Excavation of Cross Passages during TBM drive

DI Markus Schönwälder, MLS

Heitkamp Construction, Tunnel department Vienna, Austria
markus.schoenwaelder@heitkamp-construction.com

1 Abstract

To combine TBM and NATM technology was and is the biggest challenge during a
modern tunnel drive.
Each and every Metro project and Railway tunnel project is looking at big TBM
specifications, diameter and weight and total length of the TBM backup.
The real challenge will start with the construction of any emergency shaft or the
required cross-passage during which the TBM is running a minimum of 20 to 25 m per
day. The possibility to build any crossing during ongoing excavation of the main tunnel
with the TBM, will be the master piece of logistical and cooperative work during
tunnelling.
Special design and equipment is to order and the workers have to be trained on this
special equipment, because it will be the first time parallel work at a cross-passage on a
daily basis.
The performance of the TBM must not be disturbed during all other works which are
running, and will be the credo of the forward looking TBM engineers. The real
engineering work however starts with the CP work.
The technique for the excavation of cross-passages will be the conventional tunnel work
because no other design fits parallel to the TBM drive. The final choice is determined by
the local geological conditions for the project and the length of cross-passages, and of
course of the length of the main tunnel.
In this case study cutting segments, excavation of the ground, dewatering and injection,
spraying shotcrete and waterproofing will finish the inner lining work of this special
connection building. Lots of different working steps in a confined space, in comparison
to the TBM tube, will be necessary to create in the end the missing link of the main
tunnel, the cross-passages and sometimes the need for deeper pumping pits inside the
tunnel crossing, which will create more headaches than during the whole TBM design
and TBM drive.
These logistic problems will start with the first working step of excavated material and
will end with the transport of all other materials during parallel running TBM drive.
Minimum space is offered to the cross-passage team and each and every decision will be
a compromise between advancing the TBM performance and supporting the NATM guys
to get one step forward.
Due to the fact of the strict time schedule the main work for the cross-passages works
will often start at least after the TBM passed the first 1,000 m of the tunnel drive.
The Greenline metro project in Qatar and the Sheremetyevo airport tunnel project in
Moscow have similar logistic problems and from the first overview the same solutions.
But after looking at the details, the solutions are different in their main engineering
approach and design understanding.
The report will show up with similar project outlooks of the construction of the cross-
passages but different solutions and approaches.
 2 Introduction

Lots of tunnel drives are working 24/7 all over the world and the project team
follows the regulations and requirements of the engineering understanding and
knowledge of the global tunnel guidelines. On site, a team of different
professions and nationalities are working together for weeks, for months and
sometimes for years. But also, different understanding in the team will come up
if TBM and NATM engineers have to work together to bring their requirements
for their responsible tunnel section in the right position.
The basic common understanding of both tunnel teams is the same, but if you
have a look at the backstage scenario, both drives are very different.
TBM sites need perfect planning and preparatory work sequences of months to
get all equipment in place in time. The site segment yard is, in the worst case,
miles away from the job site, with the availability and transports of segments
sometimes a limiting factor in the performance of the TBM.
The job site is a high performing work place which looks like a factory. The
erecting time of all needed components sometimes takes months, but if such a
TBM tunnel drive is running after the guys passed the learning curve, a daily
progress of 35 m and more is possible.
Conveyor belts, heavy steel structures and big storages of segments and belt
material give everybody the impression that there is a huge ongoing project.
Changes in the site operation are non-acceptable at a TBM site.
NATM sites are marked with a high level of flexibility in the daily work sequence
and daily usage of the typical tunnel support materials, such as shotcrete, anchor
and steel arches. The acting site equipment are tunnel excavator, rocket boomer,
trucks and shotcrete units, which are easy to handle and flexible enough to get a
daily progress up to 6 m and more, although this depends on the circumstances.
7 to 9 trained miners per shift, with technical and mechanical understanding, are
the basic work power on such a site.
Site installation and utilities are easy to install and sometimes it looks very cheap
and removable within some weeks. If unknown circumstances come up during
the running project, the NATM system is very easy to adapt.
The typical NATM engineer should be a very adhocracy person and the site
organization is very small but effective enough to solve the daily problems.
These are the main differences of the two teams which are working at one and
the same place with the same target to be on time with all their work, but in the
end two different teams are working at the same place with different equipment
and a different view in the time schedule.
Excavation of cross-passages during the main TBM drive is in the end more an
internal interface problem than a technical problem. To bring the different
responsibilities and the different working sequences together to work parallel
under one big regime will be the key to success at each and every job site all over
the world.
Overall responsibility from the beginning of the excavation of the starting pit of
the TBM till the last concrete sequence of the track slab concrete in the cross-
passages will be the perfect solution for a successful site. All round engineers in
TBM and NATM technology and team players are the required people for site.
 3 Parallel Working Sequences

