„SEE Tunnel:Promoting Tunneling in SEE Region“

ITA WTC 2015 Congress and 41st General Assembly

May 22-28, 2015, Lacroma Valamar Congress Center, Dubrovnik, Croatia

The adoption of the SENS in an urban railway tunnel.

Author: Akira Sakata, Civil Engineer, Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology
Agency (JRTT), JAPAN, aki.sakata@jrtt.go.jp
Co-author: Tomoaki Matsuo, Civil Engineer, Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technol-
ogy Agency (JRTT), JAPAN, tom.matsuo@jrtt.go.jp
Co-author: Koji Nakanishi, General Manager, Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technol-
ogy Agency (JRTT), JAPAN, k.nakanishi@jrtt.go.jp
Co-author: Yukiharu Wada, Project Site Manager, Nishiya Tunnel Project Site Office, Taisei / Tokyu
/ SKD Special Construction Project Consortium,JAPAN, wada-y@ce.taisei.co.jp

Topic (Mechanized Tunnelling in Development and Use)

Keywords: SENS, urban tunnel, Shield. Extruded concrete lining system, NATM

1. Introduction
The Nishiya Tunnel on the Sotetsu - JR Through Line is the first project to be executed in an
urban area with the “extruded concrete lining system with shield” (hereafter SENS). This is the
third case that the SENS has been used; previously, it had been used to construct the
Sanbongihara Tunnel on the Tohoku Shinkansen (bullet train) Line and the Tsugaru-Yomogita
Tunnel on the Hokkaido Shinkansen Line. However, the previous two cases were the tunnel
construction in a mountainous area. This tunnel is the first trial of the use of the SENS in an urban
area with many adjacent structures. The primary characteristic of the SENS is that extruded
concrete is used for the primary lining instead of segments. During the excavation, the concrete
placement pressure may cause displacement of the ground surface, and actual uplift has been
confirmed in the shallow earth covering sections in mountainous areas. Accordingly, in order to use
the SENS in an urban area, it was necessary to conduct a study of tunneling control methods that
included both face pressure and concrete placement pressure, in addition to methods of dealing
with risk in shallow earth covering sections, and constrain displacement with respect to adjacent
structures.

This paper will report on the method used to manage the construction directly beneath National
Route 16, in a location with a shallow earth covering and the presence of numerous adjacent
structures, as well as the results of the construction.

2. Overview of the Sotetsu - JR Through Line and the Sotetsu - To-

kyu Through Line
The Sotetsu - JR Through Line is a project to
construct a new connecting line (approximately 2.7
km) between Nishiya Station on the Sotetsu Line and
the Yokohama-Hazawa Station on the JR Tokaido
Freight Line. The construction project was approved
in October 2009. Almost all of the 2.7 km between
Nishiya Station and Hazawa Station (tentative name)
comprises an underground structure, 1.4 km of which
is a circular tunnel called the Nishiya Tunnel.

This new route is intended to form a wide-area

railway network that directly connects the western
Fig. 1 Location of through lines between Sotetsu part of Yokohama City with central area of Kanagawa
line and JR line Prefecture and the center of Tokyo, and to provide
enhanced functions. When service begins,
 „SEE Tunnel:Promoting Tunneling in SEE Region“
ITA WTC 2015 Congress and 41st General Assembly
May 22-28, 2015, Lacroma Valamar Congress Center, Dubrovnik, Croatia

it will reduce travel time and the

number of transfers needed,
improving railway convenience and
providing stimulation to the region.

Fig. 1 shows a route map. Fig. 2

shows a plan view and sectional
profile of the Sotetsu - JR Through
Line.
Fig. 2 Nishiya Tunnel plan view and standard section view

3. Overview of construction
3.1 OUTLINE OF Nishiya Tunnel

Nishiya Tunnel extends for a length of 1,446 m. It has a curvature of R550 m near the Nishiya
Table 2 Intersecting and adjacent structures Station and R600 m near the Hazawa
Station. The maximum longitudinal
Intersecting /
Intersecting or Distance from
gradient is 35% and the minimum is
adjacent Location
adjacent tunnel 10%. The earth covering of the tunnel
structure varies between 6 m and 46 m.
National
Sections with a shallow earth covering
Route 16
Aboveground Intersecting 6.6m of 1D or less extend for approximately
150 m on the starting point side and
Yokohama approximately 100 m on the endpoint
Municipal
Aboveground Intersecting 12.7m side. The maximum ground water level
Ring Road is tunnel crown + 18.7 m. As indicated
No. 2 in Table 2, the distinguishing
Yokohama characteristics of this tunnel are that it
Municipal crosses or comes near many important
Ring Road To left of tunnel Adjacent 8.0m structures, and the area directly above
No. 2 ramp the tunnel is crowded with private
abutment residences.

