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Tunnels
T
he vast majority of below-grade project and the expected jobsite of the water table, site access, and the
tunneling projects today conditions. amount of time which the final at grade
are actually created using cut- Byrd continues, To determine surface can be disturbed.
and-cover construction methods. This the best waterproofing solution, one In general, the many different
methodin which a trench is excavated must consider how the tunnel will be construction method used to build cut-
from the surface, then re-coveredis constructed. Will it be constructed with and-cover tunnels can be divided into
usually more economical and more cast-in-place concrete, precast, shotcrete, three major categories. Each of them
practical than mined or bored tunneling. or a combination such as a precast requires an entirely different approach to
Its especially practical at shallow depths tunnel roof placed onto cast-in-place waterproofing.
(30 or 40 feet) but depths to 60 feet are walls? Access is also a defining factor in Bottom-Up Construction: The most
not uncommon. product selection. Will the waterproofer common technique is the bottom-up
Cut-and-cover tunneling is have the space to install the membrane construction. Here, a trench is excavated
extremely versatile. Most of the worlds from the exterior or will it be blindside from the surface downward. Once the
subways have been built using cut-and- construction? final depth is reached, the tunnel floor
cover techniques. Its the overwhelming Major factors determining the is built, then the walls and roof are put
method of choice for traffic, rail and construction method include the into place. Finally, the entire structure is
pedestrian underpasses, utility tunnels, excavation depth, soil type, elevation buried and the surface restored.
and a host of other applications. If the construction site has plenty
of room, the trench is usually cut back.
Construction Methods Walls are typically cast in place, and
Depending on the situation, a variety the waterproofing can be applied to the
of different construction methods can
be used. Stacy Byrd, National Products The Calgary light rail tunnels
Manager at CETCO, says, There are so reached 60 feet below grade, and
many different methods of constructing used a combination of soil nails,
a tunnel and the waterproofing solution shotcrete, and cutback slopes that
should be designed to fit that particular waterproofers had to work around.
Photo Courtesy City of Calgary
20 WATERPROOF!
outside face of the concrete with minimal structure. The floor of the excavation is
problems. easily accessible for equipment and for
Usually, though, theres not enough the delivery, storage and placement of
room for positive side waterproofing. materials.
Especially in urban settings, where most For these reasons, bottom-up
cut-and-and cover tunnels are built, land construction is perhaps the most
is at a premium, so the excavation is cut economical method of building large,
vertically and reinforced with soldier shallow tunnels, but has the disadvantage
piles or soil nails. In these cases, the of making the site unusable longer than
CM
MY
CY
CMY
Winter 2012 21
We provided a bentonite-geotextile down construction method calls for the
membrane that was installed to the walls and roof of the tunnel to be put into
soil retention wall prior to the concrete place before the actual excavation takes
placement. The bentonite geotextile place. The advantage of this method
membrane was also used as an underslab is that the surface is disturbed for a
barrier over the gravel substrate. minimal amount of timean important
The precast arched concrete consideration if the tunnel is being built
segments for the roof were waterproofed under a heavily used traffic artery.
using a peel-and-stick butyl rubber In the top-down method, the first
membrane that tied into the system used step is getting the temporary walls in
on the walls. place. These could be steel sheet piles
Modular Tunnels: For small or a concrete slurry wall. Once the walls
tunnels, such as utility or sewer access are completed, the roof of the tunnel is
tunnels and pedestrian underpasses, a constructed and the surface (usually a
variation on bottom-up construction can roadway) is restored.
be used. Called modular tunnels, this The surface is then available for
construction method uses corrugated normal use while the tunnel excavation
steel or pre-cast concrete segments to is carried out.
Photo Courtesy CETCO
22 WATERPROOF!
the roof, installing post-tensioned paper explaining good design of cut- is underestimated by the designer with
tiebacks as the work progressed to keep and cover tunnels. It places special the consequence that the execution of
the pilings stable. The tunnel bottom had emphasis on waterproofing. The the waterproofing works are immensely
to withstand 20 feet or more of hydrostatic conception of the waterproofing system difficult to achieve.
pressure, so the waterproofing system in cut-and-cover tunnels demands an Their study indicates that the best
here was absolutely critical. They used exact planning of the system, a good results can be achieved by paying special
a seamless, spray-applied membrane collaboration and discussion between attention to joint sealing, waterproofing
sandwiched between two layers of producer, designer of the project, main of penetrations, reinforcement opti-
HDPE. contractor and installer, it reads. Too mization, and drainage in area of the
The wall waterproofing was done often the importance of waterproofing ceiling/crown. n
blindside. Polks crew first applied
a dimple drain sheet, then carefully
sealed around the tiebacks and other
penetrations. They tied this into the top
and bottom waterproofing systems, then Balanced
sprayed a final layer of waterproofing
VENTILATION for
HEALTHIER Living.
on the walls. Then it was enclosed in
shotcrete. Completed about ten years
ago, its still as watertight as the day it
was completed. Your Waterproofing Solution for
Removing Airborne Moisture
Waterproofing EZ Breathe Advantages
Considerations
The type of waterproofing used Dries out damp/musty basements
on cut-and-cover tunnel installations and crawlspaces
usually hinges on the type of soil Helps in reducing mold growth
retention system used on the sides of
the excavation. As noted above, open Reduces window condensation
cut excavations are the easiest. Soldier Removes allergens and
piles and sheet piles are more difficult. indoor pollutants
Soil nails retention systems, which
More ecient energy consumption
can involve detailing around literally
hundreds of different points, are the Reduces number of service calls
most involved.
Regardless of the system used, Watch Your Profits Soar by
waterproofing is essential. Not only does Becoming an EZ Breathe Distributor
it reduce corrosion and maintenance and *Patent
Even though the job was done right and pending
extend the life of the structure, but it can the waterproofing system was performing,
also improve safety. In colder climates, the lingering smell left a negative
leaking tunnels can create hazardous impression. EZ Breathe has completely
ceiling icicles or ice patches on roadways. eliminated that problem. We just don't Low Moisture,
Clean Air,
Healthy Home.
Ventilation Fan
LISTED
Model:400
24MU 31W
Electric Rating:120V, 60Hz,
E245128
Winter 2012 23
The more complex your
waterproofing and JANUARY 2427, 2012
containment problems, Booth# S-12039
the more you need the
Rhino solution.
*All Rhino urethanes are 100% solids. Some epoxy and polyaspartic products may contain less than 100% solids. The photos depicted in this advertisement are shown for
illustration purposes only and are not intended to represent particular applications or methods. All businesses are independently owned and operated. 2012 Rhino Linings
Corporation. All rights reserved. Waterproof Winter12 6272