3.1 General Considerations

Nowadays, there are a large number of tunnelling projects in progress, mainly to

improve existing infrastructure, both for roads and transport supplies. Some of
them were constructed in very poor and under difficult ground conditions, but in
the end, with the understanding of the tunnel spirit, a successful take over by
client-contractor of the tunnel is possible. The question arises relatively early on
every tunnel project: Which kind of TBM and which segment design will be the
best and which suits the specific local conditions?

Fig. 1: Metro Doha typical interface situation at the stations

The daily progress of the TBM is under a strict calculation, working sequences in
the range of minutes will be created to meet the strict time schedule of the client,
which allows no big delay or extra down time. It seems the TBM drive is on the
critical path of the time schedule, but after months of preparation it becomes
clearer that the upcoming work of cross-passages and work for the final track
slab work is much more time critical. The linked work sequences hand in hand
with colleagues of the TBM tunnel team. It starts in the calculation work during
the tender phase and ends in the preparation work on site, reaching finalization
with the successful work at the tunnel site.

The sequences of any cross-passage will be considered in the whole overview

time schedule as a box in the main schedule, and sometimes more parallel teams
have be added to shorten the time required to meet the schedule deadline,
because TBM work was or wasn’t in time. Working steps one after the other is
not an option in the case of a very strict time schedule by the client. After several
weeks of the TBM tunnel drive, parallel work of the cross-passage will start with
the first excavation sequence, if the designer is able to provide the required
project drawings in such a short period. Sometimes the approval of the client is a
second delay parameter for a quick acting tunnel site team.

Fig. 2: Sheremetyevo airport tunnel interface civil work and tunnel work

Normally each 350 m up to 550 m, depending on the design parameters, a

connection of both tunnels is a must in the modern tunnel design. In both cases,
first during the construction time and second under operation of the finalized
tunnel, the cross-passages will be a must for any stage of construction.

3.2 Overview Metro Doha

The reason for the development of this huge tunnel project within the last few
years is related to the FIFA World Cup 2022 which will be hosted by Qatar and
which was in the end the project initialisation. One important part of this
achievement of this objective is the construction of a modern infrastructure,
which necessitates a means of mass transport. The entire Metro Doha project,
which comprises four lines, is being implemented in two phases until 2026. In
phase 1 the Red Line South, the Red Line North, the Golden Line and at least the
Green Line will be built. The total length of the metro line to be built is 216 km, of
which 96 km are underground and 91 km elevated and the remaining distance is
at ground level. There are also 90 stations to build, which should be served by 80
trains each with six cars.
For the first time in tunnel history, 21 TBMS were running at the same time in
the same city for the same project. The geological condition can be described as a
formation of Sim Sima stratum, followed by Midra Shale and the so-called Rus
formation, which is a kind of limestone. Depending on the ground waterline the
EPB was working with compressed air but main working modus was open mode.
The maximum overburden was 32 m and six similar EPB TBMS manufactured by
Herrenknecht were working simultaneously. The diameter of the TBM was 6,77
m, the segment length was 1,60 m, the chosen segment system was 5+1 and the
segment thickness of 30 cm were the main parameters of the TBM. The segment
itself was steel fibre reinforced due to the design parameters. In sum 20,870
rings were the production amount within 14 months.

