A new numerical procedure for elasto-plastic analysis of a circular opening excavated in a strain-softening rock mass

A simple numerical procedure for calculating the distribution of stresses and radial displacements around a circular tunnel excavated in a strain-softening Mohr–Coulomb or generalized Hoek–Brown rock mass is proposed. The problem is considered as axisymmetric, i.e. the initial stress state is assumed to be hydrostatic and the rock mass is said to be isotropic. By invoking the finite difference approximation of the equilibrium and compatibility …