Bearing performance and crack width of concrete lining in rock-lined caverns with compressed air energy storage.

This article focuses on the structural design and crack analysis of concrete linings in underground rock-lined caverns used for compressed air energy storage (CAES) under high internal pressure. It proposes a calculation method for the maximum crack width of concrete lining and develops a corresponding numerical analysis program based on ANSYS 17.0, validated against experimental data. Using a CAES project in Sichuan, China, as a case study, the research demonstrates that increasing the reinforcement ratio of concrete lining improves its load-bearing capacity and reduces crack width, especially under poor surrounding rock conditions. The study recommends a dense arrangement of small-diameter steel bars to effectively control crack width while maintaining structural stability, providing guidance for the design of concrete linings and the application of flexible sealing layers in CAES caverns.