Urban Ring Phase 2 Tunnel Alternatives Summary Report for RDEIR/DEIS

Hatch Mott MacDonald Earth Tech, Inc.

3.2.2

Less economical for longer lengths of tunnel; Major right-of-way and property requirements for excavation; and Major utility diversions likely to be required. SEM Mined Tunnel

The second construction method is mining the Urban Ring Phase 2 tunnels using SEM mined tunnels. The SEM method involves excavation of the tunnel using standard construction equipment. The tunnel is usually lined in two steps: An initial lining of sprayed concrete provides immediate support and a subsequent secondary or permanent lining is then placed using either sprayed concrete or cast-in-place concrete. A waterproof membrane is usually installed between the primary and secondary linings.

Figure 3.5: SEM Mined Tunnels Using Multiple Drifts

The SEM relies on the insitu ground having suitable properties to remain stable following excavation and until such time as the initial support can be placed known as stand-up time. Where the stand-up time is insufficient, then additional ground pre-support methods or ground treatment methods are required to stabilize the excavation. In addition, the tunnel heading can be sub-divided into a number of smaller excavation headings to minimize the size of the exposed face, as illustrated in Figure 3.5. Timely closure of the tunnel lining ring is important in controlling ground movements and ensuring stability of the excavation. 3-16
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Urban Ring Phase 2 Tunnel Alternatives Summary Report for RDEIR/DEIS

Hatch Mott MacDonald Earth Tech, Inc.

This option has the significant advantage that the cross section for the tunnel is not restricted to a circular shape as it is with a TBM tunnel. Use of non-circular geometry can lead to a more efficient section and therefore lower costs. Use of the SEM also allows more flexibility with the alignment. The main disadvantage of the SEM is that significant ground treatment may be required since the tunnel is not sealed off from the ground water pressure during construction as it is with a TBM driven tunnel. On the recent Silver Line Phase 2 Russia Wharf project in Boston, the SEM was successfully used in conjunction with ground freezing. However, the length of tunnels was comparatively short (approximately 400-ft) and the approach used for Russia Wharf would not be practical for extended lengths of tunnel for the Urban Ring. Other forms of ground treatment are available that could be feasible, however detailed geotechnical investigation along the alignment would need to be carried out to determine their viability. If it is not possible to perform the ground treatment from the tunnel face, then significant surface disruption may be caused by the ground treatment process. Although use of the SEM may allow optimized tunnel cross section and reduced potential for ground movements, SEM tunnels can result in greater ground movements than for a TBM driven tunnel of similar cross sectional area. The major advantages and disadvantages of the SEM mined tunnel construction method with respect to planning a tunnel within the Urban Ring Phase 2 corridor are: (i) Advantages Flexibility in terms of horizontal alignments if other constraints allow (e.g. building foundations etc) and in tunnel cross section. The tunnel cross section does not need to be circular as for a TBM bored tunnel and this can lead to optimization of the tunnel cross section and reduced costs; Generally shorter overall construction duration for shorter lengths of tunnel; Underground obstructions can usually be handled without excessive increases in cost and schedule; Minimizes surface disruption as the majority of the construction work takes place below ground (with the exception of portal and station locations); Potential to limit the material handling (supply and removal) to discrete locations rather than the entire length of the tunnel if suitable shaft access sites can be found; Minimizes the need for utility diversions. Disadvantages Significant ground treatment may be required to stabilize the excavation during tunneling, as the tunnel is not sealed off from the ground water pressure as it is with a pressurized face TBM driven tunnel; Less economical for longer lengths of tunnel; and

(ii)

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Urban Ring Phase 2 Tunnel Alternatives Summary Report for RDEIR/DEIS

Hatch Mott MacDonald Earth Tech, Inc.

Shallow vertical tunnel alignments may result in ground movements that pose potential for structural damage to nearby buildings, thereby requiring protective works (e.g. compensation grouting). TBM Bored Tunnel

3.2.3

The third construction method is TBM bored tunnels. This method entails the procurement of a custommade TBM a specialized and expensive piece of construction equipment. The TBM is then assembled within a cut and cover launch chamber at one end of the tunnel alignment from which it is launched to bore through the ground. The front of the TBM is equipped with a cutterhead on which a number of cutting tools are mounted. The cutting tools are designed to suit the geological conditions anticipated to be encountered during the tunnel drive. The cutting tools excavate the ground and the resulting excavated material is then removed from behind the cutterhead. The excavated material is transported back through the tunnel to the launch point where it can be raised to the surface and removed from the site by rail or by truck. As the tunnel is bored, reinforced precast concrete segments are installed behind the TBM to form the tunnel lining. The annular void between the outside of the segmental lining and the ground is filled with grout to ensure full contact between the ground and the lining and to minimize ground surface settlements. The likely choice of TBM for the Urban Ring Phase 2 tunnels would be a pressurized face machine owing to the anticipated geology and the urban environment. There are two general categories of pressurized face machine: an earth pressure balance machine or a slurry machine. Both types of machine have the ability to maintain a positive face pressure to ensure stability of the ground during tunneling with the primary difference being the method used to achieve this face pressure. The state of the art in TBM technology has advanced considerably over the last 10 years. Pressurized face TBMs can safely construct tunnels in soft ground conditions, while minimizing impacts on surrounding structures. Developments in cutterhead design mean that TBMs can be equipped to deal with variable ground conditions, from soft ground to hard rock. Machine diameters in the region of 50-ft have been manufactured to build urban tunnels in Spain (Madrid Calle M30) and in China (Shanghai Yangtze River tunnel). A TBM tunnel also offers good ground movement control owing to the continuous grout injection process that fills the annular void between the back of the tunnel lining and the ground during the subsequent excavation cycle. Grouting operations would occur concurrently with advance of the TBM. Ground movements can be minimized through careful control of the tunnel face pressures and grouting pressures. Some disadvantages of a TBM are the large capital cost of the machine itself, which require a minimum length of tunnel to be constructed to be cost effective, and the restriction on turning radius.

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