TUNNELS

Dr. Archana. M. Nair

Dept. of Civil Engineering
IIT Guwahati
Tunnel

• A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through the surrounding

soil/earth/rock and enclosed except for entrance and exit, commonly
at each end.
• A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for
a canal or for underground mining.
• They could be used for carrying freights and passengers, water,
sewage, etc.
• Secret tunnels are built for military purposes.
• Special tunnels, such as wildlife crossings, are build to allow wildlife to
cross human-made barriers safely.
Shapes of Tunnel

• It is usually determined by the geological location and its condition,

construction methods and its purpose.

• Following are the shapes of the tunnel :-

• Circular Shape
• Elliptical Shape
• Oval/Egg Shape
• Horseshoe Shape
Shapes of Tunnel
Circular Shape Cement grouting
• Provide resistance to external or
internal radial pressure
• Suitable for highly unstable ground
such soft clay or sand. D

• Used for sewers or water carrying

purpose
Concrete lining
❑Limitations
• Lining work is difficult Figure: Circular Shape Tunnel

• More filling is required to form flat base

Shapes of Tunnel
Elliptical Shape
Cement grouting

• Provide resistance to external

Major axis
pressure and suitable for unstable
ground such as clay or sand.
• Major axis of these tunnels is Minor axis
maintained vertically.
• Narrow cross-section at bottom,
suitable for carrying water or Concrete lining

sewages. Figure: Elliptical shape tunnel

• Not used as traffic tunnels
Shapes of Tunnel
Oval/Egg Shape
• Narrow cross-section at bottom
• Suited for carrying sewage
• it can maintain the self-cleaning
velocity of flow of sewage in dry and
rainy seasons.
• It can resist external and internal
pressure due to their circular walls Concrete lining

❑Limitation
• Not suitable as traffic tunnels Figure: Oval/Egg shaped tunnel
• Difficult to construct
Shapes of Tunnel

Horse Shoe Type Tunnel

• A combined shape of semi circular Cement grouting
roof with arched side and curved
invert.
• Utilising compressive strength of
concrete in resisting the loading by Concrete lining
arch action and base is wide enough
for traffic
• Widely used as traffic tunnels for Figure: Horseshoe Shaped Tunnel
railways and highway tunnels.
• Difficult to construct.
 Depends on the ground conditions, length and
Tunneling Methods diameter of the tunnel drive, the depth of the
tunnel, the logistics of supporting the tunnel
excavation, and the shape of the tunnel.

• Cut and cover method

• Bored tunnel method
• Clay kicking method
• Shaft method
• Pipe jacking method
• Box jacking method
• Underwater Tunnel
Cut and cover method Bored tunnel method
• Used to build shallow tunnels. • Tunnel boring machines are used in this method.
• In this method, a trench is cut in the soil and it is covered by • Quicker process and a good method to build tunnels in high
some support which is capable of bearing load on it. traffic areas.
• Most of the underground metro rail stations are constructed • Tunnel boring machines (TBM’s) are available in different types
using cut and cover method. suitable for different ground conditions.
Clay kicking method Shaft method
• Used for strong clayey soil conditions. • Tunnels are constructed at greater depth from the ground
surface.
• An old method and used for small works like seepage pipes
installations, etc. • The shaft is built up to the depth where tunnel is required.
• A hole is excavated into the ground and after some depth • Shaft is a permanent structure which is like well with concrete
tunnel is excavated which is done by the clay kicker which lies walls. At required depth, tunnels are excavated using TBM’s.
on a plank at 45 degree angle.
• Shafts are provided at both inlet and outlet of the tunnels.
Box jacking method

Pipe jacking method

Underwater Tunnels

• If construction of a bridge is not

possible then underwater
tunnel is good choice.
• Immersed tubes or bored
tunnel are two most common
methods which are used to
construct underwater tunnels.
Rock reinforcement-steel bolt
Shotcrete

Common types of
Wire mesh liners
Insitu concreting
Parts of Tunnel
Instability of underground
Opening

Structurally controlled instability :

In situ unidirectional body force :
gravity stresses

Stress induced instability :

External stresses : tensor with 6 independent
components

Major stress
component
Tunnels located in Horizontal Bedding planes

• Stable formation for tunnel construction • Major stress component may cause
• The rock mass is continuous instability
• Arch effect will ensure the stability of • Side walls of the tunnel require
tunnel with time additional lining.
• Strong material ensures the safety for • The type of lining depends up on the
long period. strength of the materials in different
• The roof support is determined layers.
depending upon the vertical and • Weak side walls may require heavy
overburden pressure. support.
Tunnels located in vertical Bedding planes

