Gas explosion accidents could lead to great losses of lives and property. Reliable prediction of structural responses under gas explosion loads is essential for developing effective technologies to mitigate the potential hazards of gas explosions. In the present study, numerical studies are conducted to investigate the performance of utility tunnels under gas explosion loads. Numerical models were developed by using LS-DYNA and the accuracy of numerical models in predicting the responses of reinforced concrete (RC) structures subjected to gas explosions was verified by comparing with the testing data. Based on the verified numerical method, the numerical models of utility tunnels under gas explosion loads were established and the effects of load intensity, concrete strength, reinforcement strength and section type on the performance of utility tunnels were analyzed and discussed. It is found that the gas explosion loads with high overpressure peak value can bring about severe damage of tunnels and the failure of inner diaphragms. The influence of concrete strength is limited. Improving reinforcement strength and the confinement of slab-slab joints of the gas compartment can enhance the performance of utility tunnels under gas explosion loads effectively.

瓦斯爆炸事故可能导致巨大的生命和财产损失。对气体爆炸载荷下结构响应的可靠预测对于开发有效的技术来减轻气体爆炸的潜在危害至关重要。在本研究中，进行了数值研究以研究公用隧道在瓦斯爆炸荷载下的性能。利用LS-DYNA建立了数值模型，并与试验数据进行了比较，验证了数值模型在预测钢筋混凝土结构受气体爆炸影响时的准确性。在验证的数值方法基础上，建立了瓦斯爆炸荷载下的公用工程隧道数值模型，并研究了荷载强度，混凝土强度，分析并讨论了加固强度和断面类型对公用隧道性能的影响。研究发现，超高压峰值的瓦斯爆炸载荷会严重破坏隧道和破坏内部隔板。混凝土强度的影响是有限的。增强配筋强度和限制气室的楼板-板缝可以有效地提高公用隧道在瓦斯爆炸荷载下的性能。