis was used to evaluate the stress condition associated with the slab thickness, joint spacing, dowel, and rock foundation, based on temperature data from the field. RESULTS : Temperature monitoring revealed that the temperature change in the tunnel was lower and more stable than that outside the tunnel. Furthermore, the temperature difference between the top and bottom of the slab was lower inside the tunnel than outside. FEM analysis showed that, in many cases, the stress in the concrete pavement in the tunnel was lower than that outside the tunnel. CONCLUSIONS : Temperature monitoring and the behavior of the concrete pavement in the tunnel revealed that, from an environmental point of view, the condition in the tunnel is advantageous to that outside the tunnel. The behavior in the tunnel was significantly less extreme, and therefore the concrete pavement in the tunnel could be designed more economically, than that outside the tunnel.
