North American Tunneling 2006 – Ozdemir (ed.

)
© 2006 Taylor & Francis Group, London, ISBN 0 415 40128 3

Shotcrete constructed cut and cover tunnel portal

Leon Jacobs
Frontier Kemper Constructors, Inc.

Kurt Zeidler
Gall Zeidler Consultants, LLC

Anthony Murtha
New Jersey Transit Corporation

ABSTRACT: The reconstruction of the Weehawken Tunnel for the New Jersey Transit Hudson-Bergen Light
Rail System is about to be completed. The more than $145M contract encompasses the enlargement of running
tunnels, the construction of an access shaft for the new underground station and new portals. A series of innovative
construction techniques have been applied to meet the challenging project requirements and aggressive schedule.
The contract design called for a permanent portal structure with a trumpet-shaped roof geometry, while the side-
walls funnel out towards the tunnel entrance. The structure started in the mined section and lead to the portal. The
curved sidewalls for the portal structure were converted to vertical concrete walls complying with the contract’s
geometric requirements. For the roof portion, reinforced, high-quality shotcrete was used to form the complex
contour. The membrane tunnel waterproofing was extended to the portal face wall. Construction of the new
portal was timely completed while meeting the quality requirements stipulated in the Contract Documents.

1 INTRODUCTION Group International. The owner’s project designer was

Parsons Brinckeroff, New York.
A Value Engineering Change Proposal (VECP) was
developed and accepted which proposed to substitute
the planned cast-in-place concrete lining at the east 2 THE CONCEPT
portal mined section, transition section to the cut-
and-cover section and the east portal cut-and-cover The contract drawings showed a rounded tunnel portal
with a shotcrete lining. The proposed shotcrete lining with a complex geometrical form resulting in three,
provides an equal product to the contract’s cast-in- dimensionally curved sidewalls and roof as well as
place concrete. While providing an equal product,
the concrete spray-on process provides for greater
flexibility in its application mainly due to the geomet-
rical configuration. In contrast to the contract design,
the spray-on process allows for a ‘smooth’ geometric
arrangement of the bifurcation between the tunnel and
the trumpet-shaped east portal.
The shotcrete final lining design entailed structural
computations, design drawings that depict the lining
geometry, design details and application procedures
along with a method statements.
Frontier Kemper Constructors, Inc., J.F. Shea, Beton
und Monierbau Joint Venture (FKSB) was the con-
tractor with Gall Zeidler Consultants, LLC (GZ) as
their design consultants. The Owner was New Jersey
Transit and their prime contractor was Washington Figure 1. Portal structure shotcrete application.

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 • Date or time by which a Change Order adopting the
VECP must be issued in order to obtain the max-
imum cost reduction including any effects on the
Project Schedule.
• Cost estimate for existing Contract requirements
compared to Contractor’s cost estimate of the pro-
posed changes.
• Cost of development and implementation by Con-
tractor.