The supply system of the TBMS were a wheeled vehicle called multi service
vehicle (MSV), and the muck was transported by a 1,000 mm wide conveyor belt
system from the shield part up to the mucking area of the TBM out of the main
site installation at the station Al Messila. The backfilling system was a bi-
component system (A+B component) with bentonite, cement and admixtures,
which were pumped over max. 3,500 m from the main mixing plant to the top of
the TBM.
During summer time, the measured temperature of approximately 43 degrees
and 40 percent humidity were one of the limitations of any working progress, in
combination with the Muslim celebration of Ramadan. Nevertheless, the best
month’s advance rate for one TBM was 864 m, the best week’s advance for one
machine was 278 m and the best day’s advance was 56 m. 1

3.3 Overview Sheremetyevo Airport Tunnel

Sheremetyevo International Airport (Russian: Международный Аэропорт

Шеремéтьево IATA: SVO) is an international airport located in Khimki, Moscow
Oblast, Russia, 29 km northwest of the centre of Moscow. It is a hub for
passenger operations of the Russian international airline Aeroflot, and is one of
the three major airports that serve Moscow, along with Domodedovo and
Vnukovo International Airports.
In 2015 the airport handled 31,612,000 passengers and 265,040 aircraft
movements, these circumstances making the airport the busiest in Russia.
The general plan of development of Sheremetyevo airport includes the
construction of four objects in the northern part of the airport field, which are
related to the FIFA World Cup 2018, and a new Terminal B for domestic flights,
with passenger traffic of approximately 15 million passengers per year.
There is one similar reason for the construction of both projects – both are
closely related to the FIFA World Cup tournament.
Energo-Stroy is the general contractor of the new Sheremetyevo airport tunnel
complex.
Two inter-terminal tunnels, one for the passenger train and another for baggage
system each with a length of 1,950 m is the main tunnel scope of work. These
two tunnels will be connected with 3 cross-passages and cross-passage number
2 is equipped with a big pumping pit in the low point of the alignment of the
tunnel.
Also a new fuel-filling complex and a new cargo complex is the scope of the civil
department of the general contractor. The new Terminal B, which will become
the second biggest terminal at Sheremetyevo airport after Terminal D, is the
main construction site, which is ongoing parallel to the mentioned tunnel works.
After completion of the works, the tunnel complex will connect the inter-
terminal A, B and C in the northern part of the airport with the southern group of
terminal D, E and F.
The passenger tunnel will guarantee the minimum connection time and improve
the efficiency of passenger transfer between these two terminals, and a baggage
tunnel would reduce the time of luggage transporting between terminals. The
duration of connecting time for transfer passengers will not exceed 50 minutes.
For the first time in Russia “Energo-Stroy” are building a tunnel under three
active runways of an international airport with a maximum overburden of 17 m
with two similar EPB TBMS manufactured by Herrenknecht. The diameter of the
TBM is 6,28 m, the segment system is 6+1, the length is 1,40 m and the thickness
is 30 cm heavy reinforced. Here at the airport tunnel project the numbers of
segments were less but we have had to build in sum 2,800 rings within 6 months.
According to the data from geological and lithological aspects the following
geological situation is to be expected: Fill up ground as a kind of soil mainly
sands with interbeds of clay, followed by sand with wet and aquic interbeds,
gravel, timber and break stone of sedimentary rocks. Undivided body of chalk
deposits by fine sands with interbeds of mild clay and clay. Hydrogeological
conditions of the construction site are characterized with presence of two bodies
of aquifers and at the border with water-field sand inclusions.

Depending on the ground water level, which is near to the top head of the TBM,
the tunnel boring machines were working in low modus with compressed air in
the range of 0,5 to 0,8 bar.
Here in Moscow the supply system of the TBMS is similar to Doha, the muck is
transported by a 1,000 mm wide conveyor belt system from the shield part up to
the mucking area of the TBM out of the main site installation at the northern
terminal of the project location. The supply and the material transport to the
TBMS are done by rail-connected rolling stock, grout material, a normal mix
design of sand, cement and admixtures, which will be transported by special
grouting mixers to the top of the TBM
In comparison to Doha, Moscow is located in the main continental climate area,
which is characterized by hot summers up to approximately 35 degrees and on
the other hand very deep temperatures during wintertime with minus 28
degrees. The opposing temperature extremes will be the limitation of any
working progress at the current construction site in Sheremetyevo.
Nevertheless, the best month’s advance within the learning curve of the first 8
working weeks were for TBM 1 with 420 m, the best week’s advance for one
machine was 98 m and the best day’s advance was 19,60 m.

