Line 6 Orange – São Paulo Subway (Brazil)- Main aspects of basic

design engineering

Rocha, Hugo Cássio1; Neto, Francisco. R2 ;Takeuchi, Massaru.3; Vasconcellos, Cybele.A.4

1 Cia. do Metropolitano de São Paulo- Metrô, Brazil, , hcrocha@metrosp.com.br
2 Cia. do Metropolitano de São Paulo- Metrô, Brazil , fribeiro@metrosp.com.br
3 Cia. do Metropolitano de São Paulo- Metrô, Brazil, takeuchi@metrosp.com.br
4 Cia. do Metropolitano de São Paulo- Metrô, Brazil, cyvasconcelos@metrosp.com.br

ABSTRACT

The new line 6 - Orange of São Paulo Subway (Brazil), will contribute to an expansion in the
current system in approximately 15.50 km of tracks, 15 new stations, 01 yard for parking and
maintenance of trains, 03 parking for trains and service vehicles along the line.
The estimated demand for the year 2014 indicate approximately 600,000 boardings a day.
Due to the peculiarities of the route of Line 6 - Orange presented below, the whole
section is being designed in underground:
• Integration with two existing subway underground lines 1 - Blue and 4 - Yellow;
• Integration with Regional Rail Line (CPTM);
• Wide range of relief (140 m);
• Crossing of several drainages, including the Tiete River, and large Avenues;
• Wide geological and geotechnical variety;
• Intense urban occupation, with many buildings of size and deep foundations,
especially in the region of Higienópolis.

At paper are presented aspects physiographic, geological, geotechnical, structural, urban,

architectural and basic design of the new subway line, completely underground and very
deep.

1 GENERAL ASPECTS

The Line 6 - Orange of São Paulo subway will connect downtown of São Paulo city, in Sao
Joaquim Station Blue Line 01 - to the northwest of Sao Paulo. Contribute to an expansion in
the current system in approximately 15.50 km of lines, 15 new stations, 01 yard for parking
and maintenance of trains, 03 parking for trains and service vehicles along the line. The
estimated demand, for the year 2014, indicate approximately 600,000 boardings a day.

2 URBAN AND TOPOGRAPHIC ASPECTS

São Paulo is located in a sedimentary basin relief of hills belonging to the Atlantic Plateau,
bounded at its edges by mountains and hills of the crystalline rock complex: the north by the
Serra da Cantareira mountains, the south by slopes of the Serra do Mar and both east and
west by zones of hills. The urban area occupies the central area of the basin cut by broad
flood plains of the main rivers: Tietê, Pinheiros and Tamanduateí.
The route of the line 6 - Orange starts from the central region of the basin of São
Paulo, heading towards the northwest edge of the basin, as in the Serra da Cantareira. Along
the route of the terrain, height differences are quite significant, ranging from about 840
meters in the final stretch of the route, the region of Pedreira do Morro Grande (Quarry), until
about 720 meters in the region of the flood plains of Tiete river.
Unlike other lines already built by the São Paulo Metro, the Line 6 - Orange cuts several hills
and valleys, conditioning, stations and ventilation shafts and emergency exits which are too
deep in the function of the ramp up to 4%, determined by the grade to be used.
Another important aspect in defining of the grade and the choice of the construction
methods of this line is the significant urban density on its stretch, especially the large
buildings between stations São Joaquim, Água Branca, Bela Vista, Consolação,
Higienópolis, Perdizes and Pompeia, crossing districts with very tall buildings and high
quality and constructive occupation.

3 GEOLOGICAL ASPECTS

The line 6 - Orange (Figure 1) starts from Vila Brasilândia district ( NW)in rock mass fresh
granite, in the old quarry in the area of Morro Grande, where it will be installed the yard
parking and maintenance, in SE fresh granite rocks and its weathered products, good
geomechanics quality rocks until the right margin of the Tietê River. In this passage are
observed mass of good quality in elevation of grade. In the valleys, where the avenues
Petronio Portela and Miguel Conejo are, they are capped by unconsolidated alluvium of
variable thickness. Near the margin of the Tiete River can be seen a sharp contact between
granite and sediment Paleogene (Tertiary) of Formation Resende, suggesting it be tectonic
contact.
From the margins of the Tiete River, the grade develops in Resende Formation
sediments, capped by Quaternary alluvial package up the first hill that separates the valley of
Avenida Sumaré from the valley of Avenida Pacaembú . This hill to the vicinity of Avenida
Angelica, to grade is developed in pre-Cambrian granitic gneiss rock mass and its
weathering products, capped by Paleogene sediments of Formation Sao Paulo in the hills
and alluvial sediments in Vale do Pacaembu. From the region of Avenida to the region of
Sao Joaquim Station-1 Blue Line, the track develops into Paleogene (Tertiary) mass in the
transition zone between the Formation São Paulo and Formation Resende.

