Integral Capillary System Concrete Waterproofing
A tunnel is an underground passage through a mountain, beneath a city or under a
waterway.
It may be for pedestrians and/or cyclists, general road traffic, motor vehicles , rail traffic,
or for a canal. Some tunnels are constructed purely for carrying water (for consumption,
hydroelectric purposes or as sewers); others carry services such as telecommunications
cables.
Mountain Tunnel
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Drilling and blasting (D&B) method
NATM (New Austrian Tunneling Method) is the most common method. It originates in
hard rock tunneling and utilizes rockbolts and shotcrete applied immediately after
blasting. This is often followed by a cast in-situ concrete lining using formwork.
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Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) method
TMB is used as an alternative to drilling and blasting (D&B) methods. TBMs are used
to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of subterranean
matter; hard rock, sand or almost anything in between.
As the TBM moves forward, the round cutter heads cut into the tunnel face and splits
off large chunks of rock. The cutter head carves a smooth round hole through the
rock -- the exact shape of a tunnel. Conveyor belts carry the rock shavings through
the TBM and out the back of the machine to a dumpster.
Tunnel lining is the wall of the tunnel. It consists of precast concrete segments that
form rings, cast in-situ concrete lining using formwork or shotcrete lining.
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Types of Tunnels & Construction Methods
Integral Capillary System Concrete Waterproofing
Shallow tunnels are of a cut-and-cover type (if under water of the immersed-tube
type). Deep tunnels are excavated, often using a tunnelling shield. For intermediate
levels, both methods are possible.
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Cut-and-cover method
Cut-and-cover is a method of tunnel construction where a trench is excavated and
roofed over. Strong supporting beams are necessary to avoid the danger of the
tunnel collapsing.
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Shield method
The Shield method uses one or two shields (large metal cylinder) to cut out a tunnel
through the soft ground.
A rotating cutting wheel is located at the front end of the shield. Behind the cutting
wheel is a chamber where, depending on the type of the TBM, the excavated soil is
either mixed with slurry (called slurry TBM) or left as is (earth pressure balance or
EPB shield). Systems for removal of the soil (or the soil mixed with slurry) are also
present.
Behind the chamber is a set of hydraulic jacks supported by the finished part of the
tunnel which are used to push the TBM forward. Once a certain distance has been
excavated (roughly 1.5-2 meters), a new tunnel ring is built using the erector. The
erector is a rotating system that picks up pre-cast concrete segments and places
them in the desired position.
Behind the shield, inside the finished part of the tunnel, several support mechanisms
can be found that are part of the TBM: dirt removal, slurry pipelines if applicable,
control rooms, and rails for transport of the precast segments, etc.
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Shallow-buried Tunnel or Soft Soil Tunnel
Integral Capillary System Concrete Waterproofing
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Immersed-tube method
The immersed tube tunnel technique uses hollow box sectioned tunnel elements that
have been prefabricated in reinforced concrete. These are floated out into the harbor
and placed into a trench that was pre-dredged in the harbor bed. When in position,
the elements are joined together to form a tunnel. The trench is then refilled and the
harbour bed returned to its original level.
Shaft
Opening part
Part buried under
U d b i d t
Immersed part
Part buried under
Opening part
Longitudinal Profile of an Immersed-tube Tunnel
Transversal Profile of a Rectangle Immersed Tube Segment
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Shield method
As previously stated.
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Underwater Tunnel