3.2 Geological outline

The geological configuration in the

tunnel section comprises the Kazusa
Group, an alluvial formation, on top of
which is the Sagami Group, covered at
the surface by the loamy layer of the
Kanto area. The geological makeup of
the section through which the tunnel
passes is primarily the cohesive soil of
Fig.3 Geological longitudinal cross-section the Kazusa Group (Km) (N ≧ 35)
interspersed with the sandy soil of the Kazusa Group (Ks) (N > 50). The cohesive soil layer of the
Kazusa Group (Km) is hard soil composed primarily of consolidated sandy mudstone, but the sandy
soil (Ks) interspersed throughout contains artesian groundwater.

In the sections with shallow earth covering on the starting point and endpoint sides, soft alluvial
cohesive soil (Ac) (N<1) is present above the excavated cross-section, so ground improvement
was conducted. Fig. 3 shows a geological profile of the Nishiya Tunnel.

3.3 Overview of SENS

SENS is a tunnel support system in which, while the ground is being initially excavated using a
sealed earth pressure balance type shield tunneling machine (with the face being stabilized at the
 „SEE Tunnel:Promoting Tunneling in SEE Region“
ITA WTC 2015 Congress and 41st General Assembly
May 22-28, 2015, Lacroma Valamar Congress Center, Dubrovnik, Croatia

same time), concrete is pressurized at the shield tail section and placed to provide extruded
concrete lining (ECL) that will serve as the primary lining to support the tunnel, concurrently with
the shield tunneling excavation.
Subsequently, the stability of the primary lining is confirmed by taking measurements, and at the
same time the New Austrian Tunneling Method is used to construct the secondary lining to
complete the tunnel. "SENS" is an acronym formed from the first letter of each of these
technologies: SENS (Shield + Extruded concrete lining + New Austrian Tunneling Method +
System).

There are many advantages of the SENS. Firstly,

Fig. 4 Shield machine (SENS)
you can excavate safely because of using the
shield machine. Secondly, the construction cost
of SENS is lower than that of tunnel using
segments, because of the extruded concrete
lining. Third, the excavation proceeds more
quickly than NATM (the Convergence
confinement method (CCM)). SENS is employed
primarily for soils ranging from soft rock to
unconsolidated ground, and in an alluvial
formation extruded concrete runoff may occur. In
ground in which CCM can be employed but for
which many auxiliary methods such as chemical
grouting and long fore pilings are needed, the
SENS is safer and more economical and enables
the tunnel to be constructed more quickly.

Based on the above, a comparison study of three

Fig. 5 Concrete placement
methods — shield tunneling, SENS and the urban
mountain tunneling method (urban CCM) — was
performed for the Nishiya Tunnel in terms of the
effect on groundwater, the surrounding ground
and adjacent structures, in addition to ease of
construction, economic viability, construction
period and so on. Based on a comprehensive
judgment, the SENS was adopted.

Fig.4 shows the shield machine used for the

construction of the Nishiya Tunnel. The shield
machine was a mud pressure shield machine
with a diameter of 10.46 m and a length of 11.64
m.
Fig. 6 Nishiya Tunnel standard cross-section
Fig.5 shows a conceptual diagram of the primary
lining concrete placement cycle. The primary lining concrete is placed from the placement ports
(12 ports) in the press ring that is located between the ground and the inner form that is
assembled to the rear of the machine. When advance and placement of the a ring section of the
inner form is complete, the inner form that has been dismantled from 16 rings to the rear is
brought forward and reassembled and, after the installation location has been confirmed, the 1R
section is once again advanced and placed. This constitutes one cycle and is repeated to construct
the tunnel in sequence.