4 SHOTCRETE LINING PERFORMANCE

REQUIREMENTS

Figure 2. Waterproofing membrane in mined section. The shotcrete permanent lining generally has to meet
the same criteria in terms of durability, reflectivity and
smoothness as specified in the Contract Design for the
a trumpet-shaped enlargement for the portal area. cast-in-place concrete lining.
For the mined section, the Contract Design specified
straight, cast-in-place concrete sidewalls monolithic
with the roof arch. 4.1 Reflectivity, maintenance, and ventilation
To optimize flexibility and facilitate tunnel access,
the construction method was redesigned in a value The shape and evenness of the shotcrete liner in both
engineering effort. The crews were familiar with the radial and longitudinal direction was achieved using
A-frame forms used for the sidewalls in the mined sta- lattice girders and indicator pins (tell tales). For further
tion sections. Hence, the curved sidewalls for the portal control, straight edges were utilized when completing
structure were converted to straight walls comply- the finishing shotcrete layer. The surface quality was
ing with the contract’s geometrical dynamic envelope typical of state-of-the-art spray-on shotcrete surfaces
requirements. For the roof portion, reinforced, high- and current shotcrete lining standard practices.
quality shotcrete was used to form the complex contour The shotcrete surface applied in the arch, i.e. gener-
optimized to the existing rock profile. The shotcrete ally about 11 feet above the top of rail had little impact
reinforcement comprised lattice girders, steel wire on the reflectivity and illumination characteristics of
mesh for the mined section and rebar reinforcement the transition sections. Its surface finish will allow for
for the open cut section. The membrane tunnel water- regular maintenance.
proofing was extended to the portal face wall to protect Although the surface finish is rougher than a cast-
the permanent portal structure against water infiltra- in-place concrete finish (mainly due to the aggregate
tion. The portal canopy was backfilled with structural size) a negative impact on ventilation performance of
backfill. the tunnel structure was not anticipated, due to the size
relationship between the tunnel openings and the very
small increase in the surface roughness. The surface
and shape qualities of the shotcrete final lining there-
3 VECP PROCESS fore met project requirements.
The Value Engineering Change Proposal (VECP) pro-
cess requires the Contractor to delineate and provide 4.2 Fire resistance
the following specific aspects of their VECP.
The Institute for Concrete Technology in Innsbruck,
• Description of the existing Contract requirements Austria, had recently tested concrete panels with dif-
which are involved in the proposed change. ferent concrete mix designs and under different con-
• Description of Proposed Changes. ditions with regard to fire temperature, humidity of
• Difference between existing requirements and the concrete and loading conditions. Those tests demon-
proposed changes, together with advantages and strated that there is no significant difference between
disadvantages of each. sprayed and poured concrete of the same strength class.
• Itemization of the Contract requirements which Spalling of concrete may reach deep into the concrete
must be changed if the VECP is approved. cross section under severe test conditions. To prevent
• Justification for changes in function or characteris- spalling polypropylene (PP) micro fibers were added
tics of each item and effect of the performance of the to the mix. This observation corresponded with the
end item, as well as on the meeting of requirements findings of other international tests that have been
contained in the Mandatory Documents. reported in the literature reviewed in preparation for

408
this project. Polypropylenes belonging to the poly- shear reinforcement for the outer and inner reinforc-
olefin group, which are plastics that are extremely ing layer.
resistant to chemical and mechanical influences. As
PP only consist of carbon and hydrogen atoms, no
toxic substances are created when they are burned 6 QUALITY ASSURANCE
completely. Typical PP fibers melt at 150◦ C to 160◦ C.
As a result, the permeability of the concrete with PP 6.1 Shotcrete mix acceptance tests
fibers is increased in the event of a fire. The addi- Apart from the standard compatibility and strength test
tional pore volume created when the PP fibers melt of the shotcrete mix prior to construction, the shotcrete
enable moisture vapor produced to be better distributed mixes were tested as to their sprayability. A series of
and escape from the surface. This reduces the risk of test panels were sprayed using the site equipment to
explosive-like spalling substantially because the con- assess the suitability for 100% encapsulation of all
crete’s permeability is increased in the event of a fire.1 reinforcement elements as required for the perma-
The shotcrete lining design therefore incorporated nent lining. Particular attention was paid to the ability
the addition of PP fibers (2.0 lbs/yd3 ) in the last (inner) to fully encapsulating the lattice girder in shotcrete
four-inch thick layer. without voids.

6.2 Pre-construction field trial

4.3 Shotcrete durability in portal zone
Following the successful test series of the shotcrete
A cement based and epoxy enhanced sealing coat, was mix, field trials were carried out on standard test
finally applied in the portal vault section which is panels 3 feet by 3 feet and 8 inches thick with rein-
exposed to annual temperature fluctuations. forcement that simulated field conditions. Vertical and
overhead panels were established. Cores were retrieved
and tested in accordance with ASTM. Compressive
5 STRUCTURAL DESIGN strength tests were carried out in accordance with the
specified strength and strength gain requirements. The
The basic premise for the structural design was to pro- test panels were also saw cut for visual inspection of
vide a structurally equal product to that depicted in the complete reinforcement encapsulation.
Contract. A set of loading conditions was developed
from the computations generated by Parsons Brincker-
6.3 Nozzlemen qualification
hoff that formed the basis for the design. The loading
assumption for the lining included the individual loads With regard to the shotcrete application, the shotcrete
as listed below. No independent verification of these nozzlemen experience is a key factor in assuring qual-
loading assumptions was performed. The structural ity of the shotcrete product. FKSB took the following
computations provided in the VECP further detail the measures to assure a quality shotcrete application.
load combinations that dictated the case of greatest Nozzlemen for the project were certified in accor-
loading under the assumptions for the liner design. dance with the guidelines set forth in ACI 506.3R. Two
examiners, approved by ACI, qualified nozzlemen for
• Lining dead load,
installation of shotcrete at the project.
• Rock and rock wedge loads,
Additionally, a procedure was submitted and
• Hydrostatic loads,
approved by the Owner by which a nozzleman may
• Grout loads,
be qualified by performing field test panels that
• Support loads for utilities,
demonstrate his/her ability in performing the work.
• Intermediate construction loads, and
In addition to the pre-construction field trials with
• Impact load caused by rock fall.
standard test panels, a mock-up was constructed that
These load cases and load combinations resulted in replicated the conditions to be encountered in the tun-
lining thicknesses ranging from 12 to 20 inches in the nel. The entire work cycle from spraying the shotcrete
smallest and widest cross sections respectively. The through the first layer of welded wire fabric against
structural reinforcement of the shotcrete liner consists the PVC membrane to the application of the finishing
of two layers of D18 × D18, 6 × 6 welded wire fabric layer with the addition of PP fibers had to be simulated
with additional #3 @ 12 longitudinal rebar reinforce- by this field trial. The test included spraying through
ment in the mined section and 2 layers of #6 @ 6 and encapsulating a lattice girder.
longitudinal and #5 @ 6 radial, rebar reinforcement Each candidate had to spray a vertical and an over-
in the open cut section. head panel to demonstrate their skill in shotcreting.
The shear capacity at the joint between the vertical Each panel measured at least 30 by 30 inches and
cast-in-place concrete sidewalls and the shotcrete arch 8 inches deep and contained reinforcement that simu-
was enhanced by a roughened surface and continuous lated anticipated field conditions.

