“DRESS” method for construction of tunnel near Rattanpur adit.

DRESS Method: In SJVNL (Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited) Hydro-power

Project of India, a special method named as “DRESS” was employed for
construction of tunnel in a wide shear zone, near Rattanpur adit. This length
of about 360m was very difficult due to encountering of sheared rock, high
ingress of water and high stress condition. DRESS is acronym for “Drainage
Reinforcement Excavation Support Solution”. Though this was a
hydropower tunnel, but the methodology can be applied in railway tunnel
also, with similar ground conditions.
Three alternatives (A, B & C) of tunneling advance with DRESS
methodology were proposed, depending on the rock conditions. Alternatives
A, B and C were proposed for the regions having GSI value < 15, 15 to 35
and 35 to 45 respectively. The steps involved in each alternative were as
under:
lternative
Step Description
A B C
1 Drainage/Exploratory Drill Hole E E E
2 Face Improvement by Grouting E E W
3 Steel Pipe Umbrella E E
4 Side Drift E E
5 Rock Reinforcement by Forepoling ahead of face E1
6 Radial Rock Reinforcement at the Face W W W
7 Temporary Invert (Top Heading) E E E
8 Enlargement of Heading E
9 Integration of Rock Reinforcement behind the face E W W
10 Improvement of Side Wall Footing E E E
11 Benching & Steel Arch Concrete Invert E E E
12 Rock Reinforcement of Bench Profile E E E
13 Final Lining E E E
E–Essential, W–When & If Necessary, E1-Only in Left Wall
The sequence of activities was as under:
(i) Draining of Rock ahead of the face:
 Before opening of the face, advance drainage was done all around and
ahead of the face, to eliminate the detrimental influence of water pressure
on the face stability.
Six to eight drainage holes of 77mm diameter up o 24m length, depending
on the site strata, in an upwards inclination of 150, were drilled with a
hydraulic drill using DTH hammer. M. S. Pipe of 50mm diameter 12m
grouted and 12m perforated, protected with geo-textile were provided in the
drilled drainage holes to avoid the blockage of drainage system. These
drainage holes were provided in alternate forepoling blocks.
(ii) Face Improvement:
After providing the drainage system, stability of the face and ahead was
improved by cement grouting with W/C ratio of 1:1. Sometimes when
grouting was not possible due to encountering of gouge sheared material
mixed with clay, the face was stabilized by Shotcreting and grouted anchor
bars of 25mm diameter 8m long.
(iii) Steel Pipe Forepole Umbrella Arch:
Forepoling (casing) of steel pipes was provided ahead of the face before
excavation of the face using the hydraulic drilling rig. In this the crown of the
tunnel above springing level was supported with 12m long steel pipe
forepoles (casing) of 114.3mm outer diameter with 6mm thick wall and in an
upward direction of 60 over rib R1 of the block. The forepole were spaced
@400mm c/c spacing. After drilling and installing of the forepoles, cement
grout in W/C ratio of 0.75 to 0.45 was placed at a maximum pressure of 5
kg/cm2.
(iv) Face Advance in Heading Excavation:
After stabilizing the crown and the zone ahead of the tunnel face by
forepoles, drainage holes, shotcreting and grouting, the tunnel advance in
one forepoling block of 12m length was carried out up to 8.75m length of a
variable diameter of excavation from 11.65m to 13.45m before the next
block of forepoling. In this 8.75m length of tunnel advance, a total number
of 12 sets of ribs of ISMB 300x140 @ 750mm c/c spacing were provided in
a sequential advance of 0.75m to 1.50m depending upon the stand-up time
of rock strata.
 Excavation was done by mechanical means in top heading up to 1.0m below
springing level, in rounds of 0.75m to 1.50m in the form of half ring, leaving
the central portion to brace the face and the walls against bulging/collapse.
After protecting the crown with shotcrete & wire mesh, the excavated section
was supported with ribs and the space between the rock surface and the rib
intrados were filled with shotcrete. In the second round of excavation, the
central portion was first excavated up to the previous round advance and
again the excavation for this round was carried out in an advance of 1.5m
in the same way as explained above.
After excavating and supporting the forepoling block up to rib R12 (last rib
of the block), the excavation of rib R1 of next block was done and the rib
was installed and supported with wire mesh and shotcrete.
The ribs were anchored at springing level with 25mm diameter 6m long
cement grouted anchor bolts with ISMC 150x75 runners joining three to four
sets of ribs. The face was then sealed off with shotcrete for improvement of
face and ahead before start of excavation of next forepoling block.
The excavated reach was further supported with radial rock reinforcement
in the form of 32mm diameter 6m long hollow core self-drilling cement
grouted rock bolts. Grout was then pumped through the bolts itself forcing
out water, debris etc. and filling of all fissure’s voids and complete grouting
of the bolt was ensured.
A temporary invert arch of 350mm thick shotcrete was also provided to
prevent heave of an unsupported invert and punching of steel ribs from the
arch support into soft rock.
(v) Benching Excavation:
The benching excavation was taken up about 50m behind the face in order
to have proper drainage system and stabilization of the heading strata. The
benching was also done with hydraulic hammering technique. After finishing
the excavation of benching, the side walls were protected with initial layer
of 50mm thick shotcrete, followed by wire mesh fixing, extension of heading
ribs in the benching and providing steel ribs arch invert. The spaces
between the rock surface and intrados of the ribs on wall sides were filled
with shotcrete and invert steel arch encased in 400mm thick M20 concrete.
 The benching profile was supported with 25m diameter 6.0m long cement
grouted anchor bolt.
(vi) Monitoring during Construction:
The behaviour of the ground around the opening was closely monitored
during the progress of construction with tape extensometer.
In these squeezing rock conditions; it has been observed that the behaviour
of the convergence was initially faster with respect to face distance and it
subsided subsequently with the elapsed period of opening and face
distance.
Deformation in the ribs and cracks in shotcrete were observed in some of
the reaches in the blocks but these were within permissible and safe limits.
The maximum movement observed in 205m length of the tunnel excavated
at that stage was to the tune of 14.6cm in an elapsed period of 460 days.
Progress of up to 25m in a month was achieved in extremely poor rock
conditions. Despite the initial investment for hydraulic rig, in view of such
progress of work coupled with other factors like safety and stability of
operations, DRESS was found most appropriate in extremely poor rock
mass conditions.