Fig. 6 shows the standard cross-section for the Nishiya Tunnel. The external diameter of the tunnel
is 10,400 mm, and the tunnel is made up of a primary lining (300 mm), a secondary lining (300
mm) and primary and secondary inverts. Between the primary and secondary linings, a full-
perimeter waterproofing sheet was constructed to provide improved water cut-off performance
and form a waterproof tunnel structure.
 „SEE Tunnel:Promoting Tunneling in SEE Region“
ITA WTC 2015 Congress and 41st General Assembly
May 22-28, 2015, Lacroma Valamar Congress Center, Dubrovnik, Croatia

4. Risks pertaining to shallow earth covering sections in an urban

environment and countermeasures

In applying the SENS to an urban environment, unlike the construction in mountain areas, the
construction had to be done safely to avoid affecting structures in the surrounding area and
conditions at the surface. Furthermore, tunneling and concrete placement would have an effect in
shallow earth covering sections, and there would be an enormous impact on society in the event
that major displacement occurred in an urban environment in particular.

As the SENS uses extruded concrete lining instead of the shield segments, it was extraordinarily
important to maintain appropriate control of not only the shield face earth pressure but also the
concrete placement pressure. In past cases of ground surface displacement due to the effect of
SENS concrete placement pressure, an uplift of up to 90 mm was observed in a shallow earth
covering of approximately 5 m. 2) Accordingly, in applying SENS to areas with a shallow earth
covering, the effect not only on conditions at the surface but also underground facilities beneath
the road and the leakage of excavation additives were a concern. The following are the risks and
the measures that were taken for these risks.

1) Effect on surface conditions and adjacent structures caused by SENS face earth pressure and
concrete placement pressure
To avoid affecting surface conditions and adjacent structures, it is necessary to set suitable control
values for face earth pressure and concrete placement pressure. In some cases, protective
measures also needed to be implemented to prevent displacement of adjacent structures, in
addition to conducting appropriate control by means of measurement.

2) Surface eruptions of excavation additives

In shield excavation using segments, the excavation additives and back-filling material that filled
the chamber sometimes erupt from the surface of the ground. In addition, there are water pipes,
gas pipes and other underground pipes beneath roads, and these may provide a pathway for
additives and back-filling material to leak, depending on the condition of the backfill earth around
buried pipes and adjacent structures and the condition of the ground around residual temporary
installed items. As excavation additives are used in the SENS as well, filling, ground improvement
or other measures needed to be taken for the area around backfill earth and remaining temporary
structures, depending on the situation.

3) Interrupted tunneling due to trouble with concrete placement pipes, etc.

During continuous concrete placement using the SENS, trouble such as the concrete sticking to the
interior of the pipes and blocking the pipes is likely to occur, leading to the interruption of
tunneling. For this reason, a study of the continuous tunneling and pipe cleaning processes had to
be conducted to ensure that the excavation was not halted near adjacent structures.

5. Construction plan for the section that crosses National Route 16

5.1 Overview of National Route 16

Fig. 7-1 and Fig. 7-2 shows an intersection view and cross-section view of National Route 16.
Fig. 7-1 cross-section views for intersection with
National Route 16
The Nishiya Tunnel crosses National Route 16
at about a 30° angle. The earth covering at the
intersection is less than 1D at approximately 6.8
m. National Route 16 is a two-lane road with a
width of 12.6 m. It is heavily trafficked
(approximately 25,000 vehicles each day), and in
the daytime it is often congested. Beneath the
roads are many buried lines such as water and
sewer pipes, gas pipes, manholes, telephone
cables and so on. There are also many private
residences in the surrounding area. The sewer
 „SEE Tunnel:Promoting Tunneling in SEE Region“
ITA WTC 2015 Congress and 41st General Assembly
May 22-28, 2015, Lacroma Valamar Congress Center, Dubrovnik, Croatia

system manholes in particular are extremely

close to the tunnel, being separated by only 1.54
m. The geological conditions for the tunnel
cross-section comprise alternating strata of
Kazusa layer cohesive soil and sandy soil, and
the sediment above the shield machine is fill soil
down to a depth of approximately 2.2 m from
the surface, Kazusa layer cohesive soil for
approximately 3.1 m and Kazusa layer sandy soil
for approximately 1.4 m. Accordingly, in order to
safely construct the section that crosses National
Route 16, investigation and study was performed
for three issues (the shallow earth covering of
Fig. 7-2 cross-section views for intersection with less than 1D, the presence of gas, water and
National Route 16 sewer pipes and so on under the road, and the
fact that the road was a main road with considerable traffic) and an appropriate construction plan
was formulated.

