Tunneling

north american Oct/Nov 2017

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 contentS
5 Editor’s comment

6 Snapshots of
www.tunnellingjournal.com news

10 A matter of logistics
Construction consolidation centres are likely to
become mandatory, as cities look to reduce
congestion and pollution. What does this new
Above: Scotland’s breed of logistics management offer, asks
Shieldhall Tunnel Kristina Smith
Breaks through
(p6)

Right: Conveyor’s
16 TBM opening ratio comparison
in Istanbul
An in-depth discussion into the factors
in action on affecting the performance of three different
Norway’s Follo TBMs in the complex geology of Istanbul
Line (p10)

Below: Heathrow
leads the way
27 SCL – So Conservative Lately –
Further Thoughts
Comments and questions arising from
with construction our article ‘SCL – So Conservative Lately’,
consolidation published in the September issue of
centres (p10) Tunnelling Journal

31 Markham & Co Ltd - the Robbins

Manapouri TBM anniversary
Richard Lewis, YL Associates Limited,
describes a landmark moment in the history
of TBM manufacturing

33 Sprayed Concrete Composite Shell

Lining Design – Part 2
As the second of a two part series, Hyuk-il
Jung, Anton Pillai and Claire Wilson of Arup
present a new design approach which is
proposed to allow designers to estimate the
reduced thickness of secondary lining when
composite action is considered

40 Designing tunnels for reduced

operational costs
The authors considered the energy
implications of a high speed rail tunnel and
suggest that moderate increase in the cross-
sectional area can result in substantial whole
life energy savings. By H. Pantelidou, S.
Stephenson, J. Alexander, R. Sturt

42 Two very different approaches to

roadheader solutions
Developments in roadheader design now
means that this excavation method is
Above left: increasingly providing tunnelling
Roadheaders are a contractors with a flexible, mobile, safe,
viable alternative and environmentally friendly solution
to TBMs or Drill &
Blast (p42)
46 Best Practice in Preserving the Health of
Tunnel Construction Workers
Kate Cole, an occupational hygienist and
Manger for Occupational Health and
Left: Sydney Metro Hygiene, shares her investigations into best
Northwest practice to prevent illness and disease in
breakthrough, a tunnel construction workers worldwide
project where the
study of
occupational
health is being
51 Product News

taken to new levels

(p46) 54 Contacts

TUNNELLING JOURNAL 3

Body and mind…
It’s really encouraging to see the
rise in recent times of the
Occupational Health sector within
the tunnelling industry. Kate Cole in
her article on p46 - drawn largely
from her experiences gained whilst
travelling international tunnelling
centres courtesy of her Churchill
Fellowship award in Australia -
explains how different countries
approach this vital issue, and hopes
to pull this information together
with the aim of pushing ‘good
practice’ to ‘best practice’.
There is no doubt that adverse
physical issues affecting the health
of the workforce are a challenge.
By this we may mean, breathing
disorders caused by years of
working in pretty awful conditions,
Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome, or
to another extreme the possible
dangers associated with hyperbaric
interventions. Health & Safety
representatives and the tunnelling
industry have dealt with the latter,
to my mind, admirably, whilst the
likes of physical disease instances
looks set for a revolutionary change
in how they can be prevented. And
this is all good positive stuff and to
be encouraged at every
opportunity.
But worryingly I’m seeing more
and more instances creeping in
where it is not just the physical side
of the workforce we need to be
concerned about.
I was talking recently with a civil
engineer, who at the start of the
conversation clearly loved his
chosen vocation, but by the end
was describing his current position
as feeling like a jail sentence. This,
it was to become clear, was entirely
down to the stress related anxiety
he felt resulting from his huge
workload, the long hours, and the
ramifications of him making a
serious error.
I’ll bet any money he’s not alone
in feeling like this. Let me be clear,
he was not the sort of person to
draw attention to himself or his
plight, and maybe that’s part of the
problem. Are engineers the type to
editorScomment
hide these feelings - put up with
them and hope things get easier?
Maybe there is a fear of not being
taken seriously, or at worst being
thought less of?
The damage of stress can start
slowly, lack of sleep, short-
temperedness, that few too many
beers or bottles of wine after a
shift, but over time you could be
potentially walking your way
towards a whole world of trouble –
both mentally and physically.
By sheer coincidence, a
construction lawyer I was talking
with just the other day described
how they now have a mental health
welfare officer. Their industry has
recognized the importance of each
member of their teams, and that
they all work at times under
abnormally stressful conditions. The
whole concept is to police the
mental health of their staff, and if
somebody is struggling, to get
them help before it spirals out of
control. Give them time off if they
need it, don’t let it become a heart
attack, or worse. There isn’t just a
humanistic angle to all of this,
these law firms know that each
member of their specific teams
can’t be replaced with a simple
‘ I was talking
recently with a civil
engineer, who at
phone call to an employment
agency. So they look after them the start of the
with their long-term health in mind.
It works just as well for the
conversation clearly
employer as it does for the loved his chosen
employee; no boss wants any of his
highly valued crew out of action. vocation, but by the
So just think about it, stressful
environment, long hours, hard to
end was describing
replace team members….sounds his current position
familiar?
Maybe it’s high time we started as feeling like a jail
looking at the mental health side of
our own industry as well as the
sentence. This, it
physical. Just because you can’t see was to become
it doesn’t mean it isn’t there, and
stopping such issues before they
clear, was entirely
get worse in the short term, could down to the stress
well be key to keeping your team
together in the long run. related anxiety he
felt resulting from
Tris Thomas his huge workload.
’
TUNNELLING JOURNAL 5
NEWS FROM THE WEB www.tunnellingjournal.com - breaking industry news first!
CVJV’s Herrenknecht TBM breaks through at Shieldhall in Glasgow, Scotland
Shieldhall breaks through
October 18, 2017
Costain/VINCI Construction Grands Projets
JV (CVJV) has completed the construction
phase of Scotland’s biggest waste water
tunnel, the 5km long, 4.7m diameter
Shieldhall Tunnel following the
breakthrough of its 5.51m diameter
Herrenknecht slurry TBM on the evening
of the 12th October.
The state-of-the-art TBM was launched
in July 2016 and has spent 15 months
boring and erecting over 3200 segmental
rings on the $140M tunnel beneath the
south of the city between Craigton and
Queen’s Park via Bellahouston and Pollok
parks. Construction of the single pass
segmental lining has been through an
array of ground conditions, at a depth of
as little as 4m from ground level to crown.
There have been clays and made ground,
sandstone and mudstone, glacial till with
boulders and the remains of mine
workings at various depths to deal with.
The tunnel is described as ‘one of the
most important pieces of waste water
management infrastructure installed in
Glasgow since Victorian times.’
With this key phase of the project now
complete, further construction and
ancillary work will be carried out including
work to connect the tunnel to the existing
waste water network before the tunnel
becomes operational next summer.
(Full article TJ September 2017, p32)
Golder announces
purchase of UK based
Alan Auld Group
October 12, 2017
Global engineering and consulting
company, Golder Associates, announced
today that it has entered into a definitive
agreement to purchase the assets and
6 TUNNELLING JOURNAL
ongoing operations of the Alan Auld
Group of Companies. Headquartered in
Doncaster, UK, with offices in the UK,
Canada and the US, Alan Auld Group is a
global provider of specialised engineering
design and construction services for
underground structures and is recognised
for its expertise in complex shafts and
tunnels.
The Alan Auld Group had its beginnings
serving the mining sector in the design of
mine shafts and has been involved in the
design of many of the complex mine
shafts sunk around the world in the past
20 years. The Group also provides tunnel
and shaft design, rehabilitation and
project management services for the
power, water and transportation markets.
The transaction is expected to close by
mid-November 2017.
China Railway Tunnel
Group win on CCL6
October 9, 2017
Singapore’s Land Transport Authority
(LTA) has awarded the civil contract for
Circle Line 6 (CCL6) Prince Edward
Station and its associated tunnels to
China Railway Tunnel Group Co., Ltd
(Singapore Branch).
The construction of the three-level
underground station at Palmer Road and
twin bored tunnels linking Prince Edward
Station to Cantonment Station has been
awarded to China Railway Tunnel Group
Co., Ltd (Singapore Branch) at a contract
sum of S$310.8M.
Works on the CCL6 contract are
expected to commence by end-2017 and
complete by 2025.
The 4km long CCL6 will have three
stations and will close the loop for the
Circle Line (CCL) by connecting
HarbourFront Station to Marina Bay
Station. When the CCL6 stations of
Keppel, Cantonment and Prince Edward
are completed around 2025, the CCL will
have a total of 33 stations, including 12
interchange stations with other MRT
lines. It will also expand the rail network
to areas such as Spottiswoode and the
southern edge of our existing CBD.
Watercare seeks
Expressions of Interest
October 2, 2017
New Zealand’s largest water company,
Watercare is seeking expressions of
interest to construct Auckland’s new
Central Interceptor wastewater project.
The scheme includes the boring of a
13km long, 4.5m i.d. tunnel. In detailed
design for the last three years, bids will
be invited for the construction of the
Central Interceptor in two stages.
• Expression of Interest (from 20
October 2017) – which will pre-qualify up
to four contractor consortia
• Request for Proposal (2018) – to
award a contract for construction of the
works. The EOI will be released via
Watercare’s e-procurement portal,
Tenderlink.When complete, the Central
Interceptor will greatly increase capacity
in Auckland’s wastewater network. The
tunnel will run for about 13km from the
suburb of Western Springs to Mangere,
and lie between 15 and 110m below
ground level. Constructed by EPBM, the
4.5m i.d. tunnel will link to 4.4km of
sewers ranging in size from 2.1 to 2.4m
i.d. Driven through weak sandstone, the
tunnel may encounter mixed face
materials as Auckland’s geology is
overlain with volcanic soils and rock. The
southern end of the tunnel is driven
through marine and alluvial sediments,
and will extend under the Manukau
Harbour. The main tunnel terminates in a
lift pump station that will be constructed
at the Mangere Wastewater Treatment
Plant. Shafts for the station will be
constructed by D-Wall methods and
feature a dual cell configuration
approximately 40m deep. The cells will be
12m and 26m in diameter. Built under
urban, central Auckland, connections into
the existing network will be via 16
cascade drop shafts that are between
25m and 70m deep, and range in
diameter from 3m to 12m.
Watercare intends construction to
begin in 2019 and be completed by
2025.
Lucknow Metro’s first
TBM breakthrough
September 27, 2017
Workers from the Gulermak-TATA Projects
JV, representatives from TBM
manufacturer, TERRATEC, and officials
 www.tunnellingjournal.com - breaking industry news first! NEWS FROM THE WEB

in late 2017. The factory acceptance for a

Lucknow’s first TBM driven metro tunnel
second 6.65m diameter Slurry TBM will
breakthrough
be conducted by the end of 2017.
The two machines will excavate parallel
3.5km long tunnels between Mumbai
Central and Worli station sites, passing
through three intermediate cut and cover
stations on the way. Ground conditions
consist of fresh to weathered basalt and
breccia up to 100MPa UCS with water
pressures up to 3bar.
The JV selected Slurry machines for
their contract due to the challenging
ground conditions expected. The
cutterheads of the machines are fitted

from the Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation

(LMRC) have witnessed the successful
completion of Lucknow Metro’s first TBM-
driven tunnels on Phase 1 A, part of its
22.88km-long (Phase 1 A) Lucknow
Metro North-South line in Uttar Pradesh,
India.
The first of two 6.52m diameter
TERRATEC EPBMs working on the project,
the S52 TBM named ‘Gomti’, was
launched from Sachivalaya Station’s Bapu
Bhawan Shaft in January. It took Gomti
just four months to complete the first
down-line tunnel on the line’s 3.44km
LKCC-06 underground section, arriving at
Hazratganj Station in late May (see map
below). Following a 2.5-month wait for

B E LIG H
EREfor TBM GuidanceT...
LETvaTtivH
the official ceremony, the TBM broke
through the station wall on August 07,
followed a day later by its sister machine,
the S53 TBM named ‘Ganga’, on the up-
line tunnel.
The EPB machines feature a classic soil Inno e Ideas
configuration and are equipped with a
spoke-style cutterhead with a 57 percent
opening ratio. TERRATEC has designed
the cutterheads with cutting tools that
are interchangeable with 17’’ roller disc
cutters, allowing the TBMs to bore
through station D-walls and cope with
the presence of any unexpected obstacles
in the ground.
The TBMs mined through geology
consisting of stiff to hard clayey silt and
medium to dense silty sand, passing
beneath historic buildings in the Capital
Plaza of Hazratganj (heritage district)
MOVING STATION MULTI STATION
without any disturbance to buildings, SYSTEM SYSTEM
public utilities or traffic. - where the total station is mounted - for long / curved pipejacks
on the TBM backup Image - Akkerman. Thanks
Slurry acceptance for Image - TDSS by McNally Construction Inc. Thanks.
Mumbai Metro
September 21, 2017
The first of two Slurry TBMs, a rebuilt
6.65m diameter machine, passed its ZED Tunnel
Tu
unneel Guidance
Guidance LLtd
td
factory acceptance on September 4, 2017
in Singapore. The machine, fitted with a www.zed-tg.co.uk
www .zed-ttg.co.uk
Robbins cutterhead and outer shields, is
destined for the Mumbai Metro Line 3
sales@zed-tg.co.uk I +44 (0)1932 251 440
under contract UGC03 for the Dogus-
Soma JV (DSJV), and will begin excavation

TUNNELLING JOURNAL 7
NEWS FROM THE WEB www.tunnellingjournal.com - breaking industry news first!
TBM acceptance in Singapore with the machine now bound for the Mumbai Metro
with wear protection, wear detection
bits, and Robbins 17-inch disc cutters for
the conditions. Grizzly bars will limit the
size of boulders that can enter the
cutterhead to 250mm. The slurry systems
includes rock crushers as well as
abrasion-resistant plating in high-wear
areas.
The two TBMs are the first of a total of
four machines being provided by Robbins
for the Mumbai Metro Line 3. Another
two 6.65m diameter Crossover XRE
machines will bore parallel 2.8km tunnels
on a separate contract in 2018.
The 33.5km long Line 3 of Mumbai
Metro being constructed by the Mumbai
Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) will
consist of 26 underground stations and
one at-grade station that will reduce
heavy traffic and rail congestion between
Bandra and Churchgate areas of the city.
A total of 17 TBMs are being procured to
bore various sections of the tunnels,
which will be excavated at average
depths of 15 to 25m below the city. The
entire line is expected to be operational
by 2021.
NorthConnex tunnels
hit halfway
September 21, 2017
Construction of Sydney’s 9km long
NorthConnex twin tunnels has reached
the halfway point. Contractor JV on the
$2.9bn design build project, Transurban
made up of Bouygues and Lend Lease, is
using 20 roadheaders, 24 hours per day
to deliver the scheme which started
8 TUNNELLING JOURNAL
construction in 2015 and is due for
completion in 2019. Minister for Urban
Infrastructure Paul Fletcher and Minister
for Transport Andrew Constance
remarked on the major project milestone
which will change transport in
NorthWest Sydney for a generation.
“So far almost 11 out of 21km of
future road has been excavated with the
project on schedule to deliver congestion
relief to the thousands of motorists
currently stuck in traffic on Pennant Hills
Road each day,” Mr Fletcher said.
Mr Constance said the project was
progressing at a cracking pace.
“Tunnelling is progressing at around
400 metres per week with light at the
end of the tunnel for motorists,” Mr
Constance said.
State Hornsby MP Matt Kean said more
than 1.3 million cubic metres of spoil had
been removed from the project so far.
“To date, around 500 Olympic sized
swimming pools of spoil has been
excavated from underneath homes and
businesses and is being beneficially
reused in projects throughout Sydney,
including on the Hornsby Quarry
rejuvenation project,” Mr Kean said.
The Australian and NSW governments
have each committed $412.33M towards
the $3bn project.
LTA awards three contracts
on CCL6
September 21, 2017
Singapore’s Land Transport Authority
(LTA) has awarded the first three civil
contracts for Circle Line 6 (CCL6)
totalling S$1.75bn. Works on these
three contracts are expected to
commence by the end of 2017 and
complete by 2025.
The construction of the two-level
underground station located south of
Keppel Road, next to the Keppel
Terminal, has been awarded to China
State Construction Engineering
Corporation Limited (Singapore Branch)
and Nishimatsu Construction Co. Ltd.
Joint Venture at a contract sum of
S$313.8M.
The construction of the stretch of cut-
and-cover tunnels connecting the future
CCL6 Prince Edward Station to the
existing CCL Marina Bay Station, has
been awarded to Koh Brothers Building
& Civil Engineering Contractor (Pte.) Ltd.
at a contract sum of S$225.35M.
Woh Hup (Private) Limited has been
appointed to extend the Kim Chuan
Depot. The expansion will cater to future
needs and this includes almost doubling
the depot’s housing capacity from 70 to
133 trains. The contract sum is
approximately S$1.21bn.
COWI to design one
of Scandinavia’s largest
metro projects
September 14, 2017
A joint venture between COWI A/S and
Multiconsult ASA has won the contract
to design the Fornebu Line
(Fornebubanen), an 8.5km long
extension of the Oslo metro that will link
the Fornebu peninsula to the Norwegian
capital.
The metro extension is Oslo’s largest
transport project in over 20 years and
includes six new stations, the metro
tunnel and the design of the
underground maintenance centre in
Fornebu.
COWI CEO Lars-Peter Søbye
commented: “We are proud to be
designing this exciting and hugely
important project. As well as the classic
tunnel engineering competencies, we
will also be consulting on issues related
to water and the environment. This
underlines that we can deliver multiple
services on large and complex
infrastructure projects.”
The new metro line will run
underground from Oslo’s transport hub,
Majorstuen, west to Fornebu – a
peninsula that was formerly the site of
Oslo’s international airport and has since
been redeveloped into a mixed
residential and business district.
The government’s latest National
Transport Plan calls for construction of
the new line to begin in 2021 and
complete in 2025.
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CONSTRUCTION.SANDVIK.COM
 LOGISTICS

Construction
consolidation
centres are likely to
become mandatory,
A matter of
as cities look to
reduce congestion
and pollution. What
does this new breed
of logistics
management offer,
asks Kristina Smith.

