The

first large diameter slurry TBMs in India - Selection of the tunnelling system for Bangalore Metro
Moncrieff, R.L. 1. 1. Rona Consulting Co., Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand The design and build contract for the first underground section of Bangalore Metro was awarded to CEC-Soma-CICI Joint Venture in 2010 and tunnelling work commenced in May 2011. Selection of the of the tunnelling system for the 5.6m ID bored tunnels through the varied and difficult ground conditions found beneath the congested central areas of the city was one of the early decisions that the contractor had to make. BMRC Contract UG2, comprises some 2,400m of twin-bored tunnels, cut and cover tunnels, two ramps and four underground stations. Bangalore is situated 1,000m above sea level and ground conditions along the tunnel alignment consist of a shallow layer of fill or made ground overlying residual soil, weathered rock and hard fresh rock with compressive strengths in excess of 150 mpa. The rock head varies from below tunnel level to just below surface level. Hard granite, layers of weathered rock with differing geophysical characteristics and soft, residual soil occur at the tunnel horizon. A full rock face, soft ground face and mixed face conditions with up to three types of material can be encountered in the tunnel drives. Ground water level is typically just below the surface. For the twin-bored tunnels, closed face TBMs were specified by the client, however the contractor was able to select what he considered as the most suitable technology for the prevailing conditions. Slurry tunnelling machines were chosen, the first use of this technology on this scale in India.

Fig - Indias first large diameter slurry TBM The east-west tunnel alignment on Contract UG2 lies beneath busy roads that serve areas of the city where there are large commercial developments, educational establishments and government buildings. Important buildings close bye include the Karnataka State Parliament, the High Court, the Civil Court and the General Post Office. Horizontal curves down to 220m in radius have to be negotiated and, unavoidably, at more than one location, the tunnels are below or close to buildings. Due to the hilly nature of the city, the overburden varies from 2.5 tunnel diameters to little more than one tunnel diameter. With the sensitivity of adjacent structures in this dense urban conurbation, control of settlement and ground movement during tunnelling is of prime importance. Factors that influenced the choice of tunnelling method and ultimately the selection and the design of the TBMs and the support equipment required to construct this difficult tunnel alignment are discussed in this paper. Problems resulting from tunnelling through variable mixed ground conditions with ground water present are identified and the detailed process leading to the final selection and procurement of the first large diameter slurry tunnelling machines to be used in India is described.