5.2 Establishment of appropriate methods to control face earth pressure and

concrete placement pressure
In order to pursue the construction in
the National Route 16 area safely and
avoid affecting
conditions at the surface and
structures in the surrounding area,
appropriate control values had to be
established for face earth pressure and
concrete placement pressure. To this
end, prior to the start of actual
tunneling, a trial sector was set up in
Fig.8 Calculation of control values for face earth pressure and
concrete placement pressure
the construction yard and, based on
the results for face earth pressure,
primary lining concrete placement pressure and displacement at ground surface, control methods
for use in actual tunneling were studied. As shown in Fig. 8, the control values for face earth
pressure and concrete placement pressure were established based on the earth pressure
measurement above the shield machine while it was not operating. Specifically, the control values
for face earth pressure were established by adding a margin of 20 kPa to the earth pressure
measurement above the shield machine and using the result as the lower limit, and adding a
further 30 kPa margin of fluctuation to create the upper limit. For the control values for concrete
placement pressure, a concrete pipe loss pressure of 48 kPa was added to the upper limit for the
face earth pressure above the shield machine to create the lower limit, and a further 50 kPa as the
margin of fluctuation for concrete placement pressure was added to create the upper limit. When
construction was executed using this control method, adequate concrete fill was achieved, and
there was minimal impact on the surrounding environment. 3) Furthermore, it had been predicted
through an impact analysis for National Route 16 that the maximum ground surface level
displacement with this control method would be approximately 2 mm, and up to now the
maximum ground surface displacement measured in actual tunneling was approximately ± 2 mm.
Based on the above, the control method was judged to be appropriate, and it was used during the
construction in the area of National Route 16 to ensure that the construction was executed
appropriately.

5.3 Measures to protect adjacent structures

Table 3 shows the control values for displacement of the road and various underground
structures. The values were determined through discussions with the administrators of the road
and various underground structures. In the event that these primary control values were exceeded,
the administrators had to be contacted. If the limit values were exceeded, the tunneling had to be
 „SEE Tunnel:Promoting Tunneling in SEE Region“
ITA WTC 2015 Congress and 41st General Assembly
May 22-28, 2015, Lacroma Valamar Congress Center, Dubrovnik, Croatia

halted and repair of the road surface and underground structures was required. The most
stringent control value was the one for
Table 3 Control values for road surface and underground objects displacement of gas pipes (± 8 mm)
(primary control value). The limit values
Road Sewer pipes / Gas pipes for displacement of the gas pipe and
manholes (ø400 steel TELEPHONE cables were both ± 20 mm.
pipe)

Distance from tunnel 6.8m (manhole)1.5m 4.7m

In addition, an investigation was
conducted for the sewer system
Control Primary manholes which were located extremely
value control ±25mm ±25mm ±8mm close (1.54 m) to the tunnel. At the time,
value the construction involved cast-in-place
construction by means of caisson pile
Limit value ±40mm ±40mm ±20mm
works. In addition, the presence of
Telephone Water pipes residual piles that had used as temporary
cables (ductile cast members for the covering plates was
iron pipe) detected. As a result, if there were air
pockets in the back sections of the
Distance from tunnel 3.5m 5.5m
manholes, it was feared that these could
Control Primary provide a path for the foaming material
value control ±10mm ±50mm to escape, and for this and other reasons
value displacement resulting from the face
earth pressure and concrete placement
Limit value ±20mm ±75mm pressure was a concern. When
suspension type chemicals were injected
into the liner plate backfilling locations at the back of the manholes, an injection quantity greater
than the design quantity was detected. It was also decided to use concrete to integrate the top of
the sewer manhole and the residual piles to prevent subsidence or uplift of the manhole itself due
to the impact of tunneling or concrete placement.

