Three-dimensional analytical model for the dynamic interaction of twin tunnels in a homogeneous half-space

Ground vibration and noise induced by underground railways have become a major environmental issue. Significant research has been carried out to investigate vibrations generated by a single tunnel, with less attention been paid to the dynamic interaction of twin tunnels. This paper presents a three-dimensional analytical model for the dynamic interaction of twin tunnels in a homogeneous half-space. The two tunnels are modeled using the cylindrical thin-shell theory. The soil, a homogenous half-space with two cylindrical cavities, is simulated using the elastic continuum theory. The translation between two cylindrical waves and the transformation between plane waves and cylindrical waves are introduced to satisfy the boundary conditions on the ground surface and the twin tunnel–soil interfaces. The accuracy of the proposed model is verified by comparison with numerical models. A numerical example is presented to investigate the influence of the dynamic interaction between twin tunnels on the ground vibrations.