4 General Design Cross-Passage

4.1 Design Metro Doha

From the beginning it was clear the cross-passages at the Doha Metro project
will be built parallel to the TBM drive and according the understanding of the
NATM tunnelling method. Due to many reasons and due to the fact the TBM
tunnel was running parallel it was not allowed to use explosive material during
excavation works. An advantage of conventional tunnelling was that the cross-
passage tunnel can be constructed with almost any profile, depending on the
geology. In addition to the shape, the size can also be altered relatively easily,
which can be a great advantage for complicated underground works with main
and subsidiary tunnels. The possibility to adapt the clearance profile of the
tunnel according to the geological conditions was a big advantage for the tunnel
progress and is a clear advantage overall the mechanised TBM tunnelling. When
the tunnel face of the cross-passage was divided, it should be noted that a change
in the geological condition was expected and this change was very time
consuming.

Part of the design was the dual-lining support (initial shotcrete lining and final
concrete lining) for cross-passages. The concept was the initial shotcrete support
absorbs the deformation of the surrounding rock masses of the tunnel area,
before the final or permanent concrete inner lining was applied.

This initial support was provided very early, especially in soft ground and weak
rock where the support followed directly after the excavation of the round
length, and was installed prior to proceeding to the excavation of the next step of
the typical tunnel excavation sequence.

It was the common understanding that at the Doha Metro project, the ground
will not deform in high rates like in the soft ground. The typical NATM design
parameters used at site were a very quick tunnel face stabilisation, ground
improvement with shotcrete, rock bolts and steel arches if required, and normal
steel mash reinforced shotcrete were replaced by plastic fibre reinforced
shotcrete. These main NATM tools were developed by our designer, together
with the site engineers who were responsible for creating 32 cross-passages and
6 emergency exit shafts within 16 months.
Fig. 3: Typical NATM shotcrete support

An overall systematic monitoring from the real first beginning up to the last
inner lining block completed the tunnel engineering work.
Face mapping, execution of the instrumentation and monitoring program and
interpretation of the monitoring results, aided in the correct application of
excavation sequencing, and support installation was key to success. 2
It was possible to recognize that the expected low rate of deformation was
reality and we got very good feedback from the very early stages that our
support was working well, and there was no unacceptable trend.
Within a professional understanding and acting further whilst watching this
trend, with the next excavation sequence it was possible to create no more
increasing trend. In the end, it was a successful job at the underground of Doha,
dependent only on the right application of tools, material and personnel in the
right place.
The performance of simple advance drilling for geological investigation, for
injection work or water drainage was the reason for a short interruption of the
advance rate.

4.2 Design Sheremetyevo Airport Tunnel

In comparison to current ongoing design, the design of the Sheremetyevo project

looks a little bit old fashioned, but it works. This system has been working since
1935, with the first construction of the metro system. With this design
understanding, a system of app. 801 km of undergrounded metro system was
successfully built.

Fig. 4: Typical cross section outlook in Moscow

It was not the understanding of Energo-Stroy to train the subcontractor in the

use of the latest western European design, rather it was a decision of the
availability of the system of TBM, conveyor system, rolling stock and experienced
man power. The main contractor will not go for a technical adventure during the
tunnel drive under two runways of an international airport.

5 Main Equipment Concepts

5.1 Equipment Decision Metro Doha

Machinery for sequential tunnelling normally consists of individual machines for

excavation and support work. This provides certain stability in case of
breakdowns but also a potential for collisions in the course of the construction
cycle. Maintenance and repair of the individual machines can normally be
undertaken while they are not in use.

A well-organized construction site at the working place of the cross-passage

based on the flyover section in the tunnel was the key point for satisfied
performance of sequential tunnel drive. Mucking concept in connection with the
conveyor belt of the TBM with cross belt to the TBM belt and powerful but small
sized machines were the main target from the beginning to create a suitable but
powerful equipment regime.

