Numerical Study of Dynamic Response and Vulnerability Analysis of Utility Tunnels Under Gas Explosion Load

Gas explosion is one of the potential disasters in utility tunnels (UT) that may pose a great threat to the structures and surrounding environment because it features high frequency, short duration and high overpressure. Structural response and vulnerability analysis of UT under gas explosion load are different from the existing seismic vulnerability analysis theory. In this study, dynamic response of UT is analyzed with a set of numerical models based on the coupling of arbitrary-Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) and finite element (FE) algorithms by observing overpressure, displacement and effective stress. By combining characteristics of gas explosion loads and dynamic response of UT, this paper proposed the method of structural vulnerability of UT under gas explosion load, which can provide a theoretical basis for risk analysis of gas explosion and the resilience design of UT.