5.4 Measurement control methods

Control by means of road surface measurement was performed by establishing a measurement
point approximately every 5 m on the roadway section of the road (on the lanes in both directions)
and manually performing measurements (once every 2 hours). Supplementary automatic
measurements (once every five minutes) using a total station were also performed.

For measurement control in underground areas, measurements (once every 2 hours) of gas pipes
were conducted using a subsidence rod. For the sewer and rainwater manholes that were
extremely close to the tunnel, automatic displacement measurements (once every five minutes)
were performed for the manholes using pressure type subsidence gauges placed at the top of the
manholes.

5.5 Tunneling plan

During the Nishiya Tunnel construction, the concrete placement pipes were cleaned twice per
week, and each continuous tunneling operation was performed for a maximum of 24R (48R per
week). Based on the state of the concrete placement pipes when they were cleaned, it was
determined that continuous tunneling greater than this value might cause pipe blockages and
other trouble and variations in the concrete placement pressure, so 24R was used as the maximum
standard for continuous tunneling in the construction of sections directly beneath National Route
16 as well. The scope of continuous tunneling was set at 24R centering on the sewer manholes
located in the center of National Route 16.

5.6 Construction management procedure

Based on the above, the construction management procedure for National Route 16 was created
as shown in Fig. 9. With regard to the control value for displacement, the most stringent primary
 „SEE Tunnel:Promoting Tunneling in SEE Region“
ITA WTC 2015 Congress and 41st General Assembly
May 22-28, 2015, Lacroma Valamar Congress Center, Dubrovnik, Croatia

control value was ± 8 mm, and

Fig. 9 Construction management process
thickness of 330 mm (calculated from the outer diameter of the shield machine, 10.46 m, and the
outer diameter of the inner formwork, 9.8 m).
considering the fact that up to now the
maximum value in ground surface level
measurement in the case of actual
tunneling had been ± 2 mm, the ± 4
mm displacement for the ground
surface level and gas pipe subsidence
rod displacement was established as
the target value for construction
management in the National Route 16
section. When this value was exceeded,
it was judged to be a sign of an
abnormality, and the control values for
face earth pressure and concrete
placement pressure were adjusted in
the course of tunneling to prevent
further displacement. The control
values for face earth pressure were
changed within the range that did not
exceed the control values for the
quantity of removed earth (average
value ± σ for the quantity of removed
muck for the previous 30R (standard
deviation)). With regard to the control
values for concrete placement pressure,
the placement quantity was adjusted
within the range that did not exceed
the concrete placement ratio of 95% -
120% (95%: minimum value satisfying
the design tunnel lining thickness of
300 mm / 120%: limit value that is
below the quantity that flows around to
the face). For the concrete placement
ratio, the ratio of the actual placement
quantity to the design quantity for the
tail void was indicated, and 100% was
achieved through a tunnel lining

6. Results of construction of section directly beneath National

Route 16

Tunneling directly beneath National Route 16 began on April 21, 2014 from 1,136R (assembly
ring). The results of construction in the sections before and after National Route 16 are shown
below. Ring management was performed using the assembly rings in the shield tail section, so if
the position of the assembly ring is 0R, the face ring was at +8R and the concrete placement ring
was at -1R.

6.1 Manual displacement measurements for road surface and gas pipes
Of the results of manual measurements for the road surface and gas pipes, this section will
 „SEE Tunnel:Promoting Tunneling in SEE Region“
ITA WTC 2015 Congress and 41st General Assembly
May 22-28, 2015, Lacroma Valamar Congress Center, Dubrovnik, Croatia

