Safety Management Based on Detection of Possible Rock Bursts by AE Monitoring during Tunnel Excavation

As underground development continues at great depths, the danger of rock bursts will inevitably increase. It is important to consider countermeasures for avoiding rock bursts in underground work. In Japan, rock bursts have actually been experienced during construction of several tunnels, including the Kan-etsu tunnel construction project, during which many rock bursts were observed. Stress analysis of tunnels is performed based on initial stress measurements in the base rock. In addition, AE measurement has been adopted in construction management, allowing safer excavation. Collective analysis of the data obtained has been shown to be effective for safety control during excavation of hard base rock. In this research, initial stress measurements in base rock, secondary stress analysis around a tunnel, and AE measurements are examined. Based on the results of this analysis, it is clear that the generation of rock bursts is related to the presence of geological discontinuities.