409
 The construction of the shotcrete permanent lin-
ing within the mined section was completed prior to
construction of the portal structure in the open cut.

8 PREPARATIONS PRIOR TO SHOTCRETE

LINING INSTALLATION

8.1 Mined section

Upon completion of the excavation and initial rock
support installation, a smoothening layer of shotcrete
was installed to prepare the substrate for waterproof-
ing system installation. As defined in the Contract
Design, the waterproofing system consisted of a geo-
Figure 3. Installation of second layer reinforcement. textile layer and a PVC waterproof membrane. The
sidewall drainage, footings and cast-in-place concrete
walls were constructed as specified in the Contract
Subsequently, the panels were saw cut and observed
Design.
by the Project Engineer (PB) and two ACI examiners
In order to enhance the shear capacity in the inter-
who provide their observations on quality of the test
face between the cast-in-place concrete wall and the
panels and recommendations regarding the use of the
shotcrete lined arch structure, the concrete surface was
nozzlemen on the project. Visual inspection examined
roughened by power wash facilities (green cut) and
reinforcement encapsulation, lack of segregation and
reinforcement spanning the interface was provided.
proper consolidation.
In accordance with the Contract Design, the water-
The examiners consisted of Consultant Mr. George
proofing system was installed against the shotcrete
Yoggi and one representative of GZ.
smoothing layer around the tunnel arch. BA-Anchors
were used to secure in place the reinforcement for the
shotcrete permanent lining. Grout hoses were installed
6.4 Testing during construction in the longitudinal tunnel direction to serve as grout-
Quality control panels were sprayed concurrently with ing ports for the contact grouting after completion of
the shotcrete final lining installation for each 200- the shotcrete lining installation.
cubic yards of material used in the shotcrete lining.
Three, core test specimens from three panels were 8.2 Open cut section
retrieved and tested in accordance with ASTM C 42. In order to avoid unnecessary excavation and demol-
ishing work, the existing stone walls in the portal area
were left in place to the extent they did not infringe on
7 LOCATIONS OF APPLICATION the clearance required to construct the new structure.
Up to the crown elevation of the vertical sidewalls cast,
The VECP was intended to be installed in two areas of drainage concrete was installed to provide enhanced
the structure: capacities for draining any run-off surface water and
• the “mined tunnel section” fissure water from the rock face at the portal. Duct
• the “open cut section”. banks, drain lines and walkways remained as defined
in the Contract Design.
Approximately 130 feet of mined tunnel was equip- Following the footing and drainage concrete instal-
ped with lattice girders and a final shotcrete lining. The lation, the vertical cast-in-place concrete walls were
open cut section extends approximately 30 feet outside constructed. Between the drainage (popcorn) concrete
the rock portal. Widening of the tunnel cross section and the vertical concrete wall, the waterproofing sys-
commenced within the mined section. The overall tun- tem as described above was installed. Similar interface
nel height and width was increased in a smooth tran- details between the concrete walls and the shotcrete
sition from the running tunnel size to the maximum arch were installed as described for the mined section.
height of approximately 23 feet and 55 feet width.
The thickness, reinforcement and height of the ver-
8.3 Reinforcement installation
tical cast-in-place concrete sidewalls in the mined sec-
tion remained as per the Contract Design. In the open 8.3.1 Mined section
cut section, the concave sidewalls, as specified in the Following the erection of the vertical cast-in-place
Contract Design, were replaced by vertical, cast-in- concrete sidewalls, the first (outer) layer of the D18 ×
place concrete walls. D18, 6 × 6 welded wire fabric and rebar reinforcement