Figure 1-Geological and Geotechnical Mapping in São Paulo with an indication of of the
route of Line 6 (simplified geotechnical map of Sao Paulo)
Figure 2 shows an example of granite rock sample obtained in mechanical boreholes.

Figure 2 – Granite sample obtained in mechanical boreholes along the line 6- Orange.

The figure 3 presents the preliminary geologic section along the line obtained from the
mechanical boreholes throughout the route, including surveys in percussion in stretches on
sail or soft rock and rotating parts in rock stretches SPT boreholes.

Figure 3- Preliminary Geologic Section along the Line 6 Orange

4 CONSTRUCTIVE METHODS

Due to the peculiarities of the route of Line 6 - Orange shown below, the whole stretch is
being designed in underground:

 it integrates with existing two subway lines, underground lines 1 and 4;

 It integrates with CPTM lines (Regional Rail Line), in surface in Água Branca;
 Wide range of relief (140 m);
 It crosses several drainages, including the Tiete River;
 It crosses major avenues (Avenida 23 de Maio, Av. Brig. Luiz Antonio, Av. Nove
de Julho, Rua da Consolação, Av Pacaembu, Av. Sumaré , Av Marques de Sao
Vicente. Avenida Marginal Tiete, Av. Miguel Conejo and Av. Petronio Portela;
 Widely geological and geotechnical variety (Figures 1 and 3);
Intense urban occupation , with many big buildings and deep foundations,
especially in the region of Higienopolis.

In the basic design, currently under development, it is expected that the tunnels will run with
TBM’S except the tunnels between Brasilândia station and the access to the yard and the
parking lots of trains, in Pacaembu and under Tiete River, to be performed by a conventional
method or NATM.
To define the executive methods of track tunnels, the Metro Company contracted three
international consultants with extensive experience in mechanized and urban tunnels, which
commented on the alternatives of method of excavation and its consequences in the
implementation of the stations, considering not only the technique feasibility of existing
technologies, but mainly, predictability and security of the implementation of the works. The
main indications were 2 Single Track tunnel TBM in the rock stretch and Double track TBM in
the region of the sediments.
The indication for the use of TBM track tunnels is based, among others, in the following
advantages:
 predictability of execution speed, costs and schedule minimizing the risk of settlements
on the surface;
 less interference with the environment since it does not cause the dewatering
 track tunnels mechanized even in passages in the rock, thus eliminating the
performance by drill and blasting.

The stations are being designed by the method of the open pit (Cut & Cover) (6) in NATM
rock (3) and multiple sections) (TBM + NATM) (6). The adoption of multiple stations in the
section, despite its complexity executive, seeks to maximize the use of mechanized tunneling
in sensitive areas crossed by the route and reduce interference with the existing buildings
and urban infrastructure. Figure 4 shows a sample section for multiple underground stations
in areas occupied by tall buildings.

Figure 4 Typical Multiple Section. Note pilot tunnel executed by TBM

Figure 5-Station in multiple shafts

 Figura 6 Station in Cut & Cover, diaphragm walls and ties

The cut & cover stations should be implemented or in multiple shafts (figure 5) or with
diaphragm walls and ties (figure 6). The stations in rock mass were designed by the
conventional method “drill and blasting”(using explosives). The figure 7 shows a preliminary
study of the station in rock.

Figure 7- Tipical underground station in rock

The basic design also provides for the construction of 18 Ventilation shafts and Emergency
Exit (PVSE) along the line.
The Figure 8 shows the distribution of the construction methods adopted in the basic design
of Line 6 - Orange along its extension.

Figure 8 – Distribution of the construction methods

5. MORRO GRANDE PARKING AND MAINTENANCE YARD

The choice of the yard area of the line 6 - Orange (Figure 9) was influenced especially by the
availability of areas along the line alternatives studied by the functional design. With the
growth of the city were left with few areas with suitable size to be occupied by a yard,
considering the need for train parking, areas for maintenance, washing, administrative
buildings, as well as easy access, cost of deployment and urban impact.
In the cited area, it worked for years a granite quarry, the quarry Anhanguera S/A
Mining Company subsidiary Morro Grande , Later, part of the pit of exploration was
(southwestern) back filled with several residues (Figure 9) and another part remains open,
including the formation of a lake at the bottom of the pit of rock.
The site area exceeds the needs for the implementation of the yard of maneuvers and
maintenance, therefore, in studies of alternatives, we sought to focus the lay-out of future
installations in uniform and continuous ways or totally over the pit trying not to derail the
future occupation of the remaining area.

Figura 9: Overview of the area of former quarry Anhanguera-Morro Grande

6. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors acknowledge the São Paulo Subway Company for the authorization to publish
the information contained in this paper.

7 REFERENCES

HASUI, Y.. “Bedrock structural geology along Line 4 of São Paulo Subway: evaluation and
synthesis of the information”. .Technical Report RT-4.00.00.00/3C3-002. Departamento de
Projeto Civil – Metrô SP, Brasil 11/08/94.