Introduction toTunnelling and

Underground Space

Sandeep Singh Nirmal

10th May 2016
Contents

• Why go underground?
• India and tunnelling
• Basic concepts of tunnelling
• Understanding the ground
• Methods of tunnelling
• Design in soft ground and rock
• How to select an appropriate tunnelling technique?
• Ground improvement techniques
• Safety in tunnelling
• Monitoring the construction process
Why go underground?
Why go underground?
Why go underground?
Why go underground?

• Increased urbanisation in developing countries

• Cities with insufficient shelter
• Insufficient Infrastructure and services
• Overcrowded transportation systems
• Inadequate water supplies
• Inadequate sanitation
• Increasing pollution
Why go underground?
Why go underground?

Before

After
Why go underground?

Before After
India and Tunnelling

• Fastest growing markets for tunnel construction, after

China
• Road and rail tunnels
• Metro systems
• High speed rail
• Smart cities
• Hydropower
• Water supply and sewerage
 India and Tunnelling – Road Tunnels

Chenani- Nashri Tunnel – 9 Km

Banihal-Qazigund road tunnel – 8.45 Km

Tunnels on Mumbai- Pune Expressway

 India and Tunnelling – Rail Tunnels

Series of tunnels in Konkan railway Pir Panjal Railway tunnel –

11.2 Kms

Tunnels on Tupul-
Imphal Section –
tunnel is 10.75 Km
long
India and Tunnelling – Metro Systems
India and Tunnelling – high speed rail
India and Tunnelling – smart cities
India and Tunnelling – hydropower

• Tapovan-Vishnugad plant, Chamoli district,

Uttaranchal – 11.3 Km tunnel
• Teesta Hydro Electro Power Project Stage, Sikkim-
powerhouse cavern, two 16m diameter x 60m high
surge shafts, two 570m long tailrace tunnels and two
6.5km long headrace tunnels.
• Rampur project, River Satluj, Himachal Pradesh
India and Tunnelling – water
supply

• Alimineti Madhava Reddy

(AMR) project
• to bring water from the
existing Srisailam Reservoir
to the dry arid plains of the
Nalgonda District of Andhra
Pradesh
• 43.5km tunnel that is to be
driven from each portal
towards a mid-alignment
junction by two 10m
diameter double shield
Robbins TBMs.
Very basic concept of tunneling

• Know the ground by ground investigation

• Dig the ground and support face from collapse
• Limit surface settlements and face loss
• Continuous monitoring
Understanding the ground

• Ground investigation – taking cores, performing tests,

finding soil parameters
• Ground – lining interaction diagram

• typical longitudinal settlement profile

Tunnelling methods

• Open Face Construction methods

• Timber Headings
• Open face with linings (SGI, steel, iron etc.)
• Partial face boring machine (road header)
• Tunnelling shields
• With partial face excavation
• With full face excavation (TBMs)
• Drill and Blast technique
• NATM / SCL
• Cut and Cover methods
• Immersed tube tunnelling
• Jack box tunnelling
• Pipe jacking and micro-tunnelling
• Horizontal direction drilling
TBM (Tunnel boring machine)
Station shields
Hard rock – art of tunnelling
Shafts
 Designing tunnels

Design in soft grounds

• Mair and Taylor’s paper
• Curtis - Muir Wood discussion
• Using Finite Element Analysis (e.g. Plaxis 3D)

Rock
• Q- System
• RQD (Rock Quality Designation) system
• RMR (Rock Mass Rating) system
• Hoek’s Geological Strength index (GSI)
• Rock science software
How to select a appropriate technique

• Geometry, length, profile

• Ground Conditions
• Environmental Constraints
• Can ground improvement techniques be applied
• Cost and Time
• Functional Performance
• Sustainability
• Safety of the workers and third parties
Ground improvement techniques

• Dewatering
• Compressed Air
• Permeation grouting
• Jet grouting
• Soil Mixing
• Freezing
Safety

• Working at heights
• Body vibrations
• Noise
• Dust
• Hazardous substances
• Fire risk
• Air quality monitoring
• Safe ingress and egress
Monitoring

• Air Quality
• Convergence in tunnel lining
• Surface settlements
• Quality of products used in construction
• Reading face to observe soil profile
• Accidents on site
Thank You

Questions?