This decision was labour intensive, but in the end, a NATM crew with excavation
experience, securing and support for tunnel works which was required, and a
relatively short familiarisation time of only about 4 weeks, achieved a good
performance of the whole cross-passage work.
The main equipment used was a small tunnel excavator 9,5 to, a Normet
shotcrete unit and Normet concrete pump, a Bobcat for mucking and loading
works, and a special small tunnel mixer to provide the site area in time with
concrete. Everything was on wheels and therefore easy to handle and flexible
enough to change the position within minutes, when the special MSV (multi
service vehicle) crossed the site to deliver material to the running main TBM
drive. The main credo was not to interrupt each other in their work as much as
necessary with the focus of a maximum daily work progress.

Under these conditions, it was possible to show a daily progress up to 1,50 m in

the cross-passage tunnel to the parallel running TBM tunnel drive. This
performance was possible with a perfectly coordinated site installation with
colleagues of the civil work department and the TBM team. The main
coordination work of the tunnel management was a clear statement to all
members of the site how the weekly progress should be.

5.2 Equipment at Sheremetyevo Airport Tunnel

The concept to build the cross-passages is similar to that used in the mining
industry 50 years ago. We know this technology as well but only from a historical
aspect and we call it “Old Austrian Tunnel Method”. There are additional I-beams
around the main tunnel as a kind of support during the procedure of opening the
tunnel section into the cross-passage. No fly-over or any kind of rail switch will
be used at this section for the parallel working section. The work will be done in
the time windows between the delivery of material to the TBM and it will be
mainly manual work. Steel beams in two parts as we know from top heading and
bench/invert section will be the main support during excavation work. The
support against the ground will be a simple wooden beam. After the full section
is excavated the reinforcement between each I-beam will be installed and
additionally a 10 mm thick steel plate will close the steel beam section.
Approximately 150 m welding work per each cross-passage will be executed.
The concreting of the section will be done in one go.
This kind of working style is very labour intensive, but in the end, the crew will
finish their work as well.
The main equipment used is manpower, jackhammers, shovels, picks and
winches to bring heavier parts into place. The main credo is - don’t change
anything that is working, to keep it easy and simple. To transport the muck
outside we will also use the conveyor belt system as in Doha.
Under these conditions, it will be possible to excavate with a team of 6 to 8
workers in a 24 hour shift up to 0,50 m.
 6 Dewatering - Ground Injections

6.1 Metro Doha

Due to the ruling factors of the municipal city of Doha the main dewatering and
injection works for the cross-passage, along with the alignment of the main
tunnel have to be done from tunnel side and not from any surface located site
construction.
This was the main reason why the site team created from the very early
beginning a special dewatering and injection program for each cross-passage,
dependent upon the geological condition. Some tunnel excavation worked
without any additional dewatering and injection works up to a full round
injection to avoid any water inflate.
These dewatering and injection improvement works were running a minimum of
one month in advance, and the combination of dewatering and injection was in
the end the reason for successful and most likely dry excavation works of the
cross-passages.

6.2 Sheremetyevo Airport Tunnel

Due to the fact that the general contractor Energo-Stroy started very early with
the negotiation with the authorities for the airport Sheremetyevo, it was possible
to do the main dewatering and injection works for the cross-passage from the
surface.
The benefit was the early start of the works, but a disadvantage was the
separated site installation with very strict site visit procedure. After initial
logistical problems, the subcontractor was able to create the jet grouting block as
the design required within 35 days. Jet grout diameter was 800 mm, distance
between each pile was 600 mm, required strengthens after 28 days was 2,0 MPa.
In the tunnel design, no additional dewatering system was planned only local
dewatering works with open pumping pits during excavation work.
These dewatering and injection improvement works were running in advance of
the TBM drive it was one fact of successful and near dry excavation works.

7 Surveying - Segment Cutting

7.1 Metro Doha

One of the most important factors in the successful application of the

observational method and the NATM, is that such an observational working
method looks to understand the tunnel behaviour during construction. A basic
principle in the NATM is to take advantage of the load-bearing capacity of the
surrounding rock’s mass. Monitoring and interpretation of deformations, strains
and stresses are important to optimise working procedures and support
requirements, which vary from one project to the other. In-situ observation is
therefore essential, in order to keep possible failures under control.
At the end, the outcome was a ground categorized map in accordance with the
contract documents, ground response classes and the appropriate excavation
and support classes, as per the agreed contract baseline. Any need for additional
initial support and/or pre-support measures was assessed and implemented in
this key document.
Daily monitoring control works and additional surveying work for the next step
of excavation was implemented from the beginning of the excavation of cross-
passages. These monitoring reports showed us that we were working according
to the common understanding of the NATM and the design parameters were
right to finalize the excavation without any big influence to the surface buildings
and all other utilities and properties.