describe the results of construction in

the four measurement locations with
the greatest displacement (road
surface: measurement points ① - ③ /
gas pipes: measurement point G). Fig.
10 shows a plan view with the
measurement locations indicated. Fig.
11 shows the results of displacement
measurements for the road surface and
gas pipes in the sections before and
after National Route 16. Fig. 12 shows
the results for face earth pressure and
concrete placement pressure.
Fig. 10 Road surface and gas pipe measurement locations (major
locations) Prior to the start of construction
directly beneath National Route 16
starting from 1,136R (assembly
ring), the values for face earth
pressure and concrete placement
pressure were reset based on the
soil and water pressure while the
machine was at rest, in accordance
with the control method described
in the previous section. Initially, for
measurement point ① in the
eastbound lane of National Route
16 and the gas pipe, the level rose
Fig. 11 Results of manual displacement measurement for road surface as the shield machine approached.
and gas pipes During tunneling at 1,144R
(assembly ring) when the shield
tail section had reached the area
directly beneath the eastbound lane
of National Route 16, the level rose
further as a result of the concrete
placement pressure, exceeding the
target control value for
construction (+ 4 mm). At
measurement locations ② and ③ in
the westbound lane as well,
advance uplift caused by the
approach of the shield face was
detected. Accordingly, downward
adjustment from the control values
Fig. 12 Results for face earth pressure and primary lining concrete used up to now was conducted in
placement pressure accordance with the construction
management procedure shown in Fig. 9 (control value for concrete placement pressure: -20 kPa /
control value for face each pressure: -5 kPa). As a result of this adjustment, no further major uplift
due to concrete placement pressure was observed in the eastbound lane of National Route 16, and
the ultimate displacement was max. +5 mm. At measurement locations ② and ③ in the
westbound lane, an uplift of +4 mm was observed due to the effect of face earth pressure during
tunneling at 1,153R - 1,157R (assembly ring) directly beneath National Route 16. Accordingly, for
the construction starting from 1,159R (assembly ring), downward adjustment of the control value
for concrete placement pressure was performed again (-25 kPa). As a result, ultimately the
maximum displacement in the westbound lane of National Route 16 was +6 mm.

Accordingly, with regard to the manual displacement measurements for the road surface and gas
pipes, tunneling directly under National Route 16 was achieved without exceeding the primary
control values as a result of appropriate adjustment of the control values based on the
construction management procedure.
 „SEE Tunnel:Promoting Tunneling in SEE Region“
ITA WTC 2015 Congress and 41st General Assembly
May 22-28, 2015, Lacroma Valamar Congress Center, Dubrovnik, Croatia

6.2 Automatic displacement measurements for sewer and rainwater manholes

Fig. 13 shows the results of
automatic displacement
measurement for the sewer and
rainwater manholes that were
extremely close to the tunnel.
Starting before the face passed, the
manholes tended to rise as the
shield machine approached, and
thereafter temporary subsidence
was observed when the shield
machine was stopped to clean the
pipes. However, when tunneling
was started again and the face
Fig. 13 Results of automatic displacement measurement for sewer and passed, uplift of +1.6 mm for the
rainwater manholes rainwater manholes and +2.0 mm
for the sewer manholes was
observed. While the shield machine was passing, repeated uplift and subsidence were observed
along with the advance and stopping of the shield machine, and the uplift increased as the shield
tail section approached. The manhole displacement immediately after the shield tail section had
passed was +4.2 mm for the rainwater manhole and +6.6 mm for the sewer manhole, and
considerable uplift due to the concrete placement pressure was observed. Subsequently, a gradual
uplift trend was observed up until approximately seven days after the inner formwork had been
removed, and the ultimate displacement was approximately +5 mm for the rainwater manhole and
approximately +7.5 mm for the sewer manhole. Both manhole values are within the primary
control value (+25 mm). Subsequently, a direct visual inspection of the manholes was conducted
to confirm that there were no abnormalities with the manholes themselves. Partly due to the fact
that the ground and manholes were able to be integrated as a result of the injection of chemicals
at the back of the manholes, the displacement of the sewer manholes that were close to the
tunnel was kept to approximately max. +9 mm.

6.3 Primary lining thickness measurement

Fig. 14 shows the results of primary
lining thickness and concrete placement
ratio directly beneath
National Route 16 and in the sections
before and after the highway. Fig.15
shows the status after placement of the
primary lining. The tunnel lining
thickness was measured using an
ultrasonic instrument at four points (up,
down, left and right) every 5R to
confirm that the values exceeded the
design value (300 mm).