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 9 SHOTCRETE APPLICATION
PROCEDURES

The application of shotcrete was carried out utiliz-

ing robotic spraying equipment operated by trained
personnel. Experienced, skilled supervision ensured
uniform application that resulted in the shotcrete lining
quality in accordance with the project requirements.
High quality wet-mix shotcrete was employed.
Shotcrete was applied in a series of stages where the
reinforcement members were progressively encased,
thus preventing the spraying through multiple lay-
ers of reinforcement and avoiding shadowing. The
first shotcrete layer was applied against the water-
proofing membrane and the outer reinforcing layer
of welded wire fabric. The welded wire fabric facil-
itated the application of the shotcrete against the
membrane and provided a supporting mechanism for
the wet shotcrete. The subsequent shotcrete applica-
tion to the full design thickness was carried out in
subsequent steps that were executed within a time
frame not exceeding seventy-two (72) hours. This
sequence resulted in an overall continuous shotcrete
application.
Preparations for and the shotcrete application were
carried out in accordance to a procedure defined dur-
ing the VECP design phase. The procedure entailed
among others the following check steps:
• Spray area, check if additional deck-chairs are
Figure 4. Reinforcement installation in the open cut required to avoid sagging of the waterproofing
section. membrane
• Availability of lifting devices
was installed. Lattice girders on 5-feet centers were • Availability and working condition of robotic spray-
erected founded on adjustable footplates mounted on ing equipment and pumps
top of the concrete sidewalls. Tie-bolts and steel spi- • Availability and condition of accelerator
ders were attached to the BA-Anchors to secure the • Illumination of work area
wire mesh and lattice girders in place during shotcret- • Adequate protection of concrete sidewalls
ing. Tie wires were mounted at the first layer of mesh • Shotcrete order and delivery, time, temperatures
reinforcement in preparation for fixing the second • Slump test of each delivery
mesh layer at a later stage. • Retardation of shotcrete, if necessary.

8.3.2 Open cut section

9.1 Shotcrete application in the mined section
Upon completion of the sidewall construction, the
outer layer of the bar reinforcement and the lattice gird- 9.1.1 Application of first shotcrete layer (plain
ers were erected on 5-foot centers. Temporary support shotcrete)
to the steel reinforcement was provided by tie-back The constant shotcrete spray was applied from the
rock dowels installed in the rock portal face wall and bottom of the haunch proceeding to a maximum of
auxiliary rebars installed in longitudinal and radial 5 lattice girder bays and repeated on the opposite side.
direction. To facilitate shotcrete installation, expanded Following that, shotcrete was placed along the lattice
metal sheets were installed on the extrados side of the girders in an alternating sequence on both sides of the
portal structure. The expanded metal sheets were cov- tunnel until the lattice girder was encased in shotcrete
ered with a shotcrete smoothening layer at a later stage over the entire arch length. Excess shotcrete was then
to prepare for the installation of the waterproofing removed from the intrados bar of the lattice girders.
system on the outside of the portal structure. If required, additional deck chairs were mounted
An expansion joint element was previously installed behind the exposed mesh reinforcement to strap back
and anchored in the shotcrete lining for the mined any sagging part of the waterproofing membrane.
section to form the interface to the open cut section. Following that, the bays between the girders were filled

411
 9.1.5 Contact grouting
After the shotcrete reached the design strength of
4,000 psi, contact grouting using cementitious grout
was carried out to establish a near voidless contact
between the shotcrete final lining, the waterproofing
system and the initial shotcrete tunnel support. To
facilitate the contact grouting, and ensure the filling
of voids, grout hoses were attached to the waterproof-
ing membrane prior to the initial mesh and shotcrete
installation.