7.2 Sheremetyevo Airport Tunnel

As the design shows, there are special steel segments under use to replace the
cutting work for the entrance to the excavation work of the cross-passage. It is
more effective to handle these steel segments than to handle all the cutting
equipment in a curved and bended section inside the tunnel.
But if you follow such a design approach you lose the flexibility of the clearance
profile in the cross-passage and sometimes an overly large cross section will be
the result.

8 Working Sequences Cross-Passage

8.1 Metro Doha

Due to the fact the main site installation was running more than one year before
the NATM team started the first cut of the segment, the team had to follow the
situation of the existing main site installation. Foreseen places for NATM
equipment and site offices were occupied by others, daily flexibility and
arrangements only for hours were possible to create a kind of work sequence.
The requirements for supply utilities such as water, dewatering, electricity and
all other lines were designed for the TBM progress, but in advance it was the job
of the workshop team on site to create connection points for each and every
cross-passage in all supply lines.
The perfect working group on site very often gave new input and was a big
influence in the installation and working sequence and one of the reasons for the
success of this mega project. The cross-passages needed perfect planning and a
strict preparatory work sequence to get all equipment in place on time into the
tunnel. Well-experienced teams under the leadership of Austrian engineers
avoided lot of headaches of how to get the right material just in time to the
working place at site without delay and additional costs.
The high level of flexibility of the team at site, great knowledge, well-experienced
workers and special skilled leading personnel from Europe were a milestone for
building the cross-passages in time. These skills were related to the use of
construction equipment, handling of materials for excavation, installation of the
initial support, including shotcrete, pre-support measures, and rock reinforcing
elements. NATM tunnelling strongly relies on experience and personnel skills. It
is important for the success of the tunnel project that experienced personnel are
assigned from the start of the project. Certain involved people from the site team
in the planning and design phase are an additional profit for each upcoming
problem.
Contract documents call for a minimum experience of key tunnelling staff by
number of years spent in the field on NATM tunnelling projects of similar type.
This was also a very important tool for us to make a kind of pre-selection.
Experienced personnel include senior tunnel engineers, tunnel superintendents
and tunnel foremen. In the end, all of these personnel had a minimum tunnelling
experience of 10 years in NATM tunnelling work.
The site’s management team included one foreman, a supervisor, one jumbo
operator, one mechanical and one electrical worker, one shotcrete unit operator,
one operator of the excavator, and two truck drivers. In sum, 7 to 9
crewmembers were working in one 12 hour shift per day.

8.2 Sheremetyevo Airport Tunnel

The biggest difference in the working sequences at these tunnel projects is based
on the reason that the team at Metro Doha was working according to the new
tunnel technology and in Moscow they trust more in the old technology. The
result was and is the same: a connection tunnel between two TBM tunnels used
for some maintenance work once a week.

9 Waterproofing Cross-Passage

9.1 Metro Doha

According to the design, the waterproofing protection system had the following
description. First a kind of protection layer with a minimum of 750 gr/m² flies
fixed to the shotcrete lining with nails and plastic “Rondellen”. The water
protection itself was a polypropylene layer of 2 mm thickness.
Again, the great experience of an Austrian company was the reason to work
together with this company, who had experience with the combination of water
protection with segments and a conventional tunnel section. The system was
working perfectly in the different parts of the tunnel section because of their
flexibility in the curved, rough and sometimes, bumpy tunnel surface.

9.2 Sheremetevo Airport Tunnel

The design according GOST, is not foreseen as a similar waterproofing system as

at the cross-passages at the Metro Doha project. It is known for the station
buildings and it looks similar, with a protection layer with a minimum of 1,000
gr/m² flies fixed to the sub construction as blinding or D-walls and a water
protection layer with a polypropylene product of 2 mm thickness.

