Abstract In this paper, a novel non-planar interlocking element is developed, which can be used to construct cylindrical structures. The proposed element has a symmetrical geometry with six curved side surfaces to be interlocked with adjacent elements. A tubular structure can be constructed by assembling a number of identical non-planar elements, and the movement of each element is naturally restricted in all directions. To investigate the performance of the proposed system, a 3D finite element model is established to simulate the dynamic response of a concrete tunnel assembled using the new non-planar elements. Compared to the monolithic concrete tunnel and the tunnel constructed of normal concrete segments, the interlocking tunnel has shown a lower peak contact force and a higher energy absorption capacity. Besides, the joint opening and the damage area could be significantly reduced by the interlocking feature. A parametric study is also conducted to investigate effects of the confining load and the initial impact velocity on the performance of the interlocking system.

中文翻译：

---

一种用于管状结构的新型非平面互锁元件

摘要 在本文中，开发了一种新型非平面互锁元件，可用于构建圆柱结构。拟议的元素具有对称的几何形状，具有六个弯曲的侧表面，与相邻的元素互锁。一个管状结构可以通过组装多个相同的非平面元件来构建，每个元件的运动在各个方向上自然受到限制。为了研究所提出系统的性能，建立了一个 3D 有限元模型来模拟使用新的非平面元素组装的混凝土隧道的动态响应。与整体混凝土隧道和普通混凝土管片建造的隧道相比，联锁隧道表现出较低的峰值接触力和较高的能量吸收能力。除了，联锁功能可以显着减少接头开口和损坏区域。还进行了参数研究以研究限制载荷和初始冲击速度对联锁系统性能的影响。