9.2 Shotcrete application in the open cut section

The checking and application procedures implemented
Figure 5. Installation of second layer reinforcement in the
prior to and during the installation of the shotcrete in
open cut section.
the open cut were generally similar to those employed
for the mined section.
Upon completion of the first shotcrete layer, thick-
with shotcrete, starting from haunch up to the top of ness indicators, cleaning measures and the second
tunnel in alternating sequences from both sides of the layer of rebar reinforcement was applied in a procedure
tunnel. similar as described for the mined section.
After completion of the final shotcrete layer, a thin
9.1.2 Installation of the second layer of cement based sealant layer was applied to enhance
reinforcement concrete durability under variable climate conditions.
The second layer of mesh was fixed on to the tie wires On top of the shotcrete canopy, a smoothening
previously placed and protruding from the shotcrete shotcrete layer was installed covering the expanded
surface. Thickness indication pins were installed in the metal sheets to prepare for the waterproofing system
first shotcrete layer to ensure the required thickness of installation.
the second shotcrete layer to be installed following the Upon completion of the construction of the shot-
wire mesh installation. crete canopy, the portal head wall was constructed and
Surveying was used to process data and mark out the connected with reinforcement to the shotcrete canopy.
neat line. A #3 bar, radially installed on the indicator The waterproofing system previously installed in
pins was used to set out the required shape and profile the sidewall areas was continued over the roof of the
for the second shotcrete layer. shotcrete canopy. A protection layer was installed to
protect the waterproofing system from damage during
subsequent backfilling of the portal.
9.1.3 Intermediate shotcrete layers
The shotcrete surface forming the substrate for the sub-
sequent shotcrete application was cleaned using power 10 ATTACHMENTS TO THE SHOTCRETE
wash facilities. Second shotcrete layer. FINAL LINING
Shotcrete was applied along the previously installed
profile indicator bars. Upon completion, the pins and Generally, the attachments to the shotcrete final lining
indicator bars were cut and removed. Using power for utilities were carried out as per the Contract Design
wash facilities, the substrate for the shotcrete appli- as far as minor loads are concerned. Typically, expan-
cation in the bays between the previously installed sion anchors were used for this purpose. In cases where
shotcrete stripes was prepared. The panels were then higher loads had to be supported such as the catenary
filled with shotcrete using the previously installed system, attachments and local reinforcing elements
shotcrete strips for thickness guidance. (inserts or “spiders”) were provided and installed as
part of the reinforcement of the shotcrete and were
sprayed in along with the build-up of the shotcrete
9.1.4 Final shotcrete layer
lining section.
To ensure adequate tunnel profile of the final prod-
uct, studs mounted on the lattice girders were used for
thickness and shape guidance. 11 SUMMARY
PP fibers were added to the mix for the final layer
of shotcrete to enhance the fire resistance and spalling Table 1 summarizes the basic dimensions, lining thick-
behavior of the shotcrete. The final layer is approxi- nesses, reinforcement as applicable to the VECP
mately 4 inches thick. sections of the Weehawken Tunnels.

412
Figure 6. Shotcrete application.

Table 1. Summary of basic dimensions. Figure 7. Completed portal structure.

Section
Length Width Height Thickness Reinforcement ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
    
Mined 2 28 -0 17 -4 12 2 layers WWF The authors wish to thank all parties involved in the
57 -10 D18 × D18, 6 × 6, design development and approval as well as execu-
#3 rebars @ 12
Lattice Girders @ 5
tion process for the positive contributions and support.
Mined 1 28 -0 17 -4 12 to 2 layers WWF New Jersey Transit Corporation and their prime con-
71 -2 to to 16 D18 × D18, 6 × 6 tractor Washington Group International were instru-
37 -9 23 -5 Lattice Girders @ 5 mental in the process of preparation and acceptance of
Open Cut 37 -9 23 -5 20 #6 @ 6 the Value Engineering. The project designer Parsons
27 -9 to longitudinal Brinckerhoff, NY was supportive to the alternative
55 -4 #5 @ 6 radial, concept.
2 layers The contribution of all individuals involved in
the VE from development to final completion is
appreciated.
New Jersey Transit has not endorsed this paper.
12 CONCLUSIONS The contents are for informational and educational
purposes only.
The use of the cast-in-place concrete sidewalls in
combination with high quality shotcrete to form the
complex transition geometry proved to be successful REFERENCE
at the Weehawken Tunnels Project.
The timely completion in accordance with the 1. Brux, G.: Fire Resistant Shotcrete in the Gotthard Base
Contract quality requirements demonstrate that a Tunnel. Tunnel 5/2005.
combination of traditional and modern construction
techniques can provide state-state-of-the-art solutions
to challenging project requirements.

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