10 Reinforcement

10.1 Metro Doha

According to the design regulations and the requirements of the client, every
cross-passage got a reinforced inner lining block as a final lining.
Due to this reason the final block had in the end a reinforcement ratio of more
than 160 kg/m³ concrete. This circumstance and the reason that every block was
connected with the main rebar with a coupler in the range of a minimum of 20
mm were the main factors of the delay during the work sequence of
reinforcement of the cross-passages. After weeks, the team became more
familiar with the system of reinforcement layers and created an exactable work
performance. Additionally, the transport of the rebar in the right sequence into
the tunnel and bringing in the right numbers of the required reinforcement in
the tunnel was a logistical battle and an organisational issue. After some training
lessons and detailed specification from the experienced supervisors, all
transport and the work on site of our “inexperienced” workers increased
according to the strict time schedule of the project.

10.2 Sheremetyevo Airport Tunnel

According to the design regulations and the calculation of the design institute,
every cross-passage got a heavy reinforced inner lining block as a final lining.
Due to this reason the final block got in the end a reinforcement ratio of more
than 270 kg/m³ concrete and the maximum used rebar will be 36 mm.
This is the result of the different approach of the design regulation called GOST
which requires that the full ground load is under consideration from the surface
down to the cross-passage construction. This circumstance ends up with heavy
steel arches at one metre distance and with a reinforced block between each
other block.

11 Inner Lining Works

11.1 Metro Doha

The design regulations and the requirements of the client foresee that every
cross-passage got a reinforced inner lining as a final lining. The length was
different, from 6,0 m up to approximately 16 m dependent on the alignment of
the TBM. The site management team decided to order special steel formwork to
the maximum length of 2,20 m, which was limited by the transport inside the
tunnel with the support of the multi service vehicle. The second reason was the
quick assembly and disassembly from cross-passage to cross-passage within a
time window of a minimum of 2 hours for the similar transportation along the
tunnel to the next working place.
Two types of steel formwork were delivered to the site: a normal so-called CP
formwork which was creating the running inner lining inside the section and the
second type, the so-called CP/TBM formwork left and right. The main difference
was the bended stop end for the left and right hand side of the CP section. The
consideration of the team was to pour left and right hand side CP/TBM sections
parallel because the volume of one section was in comparison of the logistic
work to less.

11.2 Sheremetyevo Airport Tunnel

The actual inner lining work will be the covered I-beams with the steel plates
and the spacing between up to the ground, which will be refilled with concrete
and this area is heavy reinforced.

12 Summary and Conclusion

A direct comparison of two different tunnel sites in two different countries is a

very sensible and a difficult challenge. Each tunnel drive has their own field of
activity in accordance with the technical and economic understanding of
tunnelling under the technical requirements of the appropriate authorities. The
advance rate of the running TBM drive, considering all internal site factors,
availability of experienced workforce and technique could be the limitation of
the work at any sequential tunnelling of the cross-passages. Unexpected
geological or other changes can be handled in a flexible change of the word and
the design issue, sudden downtimes of the TBM will create a possibility to fill the
lack of time with increasing work performance at the cross-passages.
Now the strengths of sequential tunnelling in cross-passages are overwhelming
in nearly all ongoing projects, due to the fact of an appropriate tunnel support,
the relatively free choice of tunnel work and the possibility of making alterations
– all in all, flexibility. Most future tunnels will be bored by machines. The high
advance rates, factory-type production process, safer working conditions and
better occupational health conditions, permit the optimal adaptation of the
machine for the expected geological and design conditions. But nearly all cross-
passages will be built according to the understanding of the New Austrian
Tunnelling Method, excluding some small numbers in the Russian territory.
This excellent working method will remain the first choice in building any cross-
passages or connection tunnels under every condition. The success of these
methods according to uniform approval procedure currently represents a good
solution for large projects, with unbiased results according to the technical and
economic criteria of the construction site.

13 Literature

[1] Metro Doha Green Line – EPB TBM tunneling under very special circumstances. H.
Köhler / R. Rengshausen in Geomechanics and Tunnelling, Volume 9, October
2016.

[2] NATM and TBM – comparison with regard to construction operation and can be
used either in gripper mode in hard rock or in shield mode in less hard rock. H. G.
Jodl / D. Resch in Geomechanics and Tunnelling Volume, 4, June 2011.