Groundwater Effect on Faulted Rock Mass: An Evaluation of Modi Khola Pressure Tunnel in the Nepal Himalaya

Abstract

Groundwater has a negative impact not only in construction activity, but also in stability of a tunnel. Severity increases particularly in tunnels passing through fault gouge and breccia, where rock material is completely crushed and extremely weak. Instantaneous collapse and excessive plastic deformation is most likely in tunnels passing through such zones. Often, ‘flowing’ conditions may prevail if groundwater is mixed in the rock mass. This paper presents one such tunnel case in the Nepal Himalaya; i.e. the Modi pressure tunnel. This pressure tunnel passes through a tectonic fault consisting of gouge material. High deformation in the tunnel was observed while excavating the tunnel through the fault. Based on the tunnel deformation that was actually measured, the paper first backcalculates the rock mass strength by analytical approach. Then, the extent of in-situ stress condition in the area is determined by numerical modeling for the rock mass with no ground water in consideration. The ground water effect is then analyzed. We found that the effect of ground water with a static head <1.5 bar pressure may increase the deformation by up to a maximum of 30 %. Finally, we briefly discuss uncertainties related to the input parameter study and used methodologies.