LAST YEAR THE CITY OF LONDON

CORPORATION, which controls development
in London’s central financial district, granted
planning permission for a new high-rise office
block with a significant caveat attached: 22
Bishopsgate must use a consolidation centre
for all its deliveries, when occupied and during
its construction.
Consolidation centres for deliveries to shops
and for goods ordered online have been
around for some time, although their use is
growing as authorities work to reduce
congestion and pollution in urban centres.
Construction consolidation centres (CCCs) are
less common, but we can expect to see many
more of them on the outskirts of cities around
the world.
In London projects including Crossrail and
the London Underground Station Upgrade
programme are using CCCs. A European
research project, SUCCESS (Sustainable Urban
Consolidation CentrES for construction) has
seen the establishment of trial CCCs in
Luxembourg City, Paris, Valencia and Verona
with findings from the pilot projects now
being disseminated.
With CCCs, comes the added dimension of
logistics experts from outside the construction
sector. John Spottiswood of Wilson James runs
one of the world’s longest-established CCCs at
Heathrow Airport. The Colnbrook Logistics
Centre (CLC) at Heathrow services a huge
amount of ongoing construction work at
Europe’s busiest airport, over £50m every
month. Among current programmes is the
refurbishment of the main road tunnel and
cargo tunnel, being carried out by BAM
Nuttall, VVB and Mott MacDonald.
For contractors to work with a CCC requires
a change of mindset, says Spottiswood, a
‘lean’ proponent whose background is in
Above: John Spottiswood of Wilson James is
Director of Heathrow Logistics Integration
Top: Wilson James’ Fulcrum software helps
ensure that over 600 contractors are
guaranteed deliveries within half an hour of
their requested time
electronics supply chain businesses. Rather
than stockpiling more-than-enough material at
the job site, site managers must now trust that
what they need for the next day will be there
on time.
“I guarantee to my building colleagues that
any load will arrive within half an hour of
when they book it and that we will get it there
in a safe, clean manner,” says Spottiswood.
KPIs of 98% and 99% delivery accuracy help
convince those site managers that their goods
will be there.
Long time coming
The first CCCs started to appear at the turn of
the century. In 2002 Stockholm established a
CCC to support a large housing development
called Hammarby Sjöstad, with BAA’s (now
Heathrow’s) CLC starting operation a year later
in 2003.
In 2005 a pilot consolidation centre was set
up in Bermondsey in Southeast London for
Transport for London (TfL) and various
construction industry partners. Wilson James
ran the centre, and continued to do so after
the trial period, albeit in a different location in
Silvertown in East London, which is still
operational today.
The current push towards CCCs comes in

10 TUNNELLING JOURNAL
 LOGISTICS

logistics

Above: Heathrow’s Colnbrook Logistics

Centre has been running since 2003 and
served the construction of Terminal 5’s
new baggage tunnel.

response to rising congestion. In September

2016 TfL published a directory which provides
details of 12 CCCs around the periphery of the
capital as part of a wider programme to reduce
the impact of
construction freight. Right: As well as
Of the 12 CCCs, servicing over £50m
seven list tunnelling of construction work
jobs among the list of a month, Heathrow’s
major projects they consolidation centre
serve, predominantly has the added
Crossrail which is now complication of
in its systems working in a live
installation and fit-out airport environment
phases.
Heathrow’s CLC is perhaps the most had to,” says Spottiswood. “There was deliveries or find other logistics-related
complex because it services a live airport with nothing in the market place that delivered information.
all the incumbent security and safety risks that what we needed: a booking tool, a vehicle As well as controlling vehicle movements
involves. Not only does it ‘consolidate’, management system and a security, vetting into the consolidation centre and onto site,
reducing the number of vehicle movements in and search tool that could report to the Fulcrum also manages muck being taken away,
and out of the airport by a factor of 3.6, it also Department of Transport. You don’t get all which was around 200 vehicles a day at the
carries out checks on every vehicle and reports three that work together.” time of writing.
in to the UK Government. The centre is The result is Fulcrum, a software system The best thing about Fulcrum, says
considered ‘airside’ and all deliveries are launched three years ago and refined Spottiswood, is that it provides data which can
escorted by CCC personnel onto the airport to numerous times since then into a system which then inform decisions. “Data-driven decision
ensure that they remain ‘sterile’. has over 700 users. Three tier 1 contractors, making, that’s what Fulcrum and reporting
Wilson James developed a bespoke software each with perhaps 50 or 60 projects and tools and processes give us. I have 57 live
system to handle the various elements of the supply chains for each of these projects. Users reports…vehicles arriving, vehicles going…road
centre’s role. “We developed it because we can log in to order materials, check on closures… I can sit here and make decisions.

TUNNELLING JOURNAL 11
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 LOGISTICS

It’s driven by data…no one can really argue
against it.”
Spottiswood says that a fair amount of his
time is spent ‘deconflicting’: spotting possible
clashes and working out the best solution for
everyone. For example, if a huge concrete
pour and the arrival of a piling rig are
requested at the same time, something has to
change.
Heathrow plans to take the concept of
consolidation centres further for its planned
£16bn expansion of the airport. It is currently
assessing expressions of interest for four
regional hubs where elements of the new
airport facilities will be pre-assembled before
coming to site. Once established, these could
serve other infrastructure projects too.
Digital revolution
Technology has already revolutionised the
logistics process, with mobile
communications, smart devices, mapping
and web apps and software. “All these
have come relatively recently but they are
now just a part of life,” says Spottiswood,
who feels the pace of change quickening.
More extensive use of BIM would be a
further gamechanger. “The BIM model
should tell you what you want and when
you want it,” says Spottiswood. “If you
could link it to logistics, we would not need
to sit down for our forecast meeting. The
BIM model would tell me what I needed to
know.”
Another technology of the not-too-
distant future will be autonomous vehicles,
predicts Spottiswood. Electric vehicles will
become commonplace even sooner:
Spottiswood predicts electric vehicles for
the last 10 miles of a delivery will be
mandated in London and other European
cities within the next five years.
Wilson James already uses electric
vehicles at Heathrow and by 2020 all
vehicles there will be hybrid at the very
least, totally electric if possible. All the
CCC’s escort vehicles are already electric,
larger electric vehicles are next on the
agenda.
Can CCCs and the experts who run them
revolutionise the way tunnelling projects
are run? Since efficient logistics is at the
heart of any successful tunnelling job, that
may seem unlikely. However, even small
changes and improvements to processes
and communications can add up to better
productivity.
It can only be a matter of time before
cities around the world mandate CCCs. An
open mind and a willingness to do things
differently could mean that they add
additional benefit – rather than just
additional cost.

Left: The Follo Line is

Norway’s largest current
transport project

without having to stop

excavating.”
At the far end of the
system, the bidirectional
conveyors discharging into
the dump site building can be
moved automatically,
allowing the excavated
material to be sorted.
Marti Technik signed the
contract with main contractor

Feats on the Follo Line

A clever conveyor system is helping the four TBMs
on Norway’s Follo line tunnels to make history.
Norway’s Follo Line tunnel is
headline news for all sorts of
reasons. It’s Norway’s largest
current transport project, the
longest railway tunnel in
Scandinavia and Norway’s first
long twin-tube rail tunnel.
The two 20km-long tunnels
will also be among the first
large scale tunnels in decades
to be constructed using TBMs,
rather than the region’s
traditional drill and blast
method. The last time TBMs
were seen on this soil was in
the last century when they
were being used to construct
hydro-electric plants.
The conveyor system that’s
bringing out the Norwegian
Granite from the four TBMs is
Acciona Infraestructuras &
Ghella JV (AGJV) in December
2015, and by May 2016 had to
start shipping components to
site. Most of the installation
had to take place in the
summer months before
temperatures dropped and
pretty impressive too: almost Technik. “It allows the days shortened.
80km of conveyor belt contractor to easily switch the The Follo Line, which will
supported by 40km of steel material to the other line, run between Oslo’s central
structures inside and outside
of the tunnels. Four 9km-long
tunnel conveyors, each with a
capacity of 850 tonnes per
hour, feed two dumpsite lines,
each consisting of six
conveyors which total 1.9km in
length and a maximum
capacity of 2200 tonnes per
hour each.
A switching system which
allows the tunnel conveyors
to transfer material to either
of the two dumpsite lines has
created built-in redundancy.
“The bypass solution is
unique,” says Martin Stucki, The tunnel conveyors can be switched to feed either of the
area sales manager at Marti dumpsite conveyors

TUNNELLING JOURNAL 13
 LOGISTICS

Left: The conveyors discharging “There was limited space for

station and the city of Ski,
aims to service the area’s
growing population and
enable a modal shift for
freight from road to rail.
Trains will travel at 250km an
hour, halving the journey time
between the two cities when
compared to the existing line
and creating more capacity for
freight.
AGJV’s NoK8.7bn (US$1.2bn)
contract is one of four major
EPC (engineering,
procurement and
construction) contracts,
comprising the two hard rock,
segmentally-lined tunnels,
drill and blast assembly
caverns, 44 cross passages and
the entire infrastructure for
the railway systems. The
contractor is using four 9.96m-
diameter Herrenknecht hard
rock TBMs
The assembly caverns are
inside Grønli hill, accessed by
a 1km-long tunnel which runs
perpendicular to the two main
tunnels from a rural area
into the dump site hall are bi-
directional to allow the
aggregate to be sorted into one
of two piles
reason, the system can be
moved so that all four
conveyors discharge onto one
dumpsite line.
“This facility has been used
several times,” says Stucki,
and although the speed of
excavation must be reduced, it
does mean that all four
machines can keep going.
The external conveyors are
called Åsland where the main all totally enclosed, partly to
job site is located. From the limit noise but mainly to
caverns, two TBMs are protect the conveyors from
heading North towards Oslo the snow and low
Central Station, and two are temperatures that Norway
heading South towards Ski. experiences in the winter.
Over the project’s
lifetime, the conveyor
Belt extension station
system will transport
8.4 million tonnes of
rock out of the tunnels,
some of which is being
re-used as landfill on a
site adjacent to Åsland,
while the rest is being
transported offsite.
The bypass system to
create redundancy
comes where the four TBM One of the biggest
conveyors transfer rock to the challenges for Marti Technik
dump site lines, which run was delivering the system
perpendicular to the tunnel within the tight timescale.
conveyors out of the Over 330 containers or lorries
mountainside. Normally the of material arrived by sea or
two TBMs heading towards by road to be assembled. As
Oslo would discharge into one well as the conveyors and
dumpsite conveyor, and the associated equipment, there
TBMs heading to Ski would was over 2,900 tonnes of
use the other. But if one line complex steel structure to be
has to be stopped for any erected.
storage but also for
assembly,” says Stucki. “There
were a lot of other activities
all going on at the same time:
building the segment
fabrication plant, the cement
and gravel plants, access
roads and the adit tunnel was
being finalized at the same
time. It was challenging
sometimes to get space and
also lifting capacity.”
The secret to getting so
much done at the same time
was good co-ordination and
communication, says Stucki.
Marti Technik had dedicated
project managers on site
constantly to keep things
moving.
The first TBM started
tunnelling towards Oslo in
September 2016 with
its twin machine
launching a month
later. By early
September 2017 these
two machines were
over half way through
their drives. At that
point boosters for each
tunnel conveyor were
installed.
The Ski-bound TBMs,
launched in November and
December 2016, have
completed over one third of
their drives. Due to the
ascending excavation,
boosters for these two
tunnels were not required.
If all goes to plan the
conveyors will be running
until winter 2018 when all the
TBMs should have completed
their drives.

Robbins gears up for Deer Creek

Robbins and SAK Construction are developing
the conveying system for the Deer Creek
Sanitary Tunnel for the Metropolitan St Louis
Sewer District (MSD). One idea on the table is to
use a muck storage bin at the end of the
conveyor line to load trucks faster, reducing
congestion and cycle time.
“With a bin, the cycle time is very quick
because you have gates at the bottom of the bin
that open and fill the truck within a minute.
Using a loader takes three to four minutes,”
explains Dean Workman, who heads up
Robbins’ conveyor division.
For this size of project, where the conveyor
could be discharging 800 tonnes an hour, the
bin would need to be large, says Workman.
Should this solution get the go-ahead, it will
have an overflow capability and an arrangement
for loading overflow material into trucks using a
machine.
SAK will mine the 6.4km (21,000 ft), 5.8m
(19ft) diameter tunnel through the limestone
and dolomite of the St Louis and Salem
Formations using a refurbished Robbins hard
rock TBM. Robbins will be supplying a
refurbished conveyor system to SAK, comprising
the tunnel conveyor, which must accommodate
several curves, vertical conveyor, a short overland
conveyor, and potentially the bin loading system.
MSD awarded the $147.7m contract to SAK
in August this year, having initially awarded it in
2016 to lowest bidder Jay Dee for $145.3m.
SAK challenged the initial award, related to the
qualifications of some of Jay Dee’s supply chain.
SAK was the second-lowest bidder.
The Deer Creek Sanitary Tunnel is part of
Project Clear, a $4.7bn programme which aims
to reduce pollution to the Mississippi River and
its tributaries.

14 TUNNELLING JOURNAL
 TBMS

TBM opening
ratio comparison
in Istanbul
N. Bilgin, Istanbul Technical University, S. Acun and U. Ates
Gulermak-Kolin-Kalyon Metro Construction J.V, and M. Murtaza
and Y. Çelik of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Directorate of
Rail Systems, discuss the factors effecting the performance of
three different TBMs in the complex geology of Istanbul
METRO TUNNEL
CONSTRUCTION IN ISTANBUL is
increasing at an unprecedented
rate. Currently the length of
metro lines stands at 145km,
but this is planned to be
increased by up to 480km in
2019 and a staggering 1000km
thereafter.
The Mecidiyekoy-Mahmutbey
Metro Line, which is the subject
of this paper, consists of 18.5km
of twin tunnels. The Gulermak-
Kolin-Kalyon Metro
Construction JV is currently
constructing the line using a
combination of TBMs and
NATM. Approximately half of
the length of the line is being
excavated using 3 EPBMs,
manufactured by Herrenknecht, Figure 1: The general route of the Metro Line.
Lovat and Terratec. These TBMs
will be named TBM 1, TBM 2 and TBM 3, respectively, thereafter densely populated and the buildings surrounding the line are
in this paper. TBMs 1 and 2 are working between Yenimahalle generally old. To add to this, in several parts of the line,
and Mahmutbey Stations. TBM 3 is excavating between problematic sandy sections exist. The route of the Metro Line
Yenimahalle and Veysel Karani Stations. The entire line consists (and other extensions to the system) can seen in Figure 1.
of 15 stations. The area through which the metro line passes is The Mahmutbey-Mecidiyekoy metro tunnels have offered up
a unique opportunity to investigate the effects of opening ratios
and physical and mechanical properties of geological formations
on the performance of the TBMs 1-2-3, which have opening
ratios of 20%, 29% and 37%, respectively.
 technik

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18 TUNNELLING JOURNAL
 TBMS

The objective of this research is to study
the ground’s effects on the machines
operational parameters, i.e. normalized
thrust, normalized torque and specific
energy values. To assist the research into
the performance of the three TBMs through
different geologic formations, the actual
positions of each TBM in relation to each
other has been taken into consideration,
specifically with consideration to varying
ground conditions.
Ground conditions
Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic
formations are prevalent in Istanbul. The
oldest rocks are of Palaeozoic age
consisting of quartz, quartz arenite and
arcose. From the Ordovician to the middle
of the Carboniferous there is a concordant
rock sequence outcropping several
thousand meters thick. This sequence
mainly consists of variable facies of clastic
and carbonate rocks. Some of the main
characteristics of the Paleozoic sequence
are horizontal and vertical transitions,
alternations of different rocks and lenticular
structures. Paleozoic rocks cover large areas
of Istanbul. Rocks of Ordovician, Silurian
and Devonian age outcrops are located
drill MMT 43. The rock in this area has a 16+220km, is represented by drill hole
compressive strength of 110MPa. MMT-53. The characteristic of the silty sand
Through silty clay from the Gungoren is given in Figure 2.
Formation: Chainage for TBM 3, 14+084/
Chainage for TBMs 1 and 2, 15+695/ 13+254km, is represented by drill hole 40.
15+800km, and is represented by drill hole The characteristic of these silty sands are
MMT-50. The geotechnical values in this given in Figure 2 and 3.
area are; water content 30%, liquid limit
55, plasticity limit 16, plasticity index 14,
specific gravity 26.6kN/m3, point load index ‘The objective of
IS(50) 3.92, silt content 19.12%, and clay
content 79.94%.
this research is
Chainage for TBM 3, 13+465/ mainly to see the
12+950km, is represented by drill hole effects on the
MMT-37. The geotechnical values in this
area are; water content 21%, liquid limit
machines operational
45, plasticity limit 14, plasticity index 40, parameters, i.e.
specific gravity 26.4kN/m3, point load IS(50) normalized thrust,
3.3, silt content 18.22%, and clay content
80.84%. normalized torque
Through silty sand from the and specific energy
Cekmece-Cukurcesme Formation:
Chainage for TBMs 1 and 2, 16+041/
values’
Figure 2: Characteristic of silty sand in TBM 1
100
90
CLAY

SILT

SAND

GRAVEL
mostly on the Asian side, with 80
Carboniferous rocks situated on the
70
European side. Andesitic and diabasic dykes
are also present, Bilgin et al. (2016). 60
% Passing

Trakya, Cekmece, Gungoren and

50
Cukurcesme Formations are found within
the Mahmutbey-Cekmekoy Metro Line. 40
The Trakya Formation is Carboniferous 30
aged and found all over Istanbul. It contains
laminated, frequently fractured interbedded 20
siltstone, mudstone and sandstone. 10
Fractures are filled with clay, calcite and
silts. It is very abrasive with a quartz content 0
1.0001

0.001

0.01

0.1

10
up to 70% and fractures in some places
with varying RQD values from 0-80%. The Grain size D (mm)
compressive strength of this rock formation
also varies between 45 and 120MPa.
The Cekmece, Gungoren, and Figure 3: Characteristic of silty sand in TBM 3
Cukurcesme Formations of the Pliocene age
100
are also found along the Metro Line. They
consist mainly of sand, sandy clay, silty clay 90
CLAY

SILT

SAND

GRAVEL

and stiff clay, sometimes interbedded with

80
sandstone bands and limestone. In most
cases, silty clay has a natural water content 70
of 20–30%, liquid limit of 40–60, plasticity 60
% Passing

limit of 12–20 and a plasticity index of 16.

The following tunnel chainages were 50
chosen to make the results comparative to 40
compare the performance of the TBMs:
Through laminated interbedded 30

siltstone, mudstone and sandstone 20

from the Trakya Formation:
10
Chainage for TBMs 1 and 2 at 15+615/
15+694km, and is represented by drill hole 0
1.0001

0.001

0.01

0.1

10

MMT-49. The rock in this area has a

compressive strength of 50MPa. Grain size D (mm)
Chainage for TBM 3 is represented by

TUNNELLING JOURNAL 19
 TBMS

soil conditioning and applied Figure 7: Pedestals in a cutterhead after

Table 1: Design parameters of three TBMs earth pressures, (Ates et al., Godinez et al. (2015)
Parameter
Pa ra m e te r TBM 1 TBM 2 TBM 3 2014; Wang et al., 2012).
Diameter
Di ameter (m) ( ) 66.55
6. 55 66.57
6. 57 66.55
6. 55 The paper by Godinez et
Th rust (kN)
Thrust 32000 55000 40000 al. (2015) examined the
To rque (kNm)
Torque (kNm) 4400 4500 5440 ability of relatively simple
Disc
Di sc Nr
Nr.xDiam.
.xDiam. 43x15.5”
43 x15.5” 41x17” 43x17” physical models to predict
Cutterhead
Cu tterhead (rpm)
(rppm) 0-3.8
0- 3.8 0-4 0.3
0. 3 torque, and characterizes
Opening
Op ening Ratio
Ratio 20 29 37 the relative influence of
geology, soil conditioning,
pressure and machine
Table 2: General performances of TBMs 1-2-3 parameters on measured
torque. A modified Shi
Parameter
Pa ra m e te r TB
TBM M1 TB
TBM M2 TB
TBM M3
model was (Shi et al., 2000)
Best
Be st m
m/day
/d a y 32.2 28.0 30.8
employed to account for
Best
Be st m
m/week
/w e e k 147.0
147.0 112.0
112.0 152.6
152.6
arching-reduced overburden
Be
Bestst m /month
m/month h 456.4 288.4
288.4 436.8
436.8
stress and face pressures, as
Mean
Mean without
without stoppages
s to p p a g e s
well as a reduction in shear
m/day
m/ day 6.80
6.80 5.32
5.32 10.
10.3535 strength due to soil
m/week
m/ w eek 44.54
44.54 29.38
29.38 61.29
61.29 conditioning. The authors
m/ month
m/month 203.0
203.0 158.6
158.6 309.0
309.0
concluded that the fitting of
Mean with
Mean with stoppages
s to p p a g e s model parameters using Figure 8: Mixing bars in a cutterhead
m/day
m/ day 5.80
5.80 3.80
3.80 8.
8.17
17 measured torque was an
after Godinez et al. (2015).
m/week
m/ w eek 30.88
30.88 19.6
19.6 42.07
42.07 under-determined problem,
m/ month
m/month 173.4
173.4 114.0
114.0 245.0
245.0 meaning that there were
more unknowns than
TBMs and general performances knowns. This created uncertainty in the
The cutterheads of the TBMs used in the findings requiring further research, especially,
Metro Project are shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 the independent estimation of conditioned soil
and the characteristics of the machines shown shear strengths, as well as chamber pore water
in Table 1. pressure, which would help to constrain the
The general performances of the three fitting process.
TBMs to date (of the preparation of this paper) Shi et al. (2000) proposed eight sub-divisions
are given in Table 2. The values cover the best of cutterhead torque, three of which they
daily, weekly and monthly advance rates. Table deemed insignificant, namely
2 includes the mean values without stoppages the torque due to the
and with unplanned or unexpected stoppages summation of individual tool Table 3: Design parameters of three TBMs
(like waiting for TBM repairs, for extra cutting (T4) and torque due
injections when passing under old buildings to the main bearing and TBM 1 TBM 2
etc). The best performances are obtained for sealing (T7+T8). The Parameters Mixing Pedestal Mixing Pedestal
TBM 1, TBM 2 and TBM 3, respectively. This remaining five components of bars bars
may be explained by the fact that TBM 3 is the total EPB cutterhead torque
newest machine and TBM 2 is the oldest TEPB were presented in a Diam 150 370 250 400
machine, whilst TBM 1 is roughly between the mathematical model, where (mm)
ages of the other two machines used. T1 was the frictional torque Length 370 750 400 800
on the front surface of the (mm)
Factors effecting EPBM performances TBM cutterhead, T2 was the Number of 4 4 3 6
It is well known that the factors effecting the frictional torque on the bars
performances of EPBMs are the geotechnical perimeter surface of the Dist. to the 2160 1500 3000 1920
properties of the ground, machine design cutterhead, T3 was the center
parameters, machine operational parameters, frictional torque on the back (mm)

Figure 4: The cutterhead of TBM 1 Figure 5: The cutterhead of TBM 2 Figure 6: The cutterhead of TBM 3
(Herrenknecht) (Lovat) (Terratec)

20 TUNNELLING JOURNAL
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 TBMS

surface of the cutterhead, T5 Table 4: Operational parameters of the three TBMs in formation, torque index and specific energy
was shearing torque on the TrakyaFormation
Formationfor foraaselected
selected chainage.
chainage values for TBM 2, which works behind TBM
cutterhead openings, and T6 1, are higher than from the TBM 1. This may
was torque of agitating the Parameter TBM 1 TBM 2 TBM 3 be explained by the fact that the following
ground by mixing bars and Chainage (km) 15+615 / 15+694 14+426 TBM is working under more stressed rock
cutterhead to the main bearing 14+250 formations resulting in the reading of a
struts. In this model, machine higher torque index.
Thrust Index, 557 533.4 1007
parameters effecting torque are The lower torque index values experienced
the thickness of the cutterhead kN/mm/rev ± sd +/-77.9 +/-79.8 +/-169 in TBM 3 may be explained by the higher
surface, the opening ratio of the Torque Index, 132.9 162.1 89 opening ratio of TBM 3.
cutterhead, the distances kNm/mm/rev ± sd +/-26.6 +/-18.1 +/-27 Normalized thrust, torque and specific
between the mixing bar or Penetration, 19.4 18.4 11.5 energy values of the three TBMs for hard silty
pedestal and the centerline of clay are given in Table 5. TBM 1 works in
mm/rev ± sd +/-3.9 +/-3.6 +/- 2
the shield, the transverse front of TBM 2 on the Yenimahalle-
dimensions of the mixing bar Specific Energy, 7.1 8.6 5.3 Mahmutbey Line, while TBM 3 still works
and pedestal, bar/pedestal’s kWh/m3 Mean ± sd +/-2.2 +/- 2.1 +/-1.6 between the Yenimahalle-Veysel Karani
length, and the number of Specific Energy, 4.5 6.0 3.4 stations. The hard clay has a point load index
bar/pedestals. Pedestals and kWh/m3 Optimum IS(50) between 3.3 and 3.92. In Table 5, the
mixing bars as defined by Mean EPB 0.9 0.7 1.0 clear advantage of a bigger opening ratio is
Godinez et al. (2015) are shown also seen. Although the grounds have similar
Pressure, bar
in Figures 7 and 8. geotechnical properties, the torque index
From previous research and specific energy values of TBM 3 are
studies, it can be concluded that Table 5: Operational parameters of the three TBMs in almost 3 times less than in the first two
siltyclay
the hard silty clayforfor a selected
a selected chainage.
chainage
apart from geotechnical and TBMs. Here, it is also clearly seen that TBM
associated parameters of the Parameter TBM 1 TBM 2 TBM 3 working behind the first TBM is under stress
ground, the machine parameters and exhibiting a larger torque index and
Chainage (km) 15+695 / 15+800 13+465/
mentioned above have specific energy values.
important influences on TBM 12+950 Operational parameters of the three TBMs
torque. Table 3 shows that Thrust Index, 559.3 659 639.1 in silty sand for a selected chainage are given
except for the opening ratio, the kN/mm/rev ± sd +/-169 +/-92 +/-110 in Table 6. All TBMs are working in silty sand
other design parameters of TBM Torque Index, 158 194.5 44.9 having the same geotechnical properties.
1 and TBM 3 are similar. This kNm/mm/rev ± sd +/-25 +-12 +/-16. In Table 6, the clear advantage of the
shows the effect of opening ratio Penetration, 17.8 16.8 14.8 bigger opening ratio is seen. Although the
and ground parameters on TBM mm/rev ± sd +/- 4.4 +/-3.0 +/-1.8 sands have similar geotechnical properties,
operational parameters. TBM 2 is the torque index and specific energy values
Specific Energy, 8.8 10.3 3.1
the oldest machine of the ones 3 of TBM 3 are almost 2-3 times less than the
used on the Mahmutbey Metro
kWh/m Mean ± sd +/-3.4 +/-2.3 +/-0.5 first two TBMs. Here, it is also clearly seen
Line; its design was complicated, Specific Energy, 4.4 6.6 2.0 that the TBM working behind the first TBM is
and it was not possible to kWh/M3optimum ± sd under stress exhibiting larger torque index
identify some of the design Mean EPB 0.4 0.7 1.0 and specific energy values.
parameters. Pressure, bar
For the purpose of an accurate The effect of earth pressure on thrust
comparison of the performances of the three sandstone are given Table 4. TBM 1 is and torque of the TBMs
TBMs in similar ground, special tunnel working ahead of TBM 2 on the The above comparison of the performances
chainages were selected (as stated earlier) and Yenimahalle-Mahmutbey Line in rock of three TBMs is made for the mean earth
will be explained in the upcoming section. formations with a mean compressive pressure. However, earth pressure tends to
strength of 50MPa. TBM 3 is
EPBM performances in the selected working on the other line Table 6: Operational parameters of the three TBMs in
chainages Yenimahalle-Alibeykoy, where the silty sandsand
for afor a selected
selected chainage.
chainage
Laminated interbedded siltstone, mudstone the mean compressive strength
and sandstone from the Trakya Formation, of the rock formation is Parameter TBM 1 TBM 2 TBM3
hard silty clay, and silty clay, were selected for 110MPa. Chainage (km) 16+041 / 16+220 14+084/
the comparison of the performance of the As seen in Table 4, TBM 3 - 13+254
three TBMs. The geotechnical properties of working in higher strength Thrust Index, 2495.4 1196.1 1725.6
these grounds change quickly from one ring to rock (110MPa) - has a thrust kN/mm/rev ± sd +/- 384 +/-313 +/-478
another along the alignment. For this reason, index almost double that of
Torque Index, 325.7 249.1 142.7
the specific chainages displaying the same the other TBMs working in
kNm/mm/rev ± sd +/-35.4 +/-14 +/-28
geotechnical properties were selected for the relatively softer rock (50MPa).
purpose of comparison. This is contrary for torque Penetration, 8.4 14.8 10.1
Penetration in mm/rev is one of the most index and specific energy mm/rev ± sd +/-5.7 +/- 7.0 +/-1.4
important parameters governing thrust, torque values, as TBM 3 has a larger Specific Energy, 24 36.3 8
and specific energy values, so it is necessary to opening ratio than the others, kWh/m3 Mean ± sd +/- 7.0 +/- 15 +/-2.5
normalize all operational parameters of TBMs which allows the flow of the Specific Energy, 12.1 13.1 4.1
by taking penetration into account. muck, hence reducing the kWh/M3optimum ± sd
Normalized thrust, torque and specific energy torque.
Mean EPB 1.5 1.2 2.0
values of the three TBMs for the laminated Although TBM 1 and TBM 2
Pressure, bar
interbedded siltstone, mudstone and work in the same rock

22 TUNNELLING JOURNAL
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 TBMS
Figure 9: Normalized thrust for TBM 1 having an opening ratio Figure 11: Normalized torque for TBM 1 having an opening ratio
of 20% of 20%

Torque / (Penetration x EPB Pressure)

Thrust / (Penetration x EPB Pressure)

6000 800
700
5000

(kNm/[(mm/rev) x bar]
(kN/[(mm/rev) x bar]

600
4000
500
3000 400

300
2000
200
1000
100
0 0
525
530
535
540
545
550
555
560
565
570
575
580
585
590
595
600
605
610
615
620
625
630
635
640

525
530
535
540
545
550
555
560
565
570
575
580
585
590
595
600
605
610
615
620
625
630
635
640
Ring No. Ring No.

Figure 10: Normalized thrust for TBM 3 having an opening ratio Figure 12: Normalized torque for TBM 3 having an opening ratio
of 37% of 37%

Torque / (Penetration x EPB Pressure)

200
Thrust / (Penetration x EPB Pressure)

3500

3000 (kNm/[(mm/rev) x bar] 150

(kN/[(mm/rev) x bar]

2500

2000 100
1500

1000 50
500

0 0
792
797
802
807
812
817
822
827
832
837
842
847
852
857
862
867
872
877
882
887
892
897
902
907
912
917

792
797
802
807
812
817
822
827
832
837
842
847
852
857
862
867
872
877
882
887
892
897
902
907
912
917
Ring No. Ring No.

fluctuate under the guidance of the operator
and under the special conditions emerging
from unexpected circumstances. It is also
believed that a more meaningful comparison
of the effect of opening ratios may be
obtained, if the normalized thrust and torque
values are used with respect to penetration
and earth pressure.
Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12 give the
normalized thrust and torque values with
respect to penetration and earth pressure. It
is clearly illustrated in these figures that the
normalized thrust force for the TBM with the
opening ratio of 37% is almost three times
less than the TBM having an opening ratio of
20% in silty sand ground.
Vitally though, the normalized torque for
the TBM with the opening ratio of 37% is
almost five times less than the TBM with an
opening ratio of 20% in silty sand ground.
However, the above discussions should be
treated with care, in blocky ground large
blocks fall into the front of the cutterhead
leading to jams. Clearly in this instance, large
opening ratios lose their advantages
compared to TBMs equiped with smaller
opening ratios.
Discussions and conclusions
It is well known that the factors effecting
performance of an EPBM are geotechnical
properties of the ground, machine design
and operational parameters, soil conditioning
and applied earth pressure. In this paper, the
performance of three TBMs with almost the
same design parameters - except for the
opening ratios - are compared in grounds
displaying similar geotechnical parameters. In
all circumstances, it is clearly shown that the
TBM with an opening ratio of 37% exhibits
2-3 times less torque, thrust and specific
energy values when compared with the TBM
having a 20% opening ratio in hard
formations, silty clay and silty sand. This may
be explained by the fact that larger opening
ratio facilitates the flow of muck, reducing
torque and specific energy values. The
advantage of a large opening ratio is lost in
blocky ground though, since in this type of
ground big blocks accumulate in front of the
cutterhead and tend to jam it. In blocky
ground and very fractured rock, a TBM with
a cutterhead with a smaller opening ratio
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors are grateful to Istanbul Metropolitan
Municipality and Gulermak-Kolin-Kalyon Metro
Construction JV for supporting this research,
without their help it would have been impossible
to write this paper.
should be used.
This investigation also clearly shows that
the TBM working behind the first TBM was
under stress and exhibited larger torque
index and specific energy values.
REFERENCES
Bilgin, N., Copur, H., Balci, C. 2016. TBM
excavation in difficult ground conditions, case
studies from Turkey. Berlin: Ernst & Sohn. 350 p.
Ates, U., Bilgin, N., Copur, H. 2014. Estimating
torque, thrust and other parameters of different
TBMs used in Turkish tunnelling projects.
Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology
40: 46-63.
Godinez, R., Yu, H., Mooney, M., Gharahbagh,
E.A., Frank, G. 2015. Earth pressure balance
machine cutter head modelling: Learning from
machine data. In: Rapid Excavation and
Tunneling Conference, USA, pp. 11.
Shi, H., Yang, H., Gong, G., Wang, L. 2000.
Determination of the cutterhead torque for EPB
shield tunneling machine. Automation in
Construction 20 (8), 1087-1095.
Wang, L., Gong, G., Shi, H. 2012. A new
calculation model of cutterhead torque and the
investigation of its influence factors. Science
China Technological Sciences 55 (6), 1581-
1588.

TUNNELLING JOURNAL 25
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 LETTERS

SCL – So Conservative
Lately – Further Thoughts
Following on from our article ‘SCL – So Conservative Lately’, published in the
September issue of Tunnelling Journal, Charles Allen, Director OTB Concrete Ltd
poses the following questions and comments to Alun Thomas and Ross Dimmock,
authors of the paper “The design philosophy for permanent sprayed concrete
linings”, presented recently in Bergen at the ITA General Assembly, which was
researched as part of the background reading for the article’s preparation. Allen’s
questions will be followed by Thomas’ responses.
This is followed by Natural Cement’s Phil Richardson, who was also moved to
correspond on the article, and adds some interesting thoughts on alternative
practices and materials that are available for SCL waterproofing.
Charles Allen: “I have a few comments things you need to do properly and Charles Allen: The sentence “People do spray
on the contents of the article “SCL – So carefully otherwise you will encounter this thin layers successfully without shrinkage.”
Conservative Lately” by Kristina Smith and problem. People do spray thin layers contradicts known concrete technology and
published in your September 2017 issue. successfully without shrinkage. Norway the laws of physics. All concretes shrink!
In the article, I am quoted as saying has settled on 75mm as a suitable
“There can be a problem of shrinkage in minimum.” Alun Thomas: Charles is correct. All
the fire-proofing layer: it may shrink, crack cementitious products tend to shrink. I meant
and debond from the membrane.” Charles Allen: It would be very useful if it to say that “People do spray thin layers
A reply by Alun Thomas, co-author of was stated exactly what the “certain things successfully with shrinkage causing problems,
the paper reviewed, to this comment was you need to do properly” consist of and were such as debonding.” The widespread use of
quoted as follows: explained to the reader and expanded upon. thin sprayed concrete layers as permanent rock
“This does not have to be a problem, support in Scandinavia is evidence of this.
however”, says Thomas. “If you are Alun Thomas: See the original paper from
spraying thin layers, there are certain WTC 2017 and Table 1 below Charles Allen: The sentence “Norway has
settled on 75mm as a suitable minimum.”
requires further clarification - A suitable
Table 1: Requirements for Sprayed Fire Protection and Smoothing Layers minimum for what? A fireproofing layer? An
Criteria Requirements individual shotcrete layer? A final lining in very
good hard rock?
Substrate strength Perform adhesive bond strengths using resin applied steel pull-off dollies. Adhesive strength
of substrate should be greater than 1MPa. Alun Thomas: This refers to permanent rock
Substrate Preparation Jet washing to remove dust and deleterious materials. Require both pressure and volume to support. Problems such as delamination,
remove materials. Spraying air and water out of spraying robot nozzle is normally not cracking and, following that, the corrosion of
sufficient in all cases. steel fibre reinforced sprayed concrete linings
have been observed in Norway, leading to a
w/c Use superplasticiers to achieve w/c of preferably less than 0.4 and closer to 0.38 wherever
possible. recommendation of a minimum thickness for
permanent linings of initially 60mm (Riktig
Grading Smooth aggregate gradings from 0-4mm bruk av sproybetong i tunneler, Statens
Vegvesen 1997) and currently 80mm ( NPRA
Air content of mix Use defoaming admixtures if micro pp fibres entrain excessive air
Handbook 025 (2007) – not 75mm as stated in
Accelerator Do not overdose. Keep below 8% (depending on accelerator used). Pre-test cement – the original article. It is understood that applies
accelerator to ensure good spraying performance. to all types of rock encountered in Norway,
Micro pp fibres Use minimum required to achieve fire protection performance. Check air entrainment which includes both hard rock and more
effects in lab test mixes. fractured zones.
Spraying Maintain the correct distance to enable compaction and smooth finish – Avoid being too
Charles Allen: I have strong reservations
close or too distant. Use correct nozzle type and operate auto nozzle oscillator to avoid
about the installation of fixings through the
“ridged” or “lumpy” sprayed finishes
proposed fireproofing layer.
Curing Evaluate relative humidity in tunnel and implement correct curing regime. Consider internal Steel bolts would pass through the thin
curing/bond improvers such as TamCem iCure, or externally applied curing membranes fireproofing layer proposed by Dimmock and
Trials Do pre-construction tests to evaluate performance of substrate, mix and spraying processes Thomas. The thermal conductivity of steel is
more than 20 times that of concrete and, in

TUNNELLING JOURNAL 27
 LETTERS
the event of a fire in the tunnel, heat will
rapidly be transferred via the bolts to the
primary lining and thus the integrity of the
fireproofing layer would be severely
compromised – something owners and
insurers might not be happy about. With this
type of composite SCL it would be necessary
to fire test the entire SCL system with the
fixings included in the test panels.
The article by Kristina Smith states “Allen
also flags up the need for fixings which must
extend more than 75mm into the lining.
Dimmock and Thomas tackle this subject in
their paper, pointing out that holes can be
made and sealed in the primary lining
beforehand.”
In my opinion, this does not address the
integrity of the fireproofing layer – only
the waterproof membrane.
Alun Thomas: Spray applied
waterproofing membranes are typically
classed as “non-ignitable” (Class E
when fire tested against BS EN ISO
11925-2, single-flame source test). This
is the minimum requirement
recommended by ITAtech. Some are
classed as
“self-extinguishing” in terms of
Flammability (in accordance with DIN 4102-
B2). Minova’s Tekflex has also been tested
according to a standard used in mines, “EN
ISO 340 Conveyor belts – Laboratory scale
flammability characteristics – Requirements
and test method” and it has does not ignite
under a direct flame.
While a fixing bolt (e.g. for a jet fan) will
penetrate the waterproofing membrane into
the initial lining or even the rock and it will
conduct heat in a fire situation, this is very
much a local effect. Some of the heat will be
conducted into the primary lining and lost in
the ground. The bolt itself may well become
very hot but, given the low combustibility of
the material and in the absence of a flame
directly acting on the membrane with a
supply of oxygen, it is hard to imagine that
this would cause the membrane to ignite. If
the heat did cause the structure of the
polymer to decompose and the membrane to
lose its watertightness, this local issue could
easily be repaired in the course of the more
widespread repairs to the tunnel after a fire.
Charles Allen final comment: I have over
30 years of experience in the installation of
tunnel linings – precast, in-situ and sprayed –
and am all in favour of improved efficiency
and economy. However, I think that every
aspect and performance requirement of the
final lining should be considered, both during
construction and in the permanent works,
particularly with reference to fireproofing.
Charles Allen
Director OTB Concrete Ltd
09-10-17
28 TUNNELLING JOURNAL
SCL Single Pass
Waterproofed Linings
Having read the last issue of your excellent magazine September 2017 where
there was the articles on SCL “So Conservative Lately “ and “ Sprayed concrete
composite shell lining design”, I thought that I must write about our practical and
affordable alternative for single pass waterproof tunnel linings.
Put quite simply, the 2,000 years’ old technology of Natural
Cement can provide the answer so why is it that the
tunnelling industry will not accept there is already
a well-established solution to providing a
waterproof single pass tunnel lining?
Is it because of the oft heard remarks
“we have never done it therefore...,or let
someone else be the first”.
Or is it the old hot potato or British
tunnelling contractor’s favourite saying
“How much? It’s too expensive”.
That is except in cases of emergency
when other systems have not worked
and Natural Cement shotcrete is used to
stop the ingress of water and there have
been many unreported examples of this
which are known to the tunnelling
industry
Then there are the environmental and
carbon footprint aspects of a sprayed concrete
lining, also not often commented upon.
Natural Cement is, as its name suggests, a naturally
occurring material requiring relatively little processing compared to Ordinary
Portland Cement resulting in a vastly reduced carbon footprint in its
manufacture.
The natural cement binder has a carbon footprint 64% of the equivalent than
OPC, can set in around 4 minutes (requiring no accelerator) with extremely low
shrinkage and has been proven to be waterproof when tested to 20 bar.
Furthermore, it has been shown that the longer the shotcrete cures the more
waterproof it becomes, with strength gains in excess of 60MPa.
In addition, Natural Cement shotcrete has a Ph. of around 12, therefore, any
steel encapsulated will not rust.
Natural cement has a chromium VI level below 2 parts per million and as a
result does not cause dermatitis when handled and does not have a limited shelf
life.
Being a natural product with no chemical additives it is entirely non-
contaminating and is accepted by all water authorities Reg 31 approved with ½
hour curing and including the Canals and Rivers Trust as suitable for potable
water usage.
The very low dust and rebound generated normally around 3% by the use of
Natural Cement shotcrete, even though the application is generally by using the
dry mix method, is thus harmless to the environment when disposed of and has
greatly reduced respiratory health issues for operators.
The shotcrete is also not particularly sensitive to the water content of the mix,
which further suits it to the cheaper dry mix method of application.
As a final note, what is the true out turn cost of a dual primary & secondary
lined tunnel incorporating a waterproof membrane when taking into
consideration all the additional excavation requirements, the extra thickness of
the primary & secondary linings, together with the waterproofing layer, against a
relatively simple and efficient, truly single pass steel fibre reinforced Natural
Cement based sprayed concrete lining?
I am sure that many members of the tunnelling fraternity would wish to
comment on my comments.
Best regards,
Phil Richardson
 UNDERGROUND TUNNELLING
AND MINING TECHNOLOGY

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 TBMS

Markham & Co Ltd -

the Robbins Manapouri TBM anniversary
By Richard Lewis, YL Associates Limited Manapouri TBM Specification

Diameter 10.05m
In spring 1998, just about 20 years ago, picture when the Chesterfield factory was
the last TBM manufactured at Markham closed following the merger with Davy Weight 950 T
and Co Ltd, Chesterfield factory (and Metals in Sheffield. C/head power 3465 kW
possibly the last in UK) was completed, In excess of 60 full face excavator Torque 9516 kN-m
passed its acceptance tests and was shields, or TBMs as we now call them,
Head speed 2.5 - 5rpm
dispatched to New Zealand. This was the were manufactured in Chesterfield during
10m diameter hard rock Robbins TBM, the first half of the 20th century providing Disc cutters 68
manufactured for Atlas Copco Robbins, shields and equipment for places as diverse Disc cutters 17 inch Dia
and destined for the Manapouri as Trinidad, Barcelona, Paris and Moscow – Thrust 22,230 kN
Hydroelectric scheme. Eighty-eight where the local project director was one
members of the company, about two Nikita Khrushchev (before he was known Thrust stroke 1.87m
thirds of the total employees, gathered in to the rest of the world for other reasons). Grippers 6.5 x 2 (m)
front of the TBM for this emotional In the latter years of that century, Gripper force 2886 T
occasion. It was the end of an era, which Markham were the early pioneers in the
had begun around 100 years earlier with use of slurry in tunnelling in Mexico, and
the manufacture of shields and TBM’s for supplied more conventional slurry two Marine Running Tunnel TBMs for the
the early days of the London Underground machines for the Cairo Wastewater Channel Tunnel Project in Joint Venture
and ended less than four months after this Project, whilst their peak was the supply of with Robbins, for whom they subsequently
manufactured nine
hard rock TBMs,
culminating in this
one for the
Manapouri project.
Although now less
involved in the
tunnelling industry,
their name lives on in
Sheffield as
DavyMarkham, once
again under the
British Ownership of
the Hughes
Armstrong group.
Although their
current activities are
now more on the
surface, with
successful projects in
bridge building and
the nuclear field, we
hope that one day
they will return to
their roots with
further successful
work underground!
Although some of
Photograph shows: Alan Shaw, Graham Saxton, Tony Vernon, James Handley (Sub Cont), David Grainger, Keith the people in this
Bramall, Mike Bell, Fred Widdowson, Craig Slack, Graham Dolling, John Cheetham, David Moore, Cliff Andrews, photo have now sadly
Malcolm Lindley, Paul Brewin, Derek Cooper, Neil Maddison, Phil Bacon, John Whysall, Frank Jarnott (F.D.I.), Joe passed away, some
Simms, John Blankley, Ian McBride, John Spencer, Emma Darwent, Frances Bowler, Joe Mangin (F.D.I.), Phil Snowsill,
are still successfully
Melvyn Evans, Maureen Evans, Avril Hibbert, David Walker, Tony Sharpe, Arthur Soar, Val Leivers, Graham Varley,
Alan Guest, Mick Roberts (Sub Cont}, Malc Smith, Barry Monks, Joe Frisby, Margaret Baker, Les Smith, Jeff Frith, employed at
Dave Wall, Mel Sweeney, Jason Knowles, Danny Durrant, Trevor Smitham, Walt Edson Jnr, Lenny Johnson, Dave DavyMarkham, whilst
Richardson, Charlie Robinson, Don Scorgie, Walt Edson Snr, Gerald Alsop, Clive Greaves, Matt Hall, Tony Rodgers, Ian at least one is still in
Greaves, Brian Chadwick, Dave Bird, Matt Breeze, Geoff Coulson (Sub Cont), Roger Tann, Mark Slatcher, Eddie Fairs, the tunnelling
Martin Soames, Glyn Barber, Stuart Dennis, Colin Burton, John Dawes, Mick Allcroft, John Hopkinson, Phil Cresswell,
Mike Kelly, Steve Spencer, Ray Tingay, John Reed-Aspley, Keith Wheatcroft, Graham Ord, Ken Worthy, Maurice industry, albeit with a
Cardall, Sean Gray, Dennis Godsmark, Terry Jackson, Colin Finney and Doug Dicken. competitor!!

TUNNELLING JOURNAL 31
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32 TUNNELLING JOURNAL
 WATERPROOFING

Sprayed concrete
composite shell
lining design part 2
As the second of a two part series, Hyuk-il Jung, Anton Pillai and
Claire Wilson of Arup present a new design approach which is
proposed to allow designers to estimate the reduced thickness of
secondary lining when composite action is considered.

INTRODUCTION
Traditionally, when sheet membranes are
used, no bond has been assumed across
waterproof membranes installed between
tunnel primary and secondary linings, and
the primary lining’s contribution to the
permanent structure has been ignored for
the design of the secondary lining.
Spray-applied membranes offer the
opportunity to take into account some
bond between the two linings, producing
a composite action. The composite action
allows the designer to consider the
primary and secondary lining as a single
composite structure, meaning the
Figure 1: Laminated simply supported beam model
Loading
Simply supported laminated beam
ℓ b
(1) 3 3
heq _ = h + h + 12 I s
3 (2)
1 2
h1h2
(3) Is = H 2 = h1hs2_ 2 + h2 hs2_ 1
h1 + h2
heq3 _
(5) h1 _ eq _ =
h1 + 2 hs _ 2
structural benefit from the primary lining This article presents the application of
is no longer ignored. Also, the laminate glass theory to the composite
development of concrete mix design in lining design, and a new design chart is
recent decades supports the use of the proposed that allows a designer to
primary lining as a part of the permanent estimate the thickness of secondary lining
structure by making the primary lining when composite action is considered. The
durable for more than 100 years. design chart is verified from numerical
This composite lining design concept analysis with the use of the test-
has been discussed and agreed in the calibrated interface parameters that was
tunnelling industry throughout the last presented in Part 1 of this series.
couple of decades, but there is not
enough published technical information Laminate glass theory
which designers can reference, especially In the laminated glass industry, the
that which quantifies the lining thickness equations proposed by Bennison (2008)
reduction potential. are widely used to evaluate the
equivalent monolithic thickness of
laminated glass. Bennison’s theory is
adopted in ASTM E1300 (2016), thus it
can be considered as a verified theory.
Similar to laminated glass, composite
E = shell linings use the same material for
h1 both layers (i.e. concrete) to make a
= sandwiched beam with the use of a bond
H
G t material (i.e. sprayed waterproof
= h2 membrane) between the concrete layers.
E = Thus, the application of Bennison’s theory
to composite shell lining design is
considered feasible, and its applicability
1 to composite shell lining design is
=
EI s t presented in this article.
1+
GH 2 2 Application of the laminate glass
Hh1 Hh2 theory to composite shell lining
(4) hs _ 1 = , hs _ 2 = Bennison’s approach provides a simple
h1 + h2 h1 + h2 closed form solution that can estimate a
monolithic equivalent thickness of the
heq3 _ composite beam under elastic behaviour.
(6) h2 _ eq _ =
h1 + 2 hs _ 1 The key parameters considered in the
solution are the thicknesses and Young’s

TUNNELLING JOURNAL 33
 WATERPROOFING

simply supported beam by applying virtual

Figure 2: Approximation of ℓ for the application of laminate beam theory to a circular tunnel
work theory for a given loading condition.
In particular, β = 9.6 for uniformly
Four virtual hinges
distributed load, and β = 12 for a
( = zero bending moment points) concentrated force at mid span. For
tunnels, it can be assumed that the tunnel
lining is loaded close to the uniformly
distributed load, thus β = 9.6 can be
adopted.
Circular
tunnel lining ℓ is the span of the beam. In tunnels, by
assuming the tunnel is deforming in an
ℓ elliptical shape, ℓ can be considered
approximately equal to the ¼ of the
perimeter length of a circular tunnel (see
Figure 2).
In SCL tunnel design practice, designers
normally determine the primary lining
ℓ = approximately ¼ of Typical bending thickness for the temporary loading only –
perimeter length of a moment diagram i.e. independent from the composite
Typical loading condition to a lining circular tunnel (schematic) action. So, determining hprimary (see Figure
3) is not a challenging task. Similarly, for
the permanent loading condition,
Figure 3: Equivalence between composite lining and a monolithic lining designers can determine a target total

Link by Laminate Theory Table 1: Verification analysis cases

Parameters Values
Tunnel diameter 6m (external)
hprimary Primary lining (E)
Monolithic concrete lining (E) hprimary 250mm (fixed)
heq
t Sprayed waterproof layer (G) hsecondary 5mm to 375mm
(50mm interval)
equivalent Interface G = 7MPa
hsecondary Secondary lining (E)
Thickness, t = 5mm
Concrete E = 35GPA
Composite lining Target monolithic concrete lining heq 300mm to 500mm
that has an equivalent flexural capacity (50mm interval)

moduli of the main material layers, in

Figure 4: Application of Bennison’s equation to tunnel composite shell lining design
addition to the bond layer’s shear stiffness
as shown in Figure 1. It should be noted
that Bennison’s equations provide three hprimary : calculate using conventional heq : calculate using conventional
equivalent monolithic thicknesses – one tunnel design method for a tunnel design method for a permanent
for deflection equivalence, and the other temporary loading condition loading condition as a monolithic lining
(= target monolithic lining thickness)
two stress equivalence for each of the
main material layers.
The deflection equivalent thickness of
the beam (heq_δ) can be expressed as
Designer assume/estimate G and t of a bond layer.
Equation (1). The stress equivalent
thickness of the beam for each layer Now hprimary, heq, E (concrete), G(bond layer) and t
(h1_eq_σ and h2_eq_σ) are expressed as per are all known values. The only unknown is hsecondary
Equation (5) and Equation (6).
Here, Γ plays an important role in
estimating the equivalent monolithic Bennison’s equation
thickness of the composite layers, as a
weighting factor that captures the degree
of load transfer between the two main Calculate hsecondary as a composite lining that provides equivalent
material layers. In Equation (2), β is capacity with the heq target monolithic lining thickness
calculated from a bending moment and
shear stress equilibrium condition in a

The authors have found that developing a stress equivalent design chart
using the laminate glass theory is difficult because the stress distribution
at a section of the primary and secondary lining is non-uniform, although
the laminate glass theory assumes uniform stress distribution within the
upper and lower layer as the thickness of glass is close to a thin plate.

34 TUNNELLING JOURNAL
INNOVATIVE TUNNEL ENGINEERING
TUNNE
TUNNEL
TU N L DE
DESIGN
ESIGN
G |G GEOTECHNICAL
EOTECHNICA
EC
EC LE
ENGINEERING
NGINEERING
GI |C
CONSTRUCTION
ON
NSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
MANAGEMENT
IINSTRUMENTATION
NST
S RUMENTATION & M MONITORING
MONI WATERPROOFING
N TORING | W ATERPROOFINNG & WATER
WATER CONTROL
CONTROL
TUNNEL
TUNNE
U REHABILITATION
LR EHABI
B LITA
AT SUPPORT
TION | MINING SUPPOR
S T SERVICES
SER
RV
VICE
ES

www.dr-sauer.com
www
w .dr-sauer
. er.com
Salzburg
a b | London
L d |W Washington
ashington Toronto
ngt | To
oronto

TUNNELLING JOURNAL 35
 Figure 5: Verification analysis model

LOADING

equivalent equation shown in Figure 1.

5mm thick The result is illustrated in Figure 7, which
interface layer
shows a good match between the theory
and the analysis.
Further verification analyses were also
carried out varying the tunnel diameter,
bond layer thickness and bond layer
stiffness. Those results are shown in
0m Figure 8, and a good match between the
6.
=
er theory and the analysis also can be
et
am observed.
Di
Thus, it can be concluded that the
application of the laminated glass theory
to the tunnel composite shell lining
design is feasible using assumptions
described earlier.
Secondary lining Primary lining It should be noted that Figure 7 and
thickness variable thickness 250mm Figure 8 are developed for the equivalent
(fixed)
deformation only i.e. using Equation (1).
The authors have found that developing a
stress equivalent design chart using the

lining thickness as a monolithic concrete

Figure 6: Deflection vs normalized lining thickness relationship from verification analysis
layer (heq, see Figure 3) using a
conventional tunnel design method – let’s
say this is a target monolithic lining 10.0
thickness. Composite lining Monolithic lining
Crown vertical deflection (δ, mm)

9.0
As mentioned earlier, Bennison’s δ = 17.612 e-1.701(hsecondary/hprimary)
equation provides a relationship between 8.0 δ = 221.86 e-2.504(heq/hprimary)
the composite beam and the equivalent R2 = 0.9936
7.0
monolithic beam as illustrated in Figure 3.
So, by assuming designers know the 6.0
R2 = 0.9531
bond interface parameters such as
5.0
thickness t and shear stiffness G, the
only unknown is now hsecondary from 4.0
Figure 3.
3.0
Designers can therefore estimate the Tunnel Diameter = 6m
secondary lining thickness which gives 2.0 Concrete E = 35GPa
the composite shell lining the same Interface G = 7MPa
1.0 Interface thickness = 5mm
structural capacity as the target
monolithic lining thickness using 0.0
Bennison’s equations (see Figure 3 and 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.2 2.4
Figure 4). hsecondary/hprimary (for composite) heq/hprimary (for monolithic)

Verification from numerical analysis

To verify the application of the laminate Figure 7: Laminate theory verification analysis results
glass theory to the composite shell tunnel
lining design, verification analyses were 2.0
conducted using LS-DYNA, varying the
thickness of the linings for both the
hsecondary/hprimary (for composite)

1.8 from LS-DYNA verification analysis for tunnel

composite shell lining (hsecondary) and
1.6
monolithic lining (heq) cases. The analysis
details and the LS-DYNA model for the 1.4
verification analysis are shown in Table 1 from Laminate Theory eq(1)
1.2
and Figure 5.
From the LS-DYNA analysis, crown 1.0
vertical deflection vs hsecondary/hprimary and
0.8
heq/hprimary relationships were obtained
from the composite and monolithic 0.6
analyses respectively. The best-fit Tunnel Diameter = 6m
0.4 Concrete E = 35GPa
exponential curves for each were then Interface G = 7MPa
calculated (Figure 6). The two equations 0.2 Interface thickness = 5mm
obtained from Figure 6 were then
0.0
combined to derive a direct relationship
1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.2
between hsecondary /hprimary and heq /hprimary,
then superimposed to a theoretical curve heq/hprimary (for monolithic)
chart that was drawn using the deflection

36 TUNNELLING JOURNAL
©Photo credits: Pascal le Doaré and COSEA photo libraries

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 WATERPROOFING

Figure 8: Laminate theory verification analysis results - variation of tunnel diam- easily be expanded by designers for other
eter and bond interface parameters tunnel diameters and interface
thicknesses using Equations (1) to (4)
2.0
with the assumptions for the ℓ and β as
explained in the previous section of this
article. This article presents one design
hsecondary/hprimary (for composite)

1.8 D = 6.0m, t = 3mm, G = 7MPa, hprimary = 250mm

D = 6.0m, t = 3mm, G = 15MPa, hprimary = 250mm chart only (as per the conditions shown in
1.6
D = 6.0m, t = 5mm, G = 7MPa, hprimary = 250mm Table 2) due to limited space.
1.4 D = 10.0m, t = 3mm, G = 7MPa, hprimary = 350mm The laminate theory does not consider
the excavation sequence of sprayed
1.2
concrete lined tunnels. The primary lining
1.0 is always loaded before the tunnel lining
becomes a composite member. This is a
0.8
key challenge for the application of the
0.6 laminate glass theory to composite shell
lining design. However, because the
0.4 Laminate theory primary lining always takes some part of
0.2 Numerical model result the permanent load before the secondary
lining is placed, the load transfer from
0.0 the primary lining to the secondary lining
1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.2
would be less significant than when the
heq/hprimary (for monolithic) primary and secondary composite shell is
assumed to be first loaded at the same

The laminate theory Figure 9: Design chart for tunnel diameter =6m, interface thickness=5mm, concrete E=35GPa

does not consider the

1.2
excavation sequence of Tunnel Diameter = 6m G = 5MPa
hsecondary/hprimary (for composite)

1.1
sprayed concrete lined 1.0
Interface thickness = 5mm
Concrete E = 35GPa G = 10MPa

tunnels. The primary 0.9

lining is always loaded 0.8
G = 15MPa

before the tunnel 0.7

0.71
Exa
mp
le

lining becomes a 0.6

composite member. 0.5 hprimary = 300mm

This is a key challenge 0.4
hprimary = 275mm
hprimary = 250mm
for the application of 0.3 hprimary = 225mm
1.44
the laminate glass 0.2
1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8
theory to composite heq/hprimary (for monolithic)
shell lining design.
laminate glass theory is difficult because Table 2: Parameters used for design
time (See Part 1 of this series). So, it is
the stress distribution at a section of the chart development deemed that the proposed design chart
primary and secondary lining is non- gives conservative design in terms of the
Parameters Values
uniform, although the laminate glass determining of the secondary lining
theory assumes uniform stress Excavation diameter 6.0m thickness in the composite condition.
distribution within the upper and lower Concrete grade C30/40
layer as the thickness of glass is close to a Waterproof Example of the design chart use
membrane thickness 5mm
thin plate. A 6m diameter circular tunnel is designed
Shear modulus G
at interface 5, 10, 15MPa to have a composite shell lining as a
Proposed design chart for design example. The composite shell
the estimation of secondary can calculate hprimary and heq from the lining is assumed to have Grade C40/50
lining thickness conventional tunnel analysis techniques concrete, 5mm thick interface layer with
Using the Equations (1) to (4), a design such as close form solution or bedded 5MPa shear modulus.
chart has been produced by placing heq beam-spring model. Then, from the The required primary lining thickness
and hsecondary on the X and Y axes with proposed design chart, designers can (hprimary) is calculated as 225mm for a
both axes normalized by hprimary. Figure 9 estimate hsecondary that provides equivalent temporary ULS loading condition. For a
illustrates design curves that have been structural capacity to the target permanent long term ULS loading
developed under certain parameters monolithic heq when hsecondary is acting as a condition, a beam spring model result
summarised in Table 2. composite with hprimary. indicates that the required minimum
As illustrated in Figure 4, a designer The design chart shown in Figure 9 can permanent lining thickness is 325mm, i.e.

38 TUNNELLING JOURNAL
 WATERPROOFING

heq = 325mm. Thus heq/hprimary = 325/225
= 1.44.
In Figure 9, from the design curve for
G=5MPa and hprimary=225mm, the
hsecondary/hprimary that matches up with
heq /hprimary = 1.44 is read as 0.71 which
calculates hsecondary = 0.71×225mm =
159.75mm, say 160mm, although, in
design practice, designers are likely to
make it to 175mm - in the order of one
inch. When 225mm primary lining and
160mm secondary lining are working as
a composite shell with the interface
shear stiffness of 5MPa and 5mm
thickness, then the composite shell
provides the same stiffness to the
325mm monolithic lining.
On the contrary, when the structural
contribution from the primary lining is
ignored, as it is assumed for the
traditional double shell design concept,
then the permanent lining thickness will
need to be 325mm as the secondary
lining needs to take all the permanent
load. This makes the total lining
thickness 225mm + 325mm = 550mm.
The total lining thickness of the
composite shell lining is 225mm +
160mm = 385mm, which is 30% less
than the total lining thickness of
traditional double shell lining design
(550mm). The 30% reduction of the
lining thickness is only from one
example thus cannot be generalized,
but parametric exercise using the
design chart indicates that 20% saving
of the total lining thickness would be
practically achievable in typical tunnel
design cases.
Conclusion
The application of laminate glass theory
to the composite lining shell design is
studied by making simple assumptions
such as the beam span and parameter β.
The study results shows a very good
match between the theoretical and the
test-calibrated numerical analysis results.
A design chart that will allow tunnel
designers to quantify the secondary
lining thickness of a composite shell
lining is proposed in this article by
adopting laminate glass theory.
Since the initial stress condition of the
primary lining is different from what is
assumed in laminate glass theory, further
work is required to verify whether the
design approach proposed in this paper
gives conservative results.
From the proposed design chart,
approximately 20%-30% reduction of
the total thickness of the lining is
expected feasible for a typical circular
tunnel condition.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to acknowledge the
significant support from Frank Clement and
Diletta Traldi of BASF.
REFERENCES
ASTM, 2016, Standard Practice for
Determining Load Resistance of Glass in
Buildings. ASTM E1300
Bennison S.J., Qin M.HX, Davies P.S., 2008,
High-performance laminated glass for
structurally efficient glazing. Innovative light-
weight structures and sustainable facades,
Hong Kong
Pillai A., Jung H., Clement F., Wilson C.,
Traldi D., 2017, Sprayed concrete composite
tunnel lining – load sharing between the
primary and secondary lining, and its benefit
in reducing the structural thickness of the
lining, WTC 2017
Jung H., Clement F., Pillai A., Wilson C.,
Traldi D. 2017. Composite tunnel linings,
allowing a more cost effective and
sustainable tunnel design. WTC 2017,
Bergen, Norway.

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TUNNELLING JOURNAL 39
 Designing
reduced
With the backdrop of ever increasing
energy costs both in the short and
long term, all major 21st century
infrastructure must have a key
requirement of reduced energy
consumption throughout its very long
life. The capital investment for
constructing new infrastructure
assets determines their operational
energy consumption. With more and
more transport corridors going
underground, energy efficiency of
trains or cars running through
tunnels must be optimised. We
considered the energy implications of
a high speed rail tunnel and suggest
that a moderate increase in the cross-
sectional area can result in
substantial whole life energy savings.
By H. Pantelidou, S. Stephenson, J.
Alexander, R. Sturt of Arup
THE FOCUS OF INFRASTRUCTURE ASSET High speed rail design and construction operational energy reduction should become a
owners and operators is shifting from Capital traditionally concentrates on minimising tunnel key objective of the design of new assets,
Expenditure to Whole Life Cost and Value. We geometry to lower capital cost. However, the while balancing the initial capital cost of
see major infrastructure clients inviting tunnel size relative to the cross-sectional area construction and hence increasing the whole
proposals for minimising whole life carbon and of the rolling stock also impacts the amount of life value of the assets. This paper considers
cost. This opens a new question for aerodynamic drag on the train during the impact of tunnel size on the electrical
tunnelling: operation. The drag is more prominent at energy usage of the train and the implications
higher train speeds through the tunnel. for the operational cost of high speed rail.
Although train manufacturers have been hard Our study indicates that the additional
“What is the impact at work in optimising the form of rolling stock construction cost of a moderate tunnel size
of tunnel design to improve aerodynamic performance, the increase is paid back within the first 15 years
impact of tunnel diameter is not part of the of operation, resulting in significant net whole-
on the operational current design process. life savings over the operational life of the
efficiency of the The cost of energy is projected to rise in the tunnel. We believe this is important when
medium and longer term due to increased considering that new railway projects will be
vehicles running energy demand, scarcity and vulnerability of operating in an era of ever increasing energy
through it and how resources, environmental impact mitigation
and stringent decarbonisation targets at
costs.

do we design for national and global levels. Retrofitting energy
optimum whole life efficiency into infrastructure assets that were
not designed for operational efficiency will be
performance?” both difficult and costly. Consequently,
Size matters
Sizing of high speed rail tunnels is dictated by
the speed at which trains run through them
and the shape and cross sectional area relative

40 TUNNELLING JOURNAL

tunnels for
operational costs
to the rolling stock. International standards for
determining the size of high speed rail tunnels
vary. Here in the UK, we adopted the German
standard as a baseline, which mandates 60m2
tunnels (each bore containing one track) for
train speeds up to 300km/h. We considered
the impact of a small increase of the
recommended geometry on the operational
performance of the train.
Where is the cost?
In understanding the implications of tunnel
sizing on the operational cost, we first
reviewed the capital cost breakdown for
various bored tunnel sizes. Typically, 60 to 80%
of the total capital cost is split equally between
the cost of the structural lining and
earthworks.
For an increase in diameter of no more than
1m, we excluded costs relating to the tunnel
boring machine (TBM) as we assumed that the
tunnel could be excavated by the same
equipment and the lining installed to the same
thickness. For larger tunnel diameter variations,
these assumptions may have to be revisited. In
the sample tunnel projects reviewed, the unit
cost of earthworks varied depending on choice
of transport mode, distance travelled, method
of excavation etc. The unit cost for the tunnel
lining also varied. For the purpose of this
exercise, we consider a unit cost of £28/m3
(excavation) and £250/m2 (tunnel lining) to be
representative of tunnel construction cost,
although this should be reviewed and
confirmed by the construction industry in more
detail.
The operational cost of running a train is in
the power required to run it. The traction
power of the train is acting against the
mechanical rolling resistance and the
aerodynamic drag. A larger diameter tunnel
presents a lower aerodynamic resistance to
airflow. The larger annular region between the
tunnel and train results in lower drag. As the
drag force varies with the square of the relative
velocity, and power with the cube of velocity,
changes that affect the relative annular air
velocity have a significant impact on power
consumption.
Aerodynamics – analysis and results
We carried out a series of simple 1D
aerodynamic analyses of a train running
Figure 1: Energy consumption with
change in diameter and train length
through a circular tunnel using an
incompressible flow simulation tool. This is
sufficient to illustrate an approach to
assessing the trade-off between operating
and capital costs, although a compressible
flow simulation should be more appropriate
for an accurate HSR tunnel model. In our
analyses, we looked at the impact a 60m2
(Ø8.75m) tunnel cross section has on a 400m-
long train, with an 11m2 cross-sectional area,
running at 300km/hr. We looked at 4
different tunnel lengths: 2.5km, 5.0km,
7.5km and 10.0km. Air shafts were not
included in our models. We looked at the
effect of increasing the tunnel diameter by up
to 1m on the aerodynamic drag experienced
by the train. The results demonstrated the
following:
• For a fixed tunnel and train length, small
(up to 1m) tunnel diameter increases
resulted in up to 11% reduction in energy
consumption
• The energy reduction is greater for longer
tunnels, with the unit energy consumption
per m length of tunnel reduced by almost
10% from a 1m diameter increase
• The presence of shafts changes the
aerodynamic drag and increasing the
number of shafts or their geometry can
reduce the drag profile. However, we did
not investigate the effect of shafts on the
energy use
OPERATIONAL
Assuming 14 trains/hour using a 7.5km-
long tunnel, with a unit energy cost of
£0.15/kWh, the variance in capital cost in
constructing the larger tunnel diameter
would be repaid within 8 years by operating
cost savings for the remainder of the
structure’s life. Our figures indicate that over
a design life of 100 years, the net savings
from 1m increase in diameter of a 7.5km
tunnel would be more than £60M in today’s
energy rates – more for longer tunnels and
longer trains.
A new way of
infrastructure thinking
The size of a tunnel can influence the energy
consumption of trains running through it.
For modest tunnel size increase, the payback
period of the additional construction cost is
small as a result of energy efficiency gains in
running the trains. Similar findings were
indicated in preliminary studies we carried
out for highway tunnels, where the
aerodynamic flow may improve the energy
consumed by the vehicle fleet running
through it, potentially helping reduce fuel
consumption and tailpipe emissions,
although further work is required to prove it.
Given the long operational life of transport
infrastructure, savings in operational energy
consumption are important to reduce the
whole life cost and carbon consumption of
the project.
Whole life value thinking in infrastructure
design is a powerful proposition, which
offers new dimensions to the construction
industry that were previously overlooked. It
is also the overarching framework of the
new Publically Available Specification,
PAS2080 on Carbon Management in
Infrastructure, addressing meaningful
carbon reduction, not only during its
construction, but also throughout its efficient
whole life operation. It can only happen if
the right procurement environment is in
place and the whole value chain (from client
to supplier and operator) is able to be
involved early in a productive collaboration.
The potential for efficiency and savings
during the long operational life of an
infrastructure asset is far reaching and
hugely important for the new generation of
infrastructure investment.
TUNNELLING JOURNAL 41
 ROADHEADERS

Two very different

approaches to
ROADHEADER
SOLUTIONS
Developments in roadheader design now means that this
excavation method is increasingly providing tunnelling
contractors with a flexible, mobile, safe, and environmentally
friendly solution. Their modern design tailored to the specific
requirements of projects has seen roadheaders become
increasingly able to excavate successfully the various sizes,
shapes, and types of tunnel openings on a world-wide basis. Roger
Murrow investigates
THE USE OF ROADHEADERS has become + blast is restricted. The latter being especially using a roadheader which significantly
more widespread and popular due to the high the case in some urban areas or below contributes to the efficiency and profitability of
precision and relative cost effectiveness of the buildings, or wherever the danger arises of a project is that its use is continuous. This in
equipment, especially when dealing with soft damage due to blasting shock waves. effect means that the material is cut, it falls
to medium strength rock. This is due to the There is no doubt that cost factors have down at the face, it is picked up by the
equipment being able to excavate without increasingly become prevalent when choosing loading mechanism, transported from the
weakening the surrounding structure. the tunnel excavation method. This has meant machine and hauled away. Drill + blast for
Effectively this has meant that there are that in areas where the rock may be less than example is a discontinuous operation; the rock
projects now being undertaken that prefer, if 100MPa, tunnelling with a roadheader may is drilled, the explosives are loaded, charges
not stipulate, the use of roadheaders due to provide cost savings even when compared to are set, then the material needs to be loaded
the high cost of TBM’s and that the use of drill drill+blast. Another significant advantage of and transported away.

42 TUNNELLING JOURNAL

Above: An environmental project saw the
sinking of a 23m deep start shaft for sewer
tunnelling work on the River Emscher. The
parallel sinking and excavation enabled the
shaft to be finished in 17 working days.
Opposite page: In Naples a VSM was able to
excavate ten shafts with diameters of 4.5
meters and depths of up to 45m.
Two different companies have pursued very
different approaches in developing roadheader
equipment; one ‘traditional’ and the other very
radical. These provide a glimpse of how
roadheader technology is providing another
valued tool in tunnelling.
A different solution
Herrenknecht AG, synonymous with TBMs,
also manufactures a range of roadheaders that
are different to the norm, but have proved
highly effective. Its Partial-Face Excavation
Machines present an economically interesting
solution in homogeneous (and almost) stable
ground conditions with little or no
groundwater. This tunnelling technology being
easily adapted to changing geological
conditions, both in loose soils and in hard rock,
due to its strikingly simple design.
The equipment is able to excavate any
material encountered through the use of two
different cutting tools. The universal excavator
ROADHEADERS
Left: VSM (Vertical
Shaft Sinking Machine)
technology is a unique
mechanized shaft
sinking solution.
Below left: The Shaft
Boring Roadheader
(SBR) is equipped with
a roadheader boom
and a rotating cutting
drum enabling the
cutting of variable
shaft diameters from 8
to 12m.
boom is equipped with a shovel, a ripper tooth
or a hydraulic jackhammer depending on the
soil conditions, with roadheader booms being
used when rock of 80MPa or more is
encountered, with both boom types enabling
rapid and easy replacement of worn parts. The
excavated material is transported by belt or
chain conveyors to the conveying system
located at the rear of the operation.
One major advantage of Herrenknecht’s
Partial-face Excavation Machinery is that the
workplace of the operator is located just a few
metres away from the open tunnel face. This
makes it possible to control excavation
precisely, react swiftly to changes in the ground
and take appropriate measures if necessary.
One example which is of direct benefit is
during the excavation and removal of large
boulders or obstructions without having to
create additional shafts. Direct visual contact
with the geology also provides advantages
during the steering process.
TUNNELLING JOURNAL 43
 ROADHEADERS
Specialist shaft excavation technology
For the quick and reliable construction of
vertical shafts, Herrenknecht developed its
VSM (Vertical Shaft Sinking Machine)
technology. This unique mechanized shaft
sinking equipment has proved particularly
suited below groundwater, but generally may
be used in soft and stable soils with
compression strengths of up to 80MPa.
The shaft sinking machine consists of two
main components: the shaft boring machine,
and the lowering units. The shaft boring
machine is lowered into the launch shaft
structure and attached firmly to the shaft with
its three machine arms. A rotating cutting
drum (the roadheader feature of the
equipment) equipped with chisel tools is
attached to a telescopic boom. This
roadheader excavates and breaks the ground
at the base of the shaft and is telescopic,
enabling it to swivel up and down or rotate.
Hence, the entire cross-section of the shaft
plus an overcut can be excavated gradually.
The excavated material is removed
hydraulically through a submersible pump and
transported to the separation plant on the
surface. The lower concrete ring of the shaft
structure, also referred to as the shaft’s cutting
edge, is bevelled and therefore cuts into the
surrounding ground underneath. In addition,
the overcut of the roadheader’s telescopic
boom and the location of the cutting drum
below the shaft’s cutting edge reduce the
frictional forces between the shaft wall and
the surrounding ground.
The entire shaft is flooded with slurry water
at the start of excavation, with the slurry water
circuit required to transport the excavated
material away. This also means that lowering
the groundwater table is not necessary. A
separation plant removes the slurry water from
the excavated material and recycles it back
into the shaft pool, with the shaft structure
being lowered continuously while ring building
takes place on the surface. When the desired
depth has been reached, the machine is
Side view of the Antraquip AQM175
44 TUNNELLING JOURNAL
recovered. Subsequently, the shaft bottom is
sealed by an underwater concrete plug and
the annular gap is filled up with grout,
creating a frictional support locking the shaft
in place. Once the slurry water is pumped off,
the shaft is ready for further use.
The advantages of the modular design of
the overall system become particularly
apparent in inner-city projects, such as a recent
project in Naples. The equipment can be
arranged as needed. For example, the
separation plant can be installed in a street
next to the jobsite if there is not enough space
for it next to the shaft. The flexible
arrangement of the individual components
makes it possible to lower shafts even in
narrow streets that are only a few meters
wide.
Shafts constructed using Herrenknecht’s
VSM technology have a wide range of
applications. With diameters ranging from 4.5
to 12m, they can be used as launch and
reception shafts for tunnelling operations,
access and ventilation shafts for traffic tunnels,
or service and access points for all kinds of
underground structures and buildings.
Furthermore, specific solutions such as inner-
city, underground parking shafts (underground
parking towers) or exploration and ventilation
shafts for mining extend the range of
applications of these flexible machines.
Customized solutions for even larger
diameters of up to 16 meters are possible.
A further development of Herrenknecht
VSM technology is its Shaft Boring
Roadheader (SBR) which has been developed
specifically for the mechanized sinking of blind
shafts in soft to medium-hard rock. The SBR is
equipped with a roadheader boom and a
rotating cutting drum thereby enabling the
cutting of variable shaft diameters from 8 to
12m. Based on the proven technology of its
VSM, this new development delivers higher
occupational safety compared to conventional
processes and, at the same time, improved
tunnel excavation.
The boom on the roadheader is telescopic
and enables the excavation of the entire shaft
cross-section with a depth of one meter in a
single operation. Additionally the SBR does not
need to be moved vertically during this cutting
process. During the first step of the cutting
cycle, the cutting drum creates a cut of up to
200 millimetres in depth, subsequently, more
circular sections are cut clockwise from the
shaft centre to the shaft wall. After each of
these 5 cycles, the shaft cross-section is one
meter deeper. Then, the SBR is lowered and
the cutting cycle begins again. The loosened
rock is removed from the shaft bottom via a
pneumatic mucking system with the shaft wall
being then secured with shotcrete from an
upper working deck.
Born in the USA
Founded in 1985, US Company Antraquip has
in recent years developed a first class
reputation as a renowned manufacturer of
reliable roadheaders. It also supplies innovative
rock and concrete rotary drum cutting
attachments, tunnel support systems and
other specialized machinery for the
construction, mining and the tunnel industries.
With more the 40 years of experience, the
company prides itself on the innovative
thinking behind its product development
enabling it to provide solutions for virtually any
tunnelling or related project.
Unique rock cutting
The emphasis behind Antraquip’s
development of roadheader technology
solutions to match the given applications has
been in the determination of the ‘cut-ability’
of rock. The company is able to do this based
on its experience of world-wide tunnelling
projects in order to utilize several methods in
evaluating rock, and hence the suitability of
the equipment. This means that Antraquip’s
avowed goal is to provide the right piece of
equipment in order to achieve maximum
production rates in a given application.

safety reasons.
Amongst its
offering, the
Antraquip range
includes the
AQM 50 which
weighs in at 13
t and is claimed
to be the
world’s
narrowest
roadheader.
This means that
it is ideally
suited for
tunnelling
One of Antraquip’s impressive range of roadheaders excavation
projects where
Antraquip’s roadheaders are of an size and operating weight are major issues.
advanced design, and deliver extremely The other roadheaders in the Antraquip
powerful rock cutting capabilities. The armoury range from the 25 t AQM100 right
roadheaders come in a variety of sizes, up to the impressive 85 t AQM260.
covering the weight class of between 13 – All the roadheaders share similar features
80t. They have specifically been designed to and capabilities being capable of cutting very
excavate roadways, tunnels and chambers hard rock economically and using an
continuously without using explosives. Being integrated high pressure pick flushing system
electro-hydraulic powered, the machines which delivers improved levels of operational
emit no fumes and offer interchangeable safety and pick life. Additionally the low
cutter heads which are customized for each rotation speed of the cutter head and the
project. Their ability to excavate the desired high installed power ensures minimum dust
profile without causing harmful vibrations is emissions, whilst low ground pressure
highly valuable for both environmental and crawler tracks and no movement of crawler
ROADHEADERS
chains during sumping leads to limited
deteriation of ground conditions following
work.
In addition to its track mounted
roadheaders, Antraquip also produces a
range of excavator mounted hydraulic
cutters. These are also are able to provide
precise tunnel profile and are suitable for
large diameter tunnels or short access
tunnels utilizing smaller excavator/cutter
combinations.
The hydraulic cutters are suitable for
material with uniaxial compressive strength
ranging from 500 to 25,000 psi and utilise
advanced technology to deliver the very best
results dependent on rock type and
hardness, the tunnel profile being cut, and
the size and power of the excavator carrier.
A solution to match the project
TBM’s, drill + blast and roadheaders, each
method of tunnel excavation has its pros and
cons, thereby enabling tunnelling contractors
to use the method best suited to budget,
rock, local operating conditions and a host of
other factors. Given the broad range of
roadheader solutions now available on the
market, there is little doubt that this method
of excavation provides many advantages
helping to ensure that the method of tunnel
excavation matches the geology, geography
and inhabitants of the area.
TUNNELLING JOURNAL 45
HEALTH & SAFETY
FOR EVERY CONSTRUCTION WORKER
fatally injured at work, Safe Work Australia
estimate that more than eight will die from
an occupational illness or disease. While
those statistics highlight the importance of
focussing on health, all too often health has
played a secondary role to its better-
understood safety counterpart.
Health in tunnelling and construction can
be taken to mean many things, from “fit for
duty” medical assessments, to drug and
alcohol testing, through to wellbeing
programs. While these elements all form an
important part of any major project’s overall
health and safety program, none of them
prevent illness and disease from
occurring in the first place, or from
getting worse.
Tunnel construction workers are
known to have a high risk of ill-
health due to the nature of their
work. This includes higher
prevalence of diseases such as
silicosis, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, other adverse
respiratory symptoms, asthma,
double the rate of lung function
decline than heavy smokers, and an
increased risk of lung cancer.
In Australia, more than two-thirds of
all tunnelling happens in the country’s
largest city of Sydney. Sitting on top of a
bedrock of Hawkesbury sandstone below a
layer of shale, Sydney’s tunnels are
constructed through rock that contains high
amounts of quartz (ranging from 20% to
46 TUNNELLING JOURNAL
Best Practice in
health of tunnel
Kate Cole, an occupational hygienist and Manger
for Occupational Health and Hygiene with Ventia,
currently supporting Sydney Metro, was awarded a
Churchill Fellowship from Australia’s Winston
Churchill Memorial Trust, with the goal of
investigating best practice in health
internationally, through travelling to Norway,
Switzerland, the UK, and USA. She is currently
working to share the findings of her fellowship to
improve conditions for Australian tunnellers, and
to investigate best practice to prevent illness and
disease in tunnel construction workers worldwide
over 75%). Tunnelling through quartz- freshly fractured, as is the case with
containing rock generates respirable tunnelling, the toxicity of silica increases, and
crystalline silica, commonly known as ‘silica reduces the latency period to 10 to 20 years.
dust’. Over-exposure to silica dust is known There is also an acute form of silicosis in
to result in the development of silicosis, in which silicosis progresses rapidly to acute
addition to lung cancer and renal disease. respiratory failure, typically in less than two
Being a chronic health hazard, there is a years.
latency period between exposure and the
development of disease which is typically What is “Best-Practice”?
around 20 to 30 years. However, when One of the challenges to determine what
quartz is “best-practice” may be, is knowing where to
start. The author used existing research to
create eight elements as a framework to
investigate best-practice approaches
internationally.
Demonstrated leadership in
occupational health and hygiene was
found to be an essential part of an
effective health program. It was
more than the traditional focus
on fitness for duty, rehabilitation,
or drug and alcohol testing, but
on the prevention of exposures
leading to occupational illness or
disease.
Leadership was observed to
come in many forms including
successful client-driven programs
in the UK, from the regulator and
client in Norway and Switzerland,
and from a combination of the
regulator, client, and contractor, in the
USA. Leadership, from at least one, but
preferably multiple stakeholders, was
observed to be essential at driving
Best Practice elements occupational health protection as it resulted
 HEALTH & SAFETY

preserving the
construction workers involvement, and enforcement, by its nature,
The Churchill Fellowship involved visits to some of the largest and most created a positive impact in the amount of
complex tunnelling projects as well as several organisations, research attention, awareness, and therefore
institutions, and conferences including: leadership, and could not be understated.
• Institute of Occupational Medicine, Edinburgh, UK Engagement and collaboration with key
• Breathe Freely Campaign, BOHS, UK stakeholders were observed to create a
• Loughborough University, UK positive culture surrounding health
• Thames Tideway, London, UK protection. International best practice
• Park Health and Safety, London, UK demonstrated that collaboration across
• High Speed Rail 2, London, UK multiple tunnelling projects in the UK has
• Crossrail, London, UK resulted in the sharing of knowledge
• World Tunnel Congress (WTC), Bergen, Norway whereby good practices have been adopted
• Arna-Bergen Ulriken Railway, Bergen, Norway earlier than they may have been otherwise.
• Norway Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway Initiatives to collaborate within individual
• ETH Combustion-Generated Nanoparticles Conference, Zurich, Switzerland projects were also observed to be beneficial,
• Gotthard Base Tunnel, Switzerland including the use of occupational health
• SUVA Occupational Medicine, Luzern, Switzerland forums, and incentivising contractors for
• Sanierungstunnel Belchen Tunnel, Switzerland collaborating through contractual
• National Institute of Occupational Health Centre for Disease Control, arrangements.
Pittsburgh PA, USA Industry groups in this sector
• American Industrial Hygiene Society, Falls Church VA, USA internationally have both raised awareness
• Anacostia River Tunnel, Washington DC, USA and driven a best practice approach. The
• Laborers Health and Safety Fund, Washington DC, USA formation of industry groups through which
• SR-99 Alaskan Way Viaduct, Seattle, USA major projects collaborate and share
information, provides a consultative forum as
they consider the needs of each stakeholder
Left: At the
through a participatory approach. This
Thames
ultimately results in the production of useful
Tideway project
tools and guides.
in London,
Collaboration with research institutions
England
was commonplace in the UK and Norway.
Engagement with research partners has
Below: LUSKInS:
enabled a greater understanding of the
Demonstrating
magnitude of the issue leading to greater
the effects of
awareness and robust control measures being
Hand-Arm
implemented. International tunnelling
Vibration
projects understand and utilise the value of
(Vibration White
independent research to track the
Finger) using
effectiveness of current practices on the
simulations
magnitude of exposure and the extent of
illness and disease.
in the prioritisation of health by upper
management, which led to a focus on A modern approach
standards, performance management, Moving away from the traditional classroom-
review, and then continual improvement. style PowerPoint filled with dot points of
The importance of occupational health and information or online learning, but rather
wellbeing was a key theme in the health and towards an immersive, multi-media
safety strategy of major projects in the UK. experience of behavioural based learning,
Leadership at the highest levels of the client was a theme well demonstrated in the UK
organisation was observed to be successful in and the USA. Specifically, induction courses
driving a focus on ill health prevention during that target human behaviour as the root
design, as part of the project culture, and cause of health and safety incidents was
through the supply chain, subsequently observed to leave participants with a lasting
creating more stakeholders that also took memory of how it felt to be in each situation,
ownership and in turn, their own leadership and how those learnings were applied.
on this issue. Notwithstanding, regulatory The use of simulations, such as LUSKInS

TUNNELLING JOURNAL 47
HEALTH & SAFETY
developed by Loughborough University
(interactive gloves), or the use of Video
Exposure Monitoring through a Helmet-CAM
system are interactive approaches to training
that represent an improvement over
traditional methods.
Project-wide awareness campaigns that
target silica and dust control across common
areas and tasks have been effective at both
raising awareness, but also demonstrating its
importance. The use of powerful and realistic
videos, provide depth to a campaign,
highlighting that they need to be more than
a simple “poster” approach.
International health and safety regulatory
authorities have worked to produce clear
information to assist employers to assess,
document, communicate, and control health
risks. They have provided guidance on
training and instruction, how hazards can be
monitored, and all have a requirement for
health surveillance. At a basic
level, there is a requirement to
notify a central agency of a
diagnosis of an occupational
disease such as silicosis in each
country, which is an area
currently lacking in Australia. The
amount of focus and
information published
internationally on the
assessment and control of health
hazards such as silica, provide
further guidance, clarity, and
context on what is expected of
employers and employees when
controlling exposure.
Set targets
All major tunnelling projects
internationally have either
mandated targeted contractual The SR99 Alaskan Way Project in Seattle
requirements or referred to
standards that are more stringent than those
commonly used in Australia. Contractual
requirements that pertain to health were
outlined and included in tender
documentation. Key elements that were
identified included specifications for i)
competency; ii) health in design; iii)
transparency in data sharing; iv) standardised
health risk assessment and control
frameworks; v) training requirements; vi)
benchmarking health performance; vii)
collaboration on research; viii) health
surveillance; and ix) wellbeing.
Addressing the element of “health” as a
design criteria internationally has resulted in
higher-order controls being able to be
applied at time of design. Internationally,
contractors are required to provide evidence
on how they have engaged with specialists
such as occupational hygienists,
ergonomists, and medical practitioners
during the design process. If health risks are
not eliminated at the design stage, then
there is a requirement to demonstrate how
48 TUNNELLING JOURNAL
health risks will be mitigated, what controls
will be applied, and how they will be applied
for the project life-cycle from construction
through to the operation and maintenance
phase. This approach highlighted the cost of
ill-health prevention measures and enabled
the inclusion of health in the cost-benefit
analysis process when selecting appropriate
control measures.
The use of an initial health risk assessment
to drive decisions regarding controls,
monitoring, and health surveillance, is a
standard practice in the UK. Some countries
and projects have further simplified their
approach through mandating health
surveillance for all tunnel workers, regardless
of the assessed risk.
International best practice in health
surveillance includes the use of occupational
physicians complimented by competent
health clinical services, a standardised
approach for what is deemed “fit for duty”
and the centralised collection of medical data
to enable trends to be reviewed to inform
future interventions and policy.
The use of benchmarking tools in the UK
such as the Occupational Health Maturity
Matrix and the Health Impact Frequency Rate
(HFIR) are standardised approaches to both
measure compliance, but also, push towards
best practice. These tools enable a systematic
and transparent understanding of the degree
of compliance, leading to incremental
improvements over time. They also were
successful at raising awareness of the
effectiveness of certain control measures
applied to reduce health risks.
There were many new tools discovered
that would enable the faster assessment of
exposures to dusts, silica, and diesel
particulate, which can also be used to
provide greater clarity on areas of peak
exposures. The use of the Helmet-CAM
system from NIOSH in which Video Exposure
Monitoring is used, enables areas or sources
of high exposures to be verified that may not
otherwise have been apparent in the
regularly changing environment of tunnel
construction.
The use of a field-based monitoring
approach to silica was observed to enable
quicker action to be taken to reduce high
exposures, and the use of real-time DPM
monitors would provide greater clarity on the
effectiveness of ventilation and other
controls in many areas of a tunnel system.
Other initiatives such as the use of canopy air
curtains, enclosed cabin filtration systems,
dust suppression, and virtual training
approaches, all demonstrated the strong
linkage of tunnelling with the mining sector.
The development of best practice
standards for the control of silica dust, as
they related to each project, provided a clear
framework for contractors and
subcontractors to follow when planning
work activities. Some of the
best guides were those that
involved collaboration with the
client, designers, and
contractors.
There were many areas
observed that would be
considered “best practice” and
over and above what is
considered “routine” in
Australian tunnelling. Some of
these included conveyor wash
boxes for conveyor belts;
specific types of nozzles for
dust control to maximise
effectiveness; the use of
atomised spray rings; the use
of Diesel Particulate Filters
(DPFs) along with automated
alarming systems that alert the
operator when changeover is
required through the
installation of real-time backpressure alarm
systems; the use of covers placed over
muddy work boots to prevent tracking of
silica-laden dusts into work spaces; and a
prohibition of disposable respiratory
protection for routine use, therefore
increasing reliance on effective and efficient
engineering controls.
Establishing a platform where knowledge
is shared early in the project has enabled
good practice guidance to be developed and
ensured that “good” information was not
lost when team members left the project.
Each major tunnelling project in the UK has
or is in the process of developing, a Legacy
Learning website where such information is
shared.
The prevention of chronic health risks
relies on a sustainable approach over time.
Performance measures that drive sustainable
approaches are commonplace in the UK.
Frameworks such as the Occupational Health
Maturity Matrix provide a benchmarking tool
that drives such sustainable change.
 HEALTH & SAFETY

exposure to health hazards leading to

Breakthrough on one of the tunnels on Sydney Metro Northwest
Conclusion
Overall, it was concluded that the existing
health and safety framework that the
tunnelling industry operates within in
Australia, requires improvement to protect
the health of tunnel workers. The current
system has several limitations and would
benefit from:
• Greater widespread leadership on health
from clients commissioning tunnelling
projects, health and safety regulatory
authorities, and contractors performing
such work;
• Greater considerations of health in
design;
• A centralised and standardised health
surveillance system complimented by
disease notification requirements;
• A standardised health risk assessment
framework leading to exposure
monitoring and higher take-up of health
surveillance;
• Increased client governance and
regulatory enforcement of compliance
requirements;
• Engagement with research partners;
• An increase in training and awareness
leading to greater knowledge and skills to
effectively manage health risks; and
• An increased focus on prevention of
illness and disease.
In addition, the creation of a common
framework for the collection of exposure
monitoring and disease prevalence data
would enable lessons that could be learned
and then shared as collective knowledge
across the tunnelling industry. There were
many recommendations made to improve
the state of the tunnelling industry which
were outlined in Cole’s Fellowship report
which has now been published and
available online:
https://www.churchilltrust.com.au/fellows/d
etail/4105/Kate+Cole
What was made evident from the
Fellowship, was that advocating for health
at the most senior level drives successful
outcomes at the site level, where it is most
needed. Compliance with minimum legal
requirements are not enough, but rather
government clients need to drive these
outcomes. Sydney Metro is currently driving
a new wave of industry transformation
through raising the bar and setting new
standards in health during delivery of these
mega tunnelling projects. The information
obtained throughout this Fellowship is
currently being applied and shared, so that
collectively, Australia will start push the
boundaries of “good practice” to our
ultimate goal of “best practice”.

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50 TUNNELLING JOURNAL

Condat’s removable liner
TBM lubricant supplier, Condat, known
for its biodegradable and non-flammable
products, has released CONDAT CLEAN
PACK, a drum with a removable liner that
enables optimization of the recycling
processes making life easier for its
customers.
Drum cleaning and recycling can be costly.
To meet this constraint, Condat is now
equipping its drums with a removable internal
liner to contain products such as its GR130
greases, WR89NG sealants and HBW NG
main-bearing sealing paste.
When pumping tail seal greases, sealing
pastes and other compounds, a residual
quantity of product always remains at the
bottom of the drums. To minimize recycling
costs, tunnel workers have to clean them. This
task can be somewhat difficult because of the
A new dimension in separation technology High angle
As part of the major Eppenberg Tunnel conveyors to Paris
Project in the Swiss Canton of Solothurn, a
BAUER Maschinen GmbH’s subsidiary
presented the next level of its separating
plants for the first time: the BE-2550. The
BE-2550 marks the entry into the large-
diameter tunnelling project market, after
more than 20 years of experience in
microtunnelling.
The double-track Eppenberg Tunnel is
some 2.6km long, and is at the heart of the
four-line expansion of the railway line on the
Olten-Aarau route, which is the busiest
railway route in Switzerland.
Since November 2016, a 2,400-t TBM
measuring 115m in length and 12.75m in
diameter has been boring on the project.
The machine had been operating in open
mode in hard rock, but for the final 700m,
"slurry" technology is being used through
unconsolidated rock. Since August 7, MAT
Mischanlagentechnik has been using its
state-of-the-art separating plant, the BE-
2550, for this last and crucial section of the
Eppenberg tunnel on the way to breaking
through at the arrival point in Gretzenbach,
due to take place this winter.
The BE-2550 is made up of six adjoining
identical standalone plants of type BE-425-
60, and adds a completely new dimension
to separation technology. 2,400m³ of slurry
is moved per hour in a closed circuit system.
In specific terms, the bentonite slurry
transports the excavated material
continuously to the separating plant via a
3km long pipeline. In the separation plant,
the bentonite slurry is separated from the
soil in multiple process stages using screens
and hydrocyclone. Thereafter it is once again
fed into the slurry circuit and delivered to
adhesive properties of the products.
Currently, when drums are removed and
sent for recycling, each kilo of residual product
beyond a tolerance of 0.5%, is invoiced and
can generate significant additional operating
costs.
The CONDAT CLEAN PACK solution - to
equip barrels with a removable liner:
• Clean: the bag is easier to recycle than
soiled drums and thus avoids high disposal
costs.
• Easy to use: perfectly adapted to the
diameter of the drum, it does not slip during
pumping.
• Economical: no need for an operator to
clean drums anymore, thus leading to
productivity increase.
• Cost-effective: removing the liner from the
drum makes it possible to check the weight
the TBM cutterhead. Two SKC-60-K
continuous mixing plants ensure continuous
production of bentonite slurry.
For MAT Mischanlagentechnik, the BE-
2550, with a length of 22m and width of
26m, is not just a new model in terms of
size; the separating plant also paves the way
for a new line of business for the company.
Adhering to the tight schedule requested
by the customer meant that the different
business divisions across the company and
the departments needed to be in perfect
synergy. Precise design, accuracy in
manufacturing, and a highly qualified team
comprising of mechanics and electricians all
went into creating the BE-2550 in the
company’s own workshops. Logistics was
also a crucial success factor. On site, all
necessary tools, machine components, and
construction site equipment, as well as
qualified personnel had to be in the right
place at the right time for assembly and
commissioning. From factory acceptance
testing in Immenstadt, where 25 trucks were
loaded in just five working days, to
commissioning in Switzerland, where every
truck arrived at the construction site on the
dot.
PRODUCT NEWS
of the residues and to better regulate the
pumping, thus optimizing the consumption
of products.
To date, a series of jobsites are already using
this product, including the Paris subway - line
14, Nice T2, Lyon's Turin Ferroviaire and the
LH3 shipyard at Maison Laffitte. Further to this
success, all Condat products will be delivered
in barrels equipped with a removable liner
from the beginning of 2018 worldwide.
Dos Santos International is pleased to
announce the award of a contract to
provide two DSI GPS (Gently Pressed
Sandwich) high angle conveyors to H+E
Logistics of Bochum, Germany for the
Paris Tunnelling Project. Both DSI GPSs
will elevate 800t/h of tunnel muck at a 90°
angle. The DSI Sandwich conveyors will be
reused throughout the life of the project
and in future on projects yet to be
determined.
The extension of the Grand Paris Express is
the most ambitious new subway project in the
Western world. The extension is a $25bn
expansion of the century-old Paris Métro.
DSI Sandwich belt high angle conveyors take
on many forms and offer many advantages,
say the company. Each DSI Sandwich Conveyor
uses two standard, smooth-surfaced conveyor
belts, face-to-face, to gently but firmly contain
the product being carried. This not only makes
steep angles possible; it also offers a spillage
free, environmentally sound operation because
the material remains secured between the
belts.
A DSI sandwich conveyor is capable of
higher conveying speeds and greater capacity
than other high angle conveying methods, DSI
maintain. The availability of wide belts and
hardware make capacities greater than
10,000t/h easily achieved with a DSI Sandwich
conveyor. High angles of 90° are typical, and
lifts of 300m are easily accomplished.
The use of all conventional conveyor parts
ensures high availability and low maintenance
costs, as well as interchangeability of
components and fast delivery of replacement
parts.
TUNNELLING JOURNAL 51
 PRODUCT NEWS
New technology for concrete and cement testing
ELE International has
launched a new automatic
control unit for concrete and
cement testing. The ADR
Touch Control Pro system
brings the latest technology
into the materials testing
laboratory, whilst also
combining a wide range of
new features that have been
developed specifically in
response to feedback from
ELE's global network of
customers.
"This is the most significant
product launch that ELE has
made in over a decade," says ELE
Managing Director Tony Power.
"The advantages of the ADR
Touch Control Pro are now
available on new compression
machines, and we are also able
to offer the new system as an
PSC Crane & Rigging
at Cleveland Tunnel
PSC Crane & Rigging,
headquartered in Piqua, Ohio,
has supplied a Hydra-Slide
HT500 heavy track hydraulic
skidding system and four
newly acquired JS250 jacking
load shoes to setup and
assemble an 8.2m diameter
boring machine at the
Dugway Storage Tunnel in
Cleveland, Ohio.
The equipment was integral to
delivery of a heavy lift and
transport contract for a crucial
phase of the $150M+ project,
part of a broader plan for the
collection, storage and treatment
of waste and rain waters, with
the objective of reducing the level
of environmental pollution in
Lake Erie, one of the five Great
Lakes in North America. The
project is overseen by a joint
venture formed by Lane
Construction Corporation’s
subsidiary, S.A. Healy, and Lane’s
parent, Salini Impregilo.
PSC accepted a scope of work
to load the over dimensional,
overweight TBM components,
transport them to an installation
shaft, lower six of 12 pieces (the
largest weighing nearly 500 tons),
52 TUNNELLING JOURNAL
upgrade for existing ELE cement
and concrete compression
machines."
A key feature of the new
machines is LAN connectivity for
remote control via ELE's PC
based APP, known as ‘ELE
Logger.' This means that
laboratory staff will be able to
initiate and monitor tests away
from the lab, and service staff
will be able to conduct remote
diagnostics.
"The key drivers in the
development process were the
requirements to make testing
easier, even more reliable and
transparent," comments Product
Manager Adeel Hassan. "All of
the most common Standard tests
are built into the machine and
users are guided intuitively
through the testing process. The
and assist with assembly 60m
beneath the surface. The other
six, smaller parts were lowered by
crawler crane with the piecemeal
descent taking place in sequence.
PSC was then presented with a
challenge to slide the
reassembled boring machine
approx. 91m.
PSC loaded the components
onto 20 lines of self-propelled
modular transporter (SPMT)
before moving them half a mile
to the shaft. There, a 700-ton
capacity hydraulic gantry served
as a lift tower in conjunction with
an 800 metric ton capacity
Enerpac strand jack atop 24m
girder beams spanning the 15m.
diameter, 60m deep shaft.
Randy Sever, executive vice
president at PSC, said: “The main
shield or protective structure of
the boring machine was the
heaviest and lowered onto the
HT500 first. Then we lowered the
cutter head that was mounted
onto the main shield. The other
10 parts of varying sizes and
weight we lowered sequentially
by the strand jack and crawler
crane.”
Once on the shaft floor below,
new 7 inch, high-resolution,
colour touch-screen is scratch
and splash proof, and is located
in a flexible head that can be
rotated to 75 degrees and tilted
to 45 degrees. The screen display
language is available in a choice
of English, Spanish, Portuguese
or French, and users can set tests
as ‘favourites' for faster start-up.
"As a result of these
enhancements, concrete and
cement testing will be easier than
ever before, and ELE's inbuilt
product quality combined with
test automation will remove the
potential for human error and
any inconsistencies between
operators."
Automatic sample loading is
provided by a closed-loop
microprocessor controlled
system, with automatic stress
the HT500, which can be used to
move almost all types of heavy
loads, combined with Hydra-
Slide’s 250-ton capacity JS250
"Up ’N Go" load shoes that are
engineered as an add-on to the
standard HT500 track. The shoes
can be connected hydraulically
with any number of other units,
increasing the system capacity to
multiples of 1,000 ton while
maintaining equal load support
and weight distribution between
all points. The skidding system
and load shoes were operated
with a Hydra-Pac synchronous
diesel pump, also supplied by
Hydra-Slide.
Sever said: “The advantages of
using the "Up ’N Go" skid shoes
were two-fold. First, we were
calculation. All test results are
logged with the machine serial
number, and load vs. time is
plotted in real-time. "This means
that labs will be able to clearly
demonstrate full compliance with
the testing standard," Adeel
adds. "This level of traceability is
vital in any modern laboratory."
Summarising, Tony Power says:
"We recently undertook a
rebranding process as a sign of
our intent to take the lead in
developing leading-edge
technologies for materials
testing. We are therefore
extremely excited to launch the
new ADR Touch Control Pro
system which represents a
quantum leap in concrete and
cement testing, and we look
forward to further new product
launches in the near future."
able to increase the capacity of
the HT500 to 1,000 Tons [the
total assembled weight of the
boring machine was 671 tons]
and, second, they offered us
finite final placement and
alignment capabilities. The HT500
and “Up ’N Go” load shoes
added efficiency in setup,
skidding, lifting and lowering
operations.”
The S.A. Healy-Salini Impregilo
signed a contract to build the
Dugway Storage Tunnel, which is
4.5km-long, with a diameter of
8m. To that end, the boring
machine is already in full
operation with tunnelling well
underway. The project is
scheduled for completion in Q1
or Q2 2018.
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journal
SEE PAGE 6 SEE PAGE 16 SEE PAGE 42

TJ WORLD OPENINGS FLEXIBLE

NEWS COMPARED SOLUTIONS
A SELECTION THREE TBMS ROADHEADERS
OF HIGHLIGHTS WORKING IN ARE MAKING A
FROM THE TJ SIMILAR GROUND COMEBACK AND
WEBSITE’S WITH DIFFERENT OFTEN IN
DAILY NEWS OPENING RATIOS UNUSUAL
SERVICE ARE STUDIED SITUATIONS

CONSOLIDATING
LOGISTICS
A NEW ERA FOR TRANSPORT
MANAGEMENT?

COMPOSITE SHELL LINING

DESIGN - PART 2
Tunneling
north american Oct/Nov 2017

www.tunnellingjournal.com
journal
AKRON OCIT’S
CROSSOVER TBM

SEE  PAGE 4 SEE PAGE 8 SEE PAGE 12

BELLEVUE WEST TRUNK MONITORING
PROGRESS INNOVATIONS PROGRESS
THE 27FT HIGH X NATJ  TALKS TO NATJ HOLDS A
34FT WIDE BELLEVUE ENGINEERS ON THE MONITORING ROUND
TUNNEL IN SEATTLE IS WEST TRUNK SEWER TABLE AND
PROGRESSING WELL PROJECT ABOUT DISCUSSES CURRENT
USING THE SEM INNOVATIONS AND FUTURE TRENDS
CURRENTLY BEING FOR THE SECTOR
IMPLEMENTED
 Conquering
Connecting Norway by rail: 5 Herrenknecht
Hard Rock TBMs are on the move for 45 km
of new first-class rail tubes at the New
Ulrikentunnel and Follo Line projects.

Toughest
Biting its way through the Scandinavian stone,
the TBMs are facing the absolute hardness test
when dealing with up to 350 MPa rock strengths.
Equipped with excavation tools for such a
demanding mission, the Herrenknecht TBMs
will complete all their tasks.

Hard Rock
Massive geologies call for experi-
enced partners. Herrenknecht
is making headway through hard
rock – for over 822 km.

Contractors:
Follo Line: Acciona Infraestructuras and Ghella ANS
Ulrikentunnel: Skanska Strabag Ulriken ANS

Pioneering Underground Technologies

www.herrenknecht.com
 comment contentS
Why wait? 8
Well Mr Musk is certainly making some serious waves – just as NATJ
was going to press we hear his Boring Company has been given the
go-ahead to build a tunnel, yes a real one, in Maryland. It’s all too
thin on heavy detail currently to comment, but I’m sure we’ll be
hearing plenty more about that soon!
For a very succinct view on his – I’d say welcome – invasion of the
tunneling industry look no further than our regular Insider column.
But from a more general point of view, Musk – although living
4 North American News
Project and contract news

completely on the cutting edge of the newest of technology, seems

conversely to be hewn from much the same rock as civil engineers 6 The Insider
Goodfellow dives into the current hot topic
of Elon Musk and his Boring Company
from the mid 1800’s!
Those now legendary characters, the likes of the Brunels et al, had
an entirely different way of working to that of now, and one not
too dis-similar to that of Musk. For they would find a problem
8 Fresh approaches at West Trunk
Contractor Technicore Inc. is incorporating
not one, but two, new technologies on
themselves, then look for a solution and pitch it to the relevant Contract 2 of the Twinning of the West
client in the area subjected. Often, the engineers themselves would Trunk Sewer Project for the Region of
seek out the funding for these projects. Just imagine being able to Peel. Kristina Smith investigates
take a complete engineered solution to a blighted area, and then
tell the said Client that the construction was already funded?
Now I’m not sure what type of funding model the Boring
12 Monitoring Round Table
NATJ speaks to three monitoring companies
to find out how monitoring and
Company will be using – if indeed it ever gets that far - but I suspect instrumentation have evolved in the past
in this modern day and age, self funding a project may be a step (or year, from high-tech instrumentation to data
several miles) too far, but where the similarity truly lies is the integration programs and an increased role
proactive method of their workings. in risk reduction
Too often these days civil engineers are forced to sit back and wait
for clients to tell them that they have a problem they need the civil
engineer to fix. It has all become so reactionary. I’ll bet everything I 19 Riveted by “Rosie”
Ohio’s Akron OCIT serves as a Blueprint for
Positive Community Involvement and TBM
own (don’t get excited, it’s not a whole lot) that nearly all of you
General Interest, writes Desiree Willis of the
know somewhere you could help, either now, or in the future. Well
Robbins Company
why wait, Elon Musk got fed up in the LA traffic and decided to at
least try to do something about it. Go and find your region’s version
of LA’s traffic, and then do your version of Elon Musk.
How much better does it feel to show others the way, rather than 12
wait for others to show you? Happy future problem solving folks!

Tris Thomas

Front cover:
Akron OCIT’s Crossover TBM
Robbins Crossover XRE TBM “Rosie” has started up on Akron’s Ohio
Canal Interceptor Tunnel (OCIT). The 9.26m (30.4ft) machine is tackling
mixed ground conditions along with a milestone Robbins Continuous
Conveyor System. As the 100th conveyor supplied behind a TBM, the
system marks decades of dependability in the field. Read the article on
page 19 to find out more about the customized setup, the multiple
environmental benefits of the EPA-mandated project, and why the
people of Akron are so enthusiastic about their “Rosie” machine.

NORTH AMERICAN TUNNELING JOURNAL 3

 NEWS www.tunnelingjournal.com - breaking industry news first!

MWD approves $4.3bn in funding

for California's WaterFix
The Metropolitan Water District (MWD) has
officially endorsed the mammoth California
WaterFix tunnel project, approving Southern
California’s $4.3bn share of the megaproject.
The decision was reached on October 10,
when MWD’s board of directors approved the
district’s 26 percent share of financing for the
WaterFix project as well as moving forward on
a governance structure to build and finance
the $17bn project. The vote follows more than
a decade of planning, preliminary design,
environmental analysis, regulatory review and
public input.
Along with approving Metropolitan’s level
of investment in the proposed project, the
board also voted to finalize the project’s
governance structures; participate in an
adaptive management program; and to join
separate joint power authorities to oversee
construction and finance.
“Given our size, Metropolitan is the anchor
tenant for any successful California WaterFix,
and this vote puts us on record as being ready
and willing to participate. We still have a way
to go before we have a final, fully funded
project, but this vote keeps WaterFix on the
path to finding a viable and lasting solution,”
Metropolitan General Manager Jeffrey
Kightlinger said.
About 30 percent of the water that flows
out of taps in Southern California comes from
Northern California via the Sacramento-San
Joaquin Delta. The Delta’s delivery system,
however, is badly outdated, a problem
compounded both by a declining ecosystem
that is harmful to fish and a 1,100-mile levee
system that is increasingly vulnerable to
earthquakes, flooding, saltwater intrusion and
environmental degradation.
The current California WaterFix plan would
modernize the decades-old system by building
three new intakes in the northern Delta along
with 40-miles (64km) of large diameter twin
tunnels to carry water to the existing aqueduct
system in the southern Delta.
The ±9-miles of 28ft-45ft (8.5m-14m)
diameter tunnel at the north of the project
would likely be split into two contract
packages, while the remaining ±30-miles of
twin-bore 45ft (14m) diameter tunnels and
sealed shafts would be split into four
contracts, with up to 12 TBMs working
simultaneously on the project.
Metropolitan becomes the latest water
agency in the state to approve participation in
California WaterFix. Among State Water
Contractors, the boards of Zone 7 Water
Agency, Mojave Water Agency, San Gorgonio
Pass Water Agency, Desert Water Agency, San
Bernardino Municipal Water District and
Crestline-Lake Arrowhead Water Agency have
all voted to support the project.
San Joaquin Valley’s Westlands Water
District board of directors voted 7-1 against
participating in the project in mid-September –
the first major water agency to vote on the
project – citing concerns about costs to
individual farmers. The sprawling agricultural
district in Fresno and Kings counties would
have shouldered about a quarter of the
project’s costs. Since then, Silicon Valley’s
largest water agency has also rejected the
project, with the Santa Clara Valley Water
District’s board voting of 7-0, instead choosing
to endorse a significantly smaller, less costly
project, with just one tunnel.
Following votes by participating water
agencies to identify the initial level of
investment, MWD expects further
deliberations to identify how to move forward
with the proposed existing project, consider
phasing the existing project, or no project. Any
additional level of investment by MWD would
require further action by the district’s board.

Nashville’s mayor unveils $5.2bn transit

infrastructure investment plan
On October 17, Nashville’s Mayor Megan Barry announced a
sweeping $5.2bn transportation and infrastructure
investment plan called “Let’s Move Nashville.” The solution
calls for existing bus service improvements, 26 miles of new
light rail line, four rapid bus routes, and an underground
tunnel through downtown Nashville that will connect the
new light rail network from north to south.
The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson
County’s (Metro) transportation solution is the culmination of
multiple strategic plans and legislative efforts to allow for
transit improvements in Nashville. The plan – which will be
funded by a range of fees, including business, sales and
tourism taxes – aligns with the IMPROVE Act that was
approved by Tennessee state legislature earlier this year.
“Investment in transportation today is an investment in
Nashville’s future,” said Mayor Barry. “This comprehensive
transportation solution will connect more neighborhoods
with each other and open the door even wider to the city’s
job, education and entertainment centers. We will make sure
that no one is left behind.”
Once the transit plan is independently reviewed, Metro will
be asked to consider an ordinance that will authorize the
plan to be placed on the ballot for the May 1, 2018, election.

4 NORTH AMERICAN TUNNELING JOURNAL

 www.tunnelingjournal.com - breaking industry news first! NEWS

Ottawa’s CSST gears up for TBM launch

A joint venture of Dragados and Tomlinson is
currently gearing up for TBM launch on the
City of Ottawa’s CA$232.3M Combined
Sewage Storage Tunnel (CSST), with below-
ground machine assembly about to
commence on the project.
The project includes the construction of
two tunnels: a 4km (2.5-mile) east-west
tunnel (EWT) through the downtown core
from LeBreton Flats to New Edinburgh Park;
and a 2km (1.3-mile) north-south tunnel
(NST) along Kent Street from Chamberlain
Avenue to existing infrastructure located
behind the Supreme Court. The project also
includes 15 shafts, including five drop
structures, six flow diversion chambers and
four odor control facilities.
The tunnels will be excavated by a 3.7m
(12ft) diameter Herrenknecht double-shield
TBM that will initially be launched from a
shaft at the far south of the NST alignment.
The machine is scheduled to commence its
drive north in mid-December through the
region’s limestone and shale bedrock at
depths of 10m to 31m (33ft to 100ft).
As the TBM progresses it will install a 3m
i.d. steel fiber reinforced precast concrete
liner, consisting of five segments plus key,
which is being produced locally by Power
Precast Solutions (formerly Armtec).
Tunneling on the NST is expected to be
complete by March 2018, when the machine
will be disassembled and relocated to the EST
tunnel for a late summer re-launch.
“In terms of geological challenges, we
have a couple of areas of low rock cover, also
some fault lines,” Colin Goodwin, % CSST
Deputy Contract Administrator (Stantec), told
NATJ. “There are also some portions of the
project where the bedrock is overlain by a
sensitive marine clay that is susceptible to
consolidation if there is any groundwater
drawdown.”
The presence of this clay has led many
decisions on the project, and with this in
mind 75% of the project’s shafts have been
designed as sealed, and will be built using
secant pile construction combined with pre-
excavation grouting down to the bedrock,
followed by rock reinforcement and shotcrete
support in the rock excavation portions.
The CSST is one of the most important
projects of the Ottawa River Action Plan
(ORAP). “The project will greatly reduce the
frequency of sewage overflows during storms
from entering the Ottawa River, reduce
basement flooding potential in certain areas
of the city, and provide operational flexibility
and redundancy to the critical sewer
backbone through the downtown core,” said
Steve Courtland, CSST Program Manager for
the City of Ottawa.
While the completed tunnels will remain
mostly clean and dry, they will potentially
store up to 43,000m3 of combined sewer
overflow during major rainfalls, which can
then be treated and returned safely to the
Ottawa River once rainfall has subsided.
Funding for the CSST is being provided by
the Government of Canada, the Government
of Ontario, and the City of Ottawa. The
project is due to be in operation by 2020.

Bellevue tunnel
advances on schedule
In early October, Sound Transit marked the completion of
more than 700ft (215m) of SEM tunnel for its East Link light
rail tunnel under downtown Bellevue, Washington. Crews
from Atkinson Construction are excavating the 27ft (8.3m)
high x 34ft (10.5m) wide tunnel from the south portal site at
112th Avenue and Main Street. When complete, the tunnel
will be approximately one-third of a mile long, running
between the future East Main and Downtown Bellevue
stations (see full article in NATJ’s September edition).
East Link will extend light rail 14 miles from downtown
Seattle to downtown Bellevue and the Overlake area of
Redmond via Interstate 90, with 10 stations. All segments of
the East Link extension are currently under construction, and
the entire line will be operational in 2023. The following year
Sound Transit will open a 3.7-mile extension further east to
new stations in Southeast Redmond and downtown
Redmond under funding approved in November 2016.

NTP issued for Northeast Boundary Tunnel

After a successful multi-month process Salini
Impregilo/S.A.Healy JV have been issued a
Notice to Proceed (NTP) on the $580M
Northeast Boundary Tunnel (NEBT) design-build
project in Washington, DC. The 27,000ft
(8.3km) long NEBT is the largest component of
DC Water’s Clean Rivers Project and will help
reduce combined sewer overflows to the
Anacostia River by 98 percent and the chance
of flooding in the areas it serves from about 50
percent to seven percent in any given year.
The soft ground tunnel will be 23ft (7m) in
diameter, constructed with precast concrete
segments, and will run approximately 50ft to
160ft (15m to 50m) below surface from just
south of Robert F. Kennedy Stadium to the
intersection of Rhode Island Avenue NW and
6th Street NW. In addition to the tunnel and
diversion facilities, the NEBT will include
construction of ventilation control facilities,
stormwater inlets and green infrastructure.
Brierley Associates is the Engineer-of-Record
for the design-build team. Subconsultants to
Brierley are: Aldea Services, Concrete
Consultants Group, DLZ Corporation, EBA
Engineering, Kroner Environmental Services,
Subsurface & Tunnel Engineering, and
Tunnelconsult Engineering.
Work is due to be completed in 2023, two
years ahead of the Consent Decree schedule.
S.A. Healy and Salini Impregilo are also
working on the Anacostia River Tunnel,
another component of the Clean Rivers Project.

NORTH AMERICAN TUNNELING JOURNAL 5


TUNNELING – IT’S
NOT ROCKET SCIENCE
ELON MUSK is getting headline after headline
for his tweets on tunneling. He has backed
those tweets with investment and vigorous
activity in his own back yard trying out the art
and science of tunneling. His work to date is
turning the heads of both public and clients.
Musk has a commercial reason for exploring
tunneling. His objective in reducing the cost of
tunneling is to make the fixed infrastructure of
hyperloop and the underground highway
transportation network for driverless cars
affordable - bringing his dreams of a better
urban transportation future into reality. These
are great goals and deserve our attention and
assistance as an industry. Success would create
huge growth in the newly affordable tunneled
infrastructure that would bring a decades-long
boom to our business.
Musk has defined a clear objective for his
adventure, to reduce the cost of tunneling by
90%. This objective has been loosely translated
as accelerating the speed of tunneling ten-fold.
As with most revolutionary concepts and ideas,
there is a wide range of opinion on the
chances of a successful outcome, ranging from
“no chance” to “why not?”
This kind of goal would ordinarily be laughed
out of the room – except this guy has a track
record. He has re-shaped and revolutionized
industry after industry. It appears that our own
industry is firmly in the crosshairs as his next
target. He said he would cut costs of space
travel by landing rockets and re-using them.
Some laughed. His team then proceeded to
experiment with this impossibility and
succeeded in landing a rocket on a barge!
It is clear that Musk does not seek interaction
with our industry at large through conferences
or industry association events. He has no time
for them. This has caused some frustration
among experienced industry members. It
should be noted though that Musk’s new
venture, called The Boring Company, has been
invited to our industry events and the door is
6 NORTH AMERICAN TUNNELING JOURNAL
the
insider
Bob Goodfellow, PE, Senior Vice
President, Aldea Services LLC
always open for more interaction. One-on-one
question and answer sessions with industry
professionals have been common though. They
are learning, and learning quickly.
As well-entrenched members of the
tunnelling industry, we naturally assume that
the Boring Company is fatally disadvantaged
because they have no training or basic level of
tunneling skills. Nor do they have a grasp of
the basics of tunnel design and construction.
But, as they create their disruptive thinking
process on tunneling, there are probably good
reasons why the Boring Company doesn’t
want to be polluted by conventional thoughts
and by the status quo. After all, if you want to
rock the world, status quo is not what you are
looking for.
Musk and his team have one enormous
advantage over everybody else in our industry.
He can afford to fail. It is a truism that
contractors put their company on the line every
time they put in a bid. If a project goes horribly
wrong, they may never recover. Just look at the
top 50 contractors list from 1970 and see how
many are still around today.
Our industry innovates by incremental small
steps that we can be reasonably sure will
succeed. To change so abruptly and completely
so as to attempt increased progress rates by 10
times or to try and cut costs by 90% in one
leap would be commercial suicide. To demand
this type of change invites failure, perhaps even
requires failure from which lessons can be
learned, before success is finally achieved.
Musk and his teams flirt with failure constantly.
Once failure can be accepted and learned
from, the door is open for the imagination and
pursuit of revolutionary change.
There are issues for the Boring Company to
overcome, two big ones are the infinite
variability of geology and, of course, safety.
Geology is literally the bedrock upon which
tunnel progress rates are decided. The thought
of averaging 500 feet per day in soft ground
urban tunneling rather than the currently very
creditable 50 feet per day is simply mind-
boggling. Safety is fundamental – but how can
you move this fast in a safe manner? Can this
type of speed be safe for workers or for third-
party infrastructure surrounding the tunnel?
A third issue is how will the revolutionary
design, equipment and construction means
and methods be judged when subjected to
independent review and checking? Will the
process become bogged down in comment
and counter-comment, as so many recent and
more conventional projects have been? Will
the magic bullet of progress be recognized and
approved quickly?
Ultimately, for these and for many other
reasons, this whole venture runs a significant
risk of failure to reach the ambitious 90%
reduction in cost goal. But should that very
high bar be the only measure of success? What
if a doubling in advance rates is achieved? Or
quadrupling? This is less than half of the stated
goal, but if these advance rates were
recognized by the Boring Company as either
an equipment supplier or contractor added to
the US tunnel industry, this would be quite the
revolution in cost and schedule for
underground work.
With failure, Musk will move on – and
maybe he already has with his recent tweet-
dreams of inter-city rocket travel. With
tunneling success for the Boring Company,
however, will come great benefits alongside
real challenges for our industry.
The tunnel industry may be on the cusp of
massive and unrecognizable change. Please
remember while you mock the Boring
Company that these same people landed a
rocket on a barge. But, looking on the bright
side for a short time while we can still feel
superior, at least Elon has provided us with a
great slogan for the tunnel business.
“Tunneling. It’s not rocket science… it’s way
harder than that!”
 WEST TRUNK
Fresh approaches
AT WEST TRUNK
Contractor Technicore Inc. is incorporating not one, but two, new technologies
on Contract 2 of the Twinning of the West Trunk Sewer Project for the Region of
Peel. Kristina Smith spoke to Technicore’s CEO Tony DiMillo to find out how.
“IT’S A LOT easier to try something new
when you are in a real need,” says Techni-
core CEO Tony DiMillo.
In the case of the West