• Stable formation for tunnel construction • Major stress component may cause instability
• The rock mass is continuous • Side walls of the tunnel require additional
• Arch effect will ensure the stability of lining at joints.
tunnel with time • Drainage needs to be designed as water may
• Strong material ensures the safety for percolate through joints and fractures.
long period. • The type of lining depends up on the strength
• The roof support depends up on the of the materials in different layers.
vertical pressure • Weak side walls may require heavy support.
Tunnels located in inclined Bedding planes

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• Unstable formation for tunnel construction • Stable formation as compared to the previous case
• The rock mass is not continuous and major principal • Side walls of the tunnel require additional lining.
stresses may cause failure of roof top and side walls. • Strong material ensures the safety for long period.
• Arch effect will not develop • The roof support depends up on the overburden and
• A design of strong roof support and wall lining is vertical pressure
required
Types Of Geological Survey
Mainly geological surveys are classified into two types:
• Surface Geological Survey
• Subsurface Geological Survey

Surface Geological Survey:

- includes on land geology and geological structures, landforms, hydrology, outcrop pattern ,engineering
properties etc.
- Geological profile is prepared along line of tunnel.
-Geological observations are done along this profile like engineering properties of rock/soil, geological
structures like fold, faults, joints, spring, stream, river alignment and any seepage etc.

Subsurface Geological Survey:

-includes on underground geology and geological structures, Geo-hydrogeology, subsurface rock or soil pattern
etc.
-Different rock and soil samples are collected from subsurface and their physical and chemical properties are
observed.
- GWT(Ground Water Table) is noted and water bearing strata is marked in geological profile.
DIFFICULT GROUND CONDITIONS

Faults can cause many problems – broken ground, increased water flow, and maybe change
of rock type.
Groundwater is difficult in high flows; worst are karst fissures with up to 500l/s , which may
need bulkhead sealing and/or flow diversion.
Overbreak in hard fractured rocks is worst in sedimentary and metamorphic along vertical
strike.
Squeezing ground = plastic flow, mostly in clays and shales where UCS/overburden stress < 2
Rock bursts occur mainly at depths >600m in rock with UCS > 140MPa.
Swelling ground = wall closure due to any increased water content in clays.
Temperature of ground increases 2-4⁰ C/100m depth.
Rockhead is a major hazard zone; underwater tunnels normally keep > 20m rock cover.
Stress reduction in roof causes loosening of jointed rock and potential delayed failures.
Vertical stress within tunnel walls rises to 3 times overburden load.
 Generalized rock weathering classification

Generalized rock strength classification

Design consideration
The Q system for rock mass
classification useful for
support recommendation in
underground excavation

Where Q=Parameter to show

overall rock mass quality
RQD=Rock Quality
Designation
Jn=Number of Joint sets
Jr=Roughness of joint
Ja=Degree of alteration
Jw=Water inflow
SRF=Stress Reduction Factor
Tunnel lining is the wall of the tunnel consist of precast concrete segment, cast iron or steel
to strengthen the sides and roofs and prevent soft and loose soil to disintegrate

The objectives of lining in tunnel are:

(a) Strengthen the sides and roofs to withstand pressure and prevent the tunnel from collapsing.

(b) Provide the correct shape and cross section to the tunnel.

(c) Check the leakage of water from the sides and the top.

(d) Bind loose rock and providing stability to the tunnel.

(e) Reduce the maintenance cost of the tunnel.

 Tunnel Lining

Types of lining in tunnel:

1. Temporary ground support
2. Primary lining Natural arch
3. Secondary lining Zone of
loosened rock
Arch of rock in
compression
Tightened
Common types of liners: zone of rock
1. Natural support
2. Rock reinforcement- steel bolts Rockbolt
Shotcrete or
3. Shotcrete- Pneumatically applied fibrecrete
Excavated
mortar or concrete Weldmesh
tunnel
4. Wire mesh- chain link or weld type
5. In-situ concreting
Different types of liners useful in tunnel
 Atal Tunnel, Rohtang, Himachal Pradesh, India

Length 9.02 kilometres (5.60 mi)

No. of lanes Two (one in each direction) * At a length of 9.02 km, it is the longest tunnel above 10,000 feet
Operating speed 40–80 km/h (25–50 mph) (3,048 m) in the world and is named after former Prime Minister of
Width 10 metre (33 ft)
India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Preliminary Investigations Techniques

• Geophysical investigations
• Seismic refraction
• Seismic logging
• Resistivity techniques
• Resistivity logs
• Ground penetrating radar