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What is Tunnel: Their

Types and Classification
of Tunnels

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What is Tunnel: Their Types

and Classification of Tunnels

What is the Tunnel?

The Tunnel is the underground routes

or passages driven through the ground
without disturbing the overlying soil
or rock cover. Their types of tunnel
and classification of the tunnel.

What are the Types of

Tunnels?

Tunnels on the basis of their purpose

can be classified into following three
chief classes-

Traffic tunnels
Hydropower tunnels
Public utility Tunnel

Tra!c tunnel

Tunnels that are excavated to divert

traffic load from the surface to
subsurface routes for a short length to
facilitate. The flow of traffic at the
desired speed, maximum convenience
and at minimum cost, are called traffic
tunnels.

The railway tunnels, the highway

tunnels, and the pedestrian tunnels all
are types of traffic tunnels.

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Traffic tunnels provide a convenient

and cost-effective alternative to direct
transportation like between two places
separated by large obstacles such as
mountains, hills, water bodies or even
densely populated areas in the
metropolitan cities.

Hydropower Tunnel

As the name suggests these tunnels are

excavated for hydropower generation.
They are driven through rocks
carrying the water under gravity.

Public Utility Tunnel

These specific purpose tunnels

excavated for disposal of urban waste,
for carrying pipes, cables, and supplies
of oil, also water, etc. Nowadays, they
also excavated for underground
parking and storage in densely
populated cosmopolitan cities.

Classification of tunnel

Based on the purpose of the tunnel :

1. Traffic tunnels
2. Conveyance tunnels
Based on the type of material for
the construction of the tunnel :
1. Tunnel in hard rock.
2. Tunnel in soft rock.
3. Open cut tunnel.
4. The tunnel underneath the river
bed or submarine tunnel.
5. Tunnel in quicksand.
Based on the alignment of the
tunnel :
1. Saddle and base tunnel.
2. Spiral tunnel.
3. Off spur tunnel.
4. Slope tunnel.
Based on the shape of the tunnel :
1. Circular tunnel.
2. Egg-shaped tunnel.
3. Horseshoe tunnel.
4. Elliptical tunnel.
5. Vertical walls with arch roof type.
6. Polycentric.

What are the purposes of

tunnel?

They provide passageways for the

railroad and automative vehicles
through the mountain and
underbodies of water.
They provide access to mines.
They act as conduits for water.
They relieve congestion on surface
roads.

Types of Tunnel

Stages of the geological

investigation carried out
for the tunneling projects.

The geological details require for a

tunneling project obtained in three
stages. These stages preliminary
surveys conducted prior to the actual
planning of the project and concurrent
explorations that were undertaken
during the construction. These stages
discuss below.

Preliminary surveys
Topography
Lithology
Hydrological conditions
structure
Detailed surveys
Concurrent Explorations

Preliminary Surveys
Tunnel

These survey help to establish flowing

geological characters

Topography
Preliminary surveys help to establish
the general topography of the ara by
marking the highest and lowest points,
the occurrence of valleys, depressions
slopes(bare or covered), slide area and
snow line in case of hilly regions.

Lithology
This includes information about the
composition, attitude, and thickness
of rocks constitution the area.

Hydrological conditions
When Information regarding
hydrological conditions of an area
referred to the depth of water table,
the possibility of occurrence of major
and minor aquifers and the hydrostatic
heads which might occur along
different possible alignments.

Structure
Preliminary surveys also help to
establish the extent and attitudes of
major structural features of rocks,
such as folding, faulting,
unconformities, jointing and shearing
planes.

Besides the above, preliminary surveys

also indicate the occurrence of
reserves of rocks that could be used
for the construction of tunnels.

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When these surveys conducted by

routine geological, geophysical, and
geochemical methods. These methods
can complement aerial photography
and seismic surveying.

Detailed surveys

Preliminary surveys help to propose a

number of alternative tunnel routes
and then the general route. Thus,
After deciding the general route, fairly
accurate data about the rocks to
excavate require which can obtain by-

1. Drilling boreholes up to the desired

depths, along the proposed
alignments. The number of
boreholes and their depths decided
by the length and location of the
proposed tunnel. Rocks samples
obtain from these boreholes tested
in laboratories to determine their
mineralogical composition,
strength, modulus of elasticity,
propensity, and permeability.
2. Drilling exploratory shafts and adits
allow a direct approach to the
desired tunnel for visual inspection.
3. Driving pilot tunnels:- These
tunnels primarily excavate for
exploration purposes, but if found
suitable could use as the main route
by subsequent enlargement.

Concurrent Explorations
Since rocks are essentially
heterogeneous and anisotropic, their
properties vary in different directions
and within a short distance. Hence
information obtained by explorations
and interpolations without involving
the rocks to excavate is never perfect.

Thus, even during the actual

construction, explorations need to
carry out, to supplement the
information available from
preliminary or detailed surveys.
Exploration during construction
involves the drilling of small-sized
pilot tunnels, openings of suitable
length, and similar methods.

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These methods give a clear picture of
the petrological, hydrological,
hydrological structural properties of
the rocks.

Necessity of tunnels

1. To avoid long circuitous routes

around a mountain or spur.
2. To avoid sliding of open-cut sides in
sifter soils.
3. To connect by the shortest route to
the two-terminal stations.
4. To avoid steep gradients in
mountainous terrain, and maintain a
high speed.
5. Tunnels under a riverbed are often
economical.
6. To divert water for the generation
of power.
7. To avoid valuable land or property.
8. To save maintenance cost which is
generally lesser.

Also, Read

Bending Moment:- Types, Formula,

Limitations, Types of Bending
Stress
Types of curves in surveying |
Definition of curves
What is the Density Of Water?
Calculation Formula and Factors
Affecting.
What is the foundation?
What is the Deep foundation?
Large Dam In India

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