Seismic analysis of a large size underground cavern

Underground structures are generally assumed to be much safer to earthquake loading, compared to above surface structures. However, many large underground structures have witnessed great damage in recent earthquakes. Thus underground structures in earthquake prone zones should be designed to withstand both static overburden loads and earthquake loads. In this thesis, analytical and numerical analyses of circular tunnels subjected to different types of waves are firstly performed. Then a systematic approach for the dynamic analysis of large size underground openings such as powerhouses and hydroelectric caverns is presented.