Proceedings of the Rocscience International Conference 2025 (RIC 2025)

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Understanding Optimal Rock Cover Thickness in Cavern Design Using RocSupport and RS2: A New Perspective

Authors
Louis Ngai Yuen Wong1, Sihao Yu1, *
1Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
*Corresponding author. Email: sihaoyu@connect.hku.hk
Corresponding Author
Sihao Yu
Available Online 7 December 2025.
DOI
10.2991/978-94-6463-900-1_59How to use a DOI?
Keywords
Optimal Rock Cover; RocSupport; RS2; Finite Element Method
Abstract

The rock cover thickness plays a critical role in cavern design since it significantly impacts the selection of cavern location (depth), rock support design, and excavation method. A rock cover that is too thin may result in instability due to low geostress levels, while a thick rock cover could increase project costs and excavation and operation energy consumption. This study leverages the computer programs RocSupport and RS2 to investigate the effects of rock cover on the cavern stability. A novel weighted function is proposed to determine the optimal rock cover thickness. In the first phase, RocSupport, an analytical-solution-based program for estimating the deformation of a circular tunnel in an elasto-plastic rock mass under a hydrostatic stress field, is utilized to comprehend how the rock cover thickness affects the plastic zone development and convergence of the target cavern. In the subsequent phase, the RS2 finite element method (FEM) software is employed to further examine the optimum rock cover thickness under varying rock conditions. Both shallow and deep burial cases are considered for comparison. A weighted function is then proposed to determine the optimal rock cover thickness, taking a number of key indicators into account comprehensively. The findings of this study aim to improve the safety and efficiency of cavern design and construction, potentially leading to project savings, representing a significant advancement in the field.

Copyright
© 2025 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title
Proceedings of the Rocscience International Conference 2025 (RIC 2025)
Series
Atlantis Highlights in Engineering
Publication Date
7 December 2025
ISBN
978-94-6463-900-1
ISSN
2589-4943
DOI
10.2991/978-94-6463-900-1_59How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2025 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

risenwbib
TY  - CONF
AU  - Louis Ngai Yuen Wong
AU  - Sihao Yu
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/07
TI  - Understanding Optimal Rock Cover Thickness in Cavern Design Using RocSupport and RS2: A New Perspective
BT  - Proceedings of the Rocscience International Conference 2025 (RIC 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 596
EP  - 603
SN  - 2589-4943
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-900-1_59
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-900-1_59
ID  - Wong2025
ER  -