The results of measurement revealed

that all primary lining thicknesses
exceeded the design value. There was
Fig. 14 Results for primary lining thickness and concrete little concrete cracking, and almost no
placement ratio
water leakage was observed. This is
because the placement quantity had been adjusted and the control values for placement pressure
had been reduced in order to limit the progress of uplift in the National Route 16 section, making it
possible to conduct concrete placement with a placement ratio of 95% (a placement quantity able
to ensure the design value) and resulting in a solid primary lining.
 „SEE Tunnel:Promoting Tunneling in SEE Region“
ITA WTC 2015 Congress and 41st General Assembly
May 22-28, 2015, Lacroma Valamar Congress Center, Dubrovnik, Croatia

6.4 Summary
Fig.15 View after primary lining concrete placement
Fig.16 Shield machine after arrival at Nishiya Shaft Moreover, the primary lining thickness also
satisfied the design value, and little concrete cracking and almost no water leakage was detected.
The risks of tunneling in sections with a
shallow earth covering in an urban area and
measures to deal with these risks were studied,
and tunneling control methods and protective
measures were implemented. Firstly, in the trial
sector, appropriate control methods for face
earth pressure and concrete placement
pressure were established. In addition,
protective measures and control by means of
measurement were implemented for the
possibility that excavation additives would erupt
from the surface of the ground, and for the
underground objects very close to the tunnel.
Furthermore, to prevent trouble with the pipes
from occurring during continuous tunneling,
resulting in the shield machine being stopped in
the middle of the process, the same value for
the scope of actual tunneling (24R) was used
even in the section directly beneath National
Route 16. Based on the above, a construction
management procedure for the National Route
16 section was prepared for the execution of
the construction, and as a result the
displacement of the road surface and
underground objects in the National Route 16
section was less than the primary control value,
making it possible to keep the impact on road
surface and buried objects to a minimum.

7. Conclusion
Up to now, the SENS had been used for construction only in mountain areas, and there was no
precedent for construction under the difficult conditions of a shallow earth covering in an urban
area. In addition, as a result of the placement pressure for cast-in-place concrete, uplift at the
ground surface had occurred in construction up to now in shallow earth covering sections in
mountain areas. Based on these considerations, when applying the SENS in an urban area,
appropriate control methods for face earth pressure and concrete placement pressure as well as
risks were studied to ensure that the road surface and structures in the surrounding area would
not be affected. As a result, the tunnel was successfully constructed directly beneath National
Route 16 without incident. Construction of the tunnel using the SENS began in February 2013, and
the Nishiya Shaft was reached on May 1, 2014. (Fig.16)

At present, dismantling of the shield machine has been completed. The machine has been placed
temporarily at a location near the departure shaft, and preparations are underway for the start of
construction of the next tunnel, the Hazawa Tunnel. As in the case of this tunnel, the Hazawa
Tunnel will have many nearby adjacent structures. For this reason, the differences between the
analysis values and the actual measurements in the case of this tunnel must be studied, and the
results must be reflected in study and analysis of the impact of the Hazawa Tunnel.

Finally, the authors would like to express their profound gratitude to Visiting Professor Yukinori
Oyama of Ritsumeikan University and many others for their guidance and assistance in the
planning and construction of this tunnel.
 „SEE Tunnel:Promoting Tunneling in SEE Region“
ITA WTC 2015 Congress and 41st General Assembly
May 22-28, 2015, Lacroma Valamar Congress Center, Dubrovnik, Croatia

8. References
1)Hiromi Iida: “Cast-in-place support system using shield machine in an unconsolidated mountain
area containing water” (Waseda University Dissertations, pp. 3, February 2008)

2)Toshihiko Miyazaki, Mikio Mikami, Atsuhiro Tanaka and Koichi Nishikawa: “The Tsugaru Yomogita
Tunnel on the Hokkaido Shinkansen (bullet train), constructed at an average rate of progress of
190 meters per month using SENS” (Tunnel and Underground, Vol. 44, No. 7, pp. 483 - 490, July
2013)

3)Kazuhiko Takeda, Satoru Sakata, Koji Wada and Eiji Matsumura: “The Nishiya Tunnel on the
Sotetsu - JR Through Line: Trial construction for construction management of SENS in an urban
environment” (Tunnel and Underground, Vol. 45, No. 5, May 2014)