PURPOSES : The purpose of this study is to investigate the fundamental behaviors such as stresses and deflections of the middle slab in a double-deck tunnel for the development of a middle slab design guide. METHODS : The middle slab has been divided into the following three different sections as according to its structural differences: the normal section, expansion joint section, and emergency passageway section. The normal section of middle slab represents the slab supported by brackets installed continuously along the longitudinal direction of tunnel lining. The expansion joint section refers to a discontinuity of middle slab due to the existence of a transverse expansion joint. The emergency passageway section has an empty rectangular space in the middle slab that acts as an exit in an emergency. The finite element analysis models of these three sections of middle slab have been developed to analyze their respective behaviors. RESULTS: The stresses and deflections of middle slab at the three different sections decrease as the slab thickness increases. The emergency passageway section yields the largest stresses and deflections, with the normal section yielding the smallest. CONCLUSIONS: The stress concentrations at the corners of the passageway rectangular space can be reduced by creating hunch areas at the corners. The stresses and deflections in the emergency passageway section can be significantly decreased by attaching beams under the middle slab in the passageway area.