Abstract
To predict and analyze the anisotropic deformation behavior of large-scale underground excavations in discontinuous or jointed rock masses, a continuum model which takes into account the joint failure in arbitrary direction is proposed. The model considers not only the anisotropic strength and deformation behaviors of a rock mass, but also its nonlinearity and strain-softening behavior. The model has been applied to several excavation simulations of large-scale underground powerhouses located in jointed sedimentary and igneous rock masses. It is demonstrated that the proposed model can capture reasonably well the anisotropic deformation behavior of discontinuous rock masses and the response of installed rock support systems.
