Chapter 5

Railway Tunnels and Bridges

Tunnels

BY
Gidena H. (MSc) 1
 Tunnels
• A railway tunnel is an underground passage for transport of
passengers, goods, water, sewage, oil ,gas etc.
• The construction of a tunnel is carried out with out causing
much disturbance to the ground surface

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Why tunnels ?...

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 Type of tunnels
• There are many types of tunnels and can be classified in many ways:

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Tunnel alignment & Gradient

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Terminology

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 Function of railway tunnels
Rail traffic
permitting wildlife to cross highways

Tunnel face (portal): is a structure flanking the entrance and exit of a tunnel
and preventing it from rock fall at the front slope and cutting slopes.
Tunnel lining: is a structure covering the tunnel inner surface in order to
protect it from the ground water; includes an arch, walls, a gutter and an
inverted arch.
Tunnel niche: is a deepening in the tunnel wall serving as a shelter for
the maintenance staff when the train is passing the tunnel as well as
for keeping mechanisms and tools.
Tunnel ventilation: is regulated air interchange in the tunnel aiming to
remove harmful gases and humid air that damage the tunnel lining and track
facilities
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 Requirements of tunnel

Railway tunnels shall meet the following requirements

during all period of operation:
regularity and safety of train traffic,
economic efficiency of maintenance of structures and
facilities,
health and occupational safety of operational staff as
well as environmental protection.

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 Requirements of tunnel
Tunnels shall not be placed in zones characterized by tectonic
faults, landslides, excessive water collection (in ravines, under
ridge saddles, etc.), and karst erosion.
Tunnel faces (entrances) and near-entrance sites shall not be
placed in zones subject to mudflows and rock falls.
Tunnel structures and materials shall be capable of providing not
less than 100 years of tunnel lining operation. Tunnel structures
and permanent facilities shall be repaired every 50 years.
The tunnels in curved sections are required to be widened.
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 Tunnel portal location and portal type
• The location and type of the tunnel portal shall be
determined comprehensively and comparatively according
to the landform and geological conditions of the tunnel
portal as well as the associated works outside the portal.

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 Waterproofing and drainage measures
• Waterproofing and drainage shall follow the principle of “combination
of prevention, drainage, interception and blockage, adaptation to local
conditions, and comprehensive treatment” to reach the objectives of
reliable waterproofing，

1) Circumferential blind ditch.

2) Longitudinal blind ditch.
3) Drainage ditch

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Tunnel construction methods

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 Tunnel construction methods

 Mechanical drilling & cutting

 Cut-and-cover
 Drill and blast
 Tunnel boring machines (TBM)

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Mechanical drilling and cutting

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Cut and cover method

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Tunnel boring machine (TBM)

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Tunnel boring machine (TBM)

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Installation in Tunnels

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Railway bridges

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Railway bridges

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 Function of railway bridges
 to cross over the river
 to cross over the valley
 to cross over highway
 for passage way

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A layout of a typical railway bridge

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 Bridge components
Superstructure: comprises all the components of a bridge
above the supports.
girders, truss, arch etc.
Substructure: consists of all elements required to support
the superstructure overpass roadway.
piers, abutments, foundation etc.

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 Bridge components
Bearing : is a component of a bridge which typically provides a
resting surface between bridge piers and bridge deck

• it transmit loads from the superstructure to the substructure

and to accommodate relative movements between the
superstructure and the substructure.

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Bridge components

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Types of Bridges

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 Deck Configurations
• Conventional deck

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 Cont.
• High speed rail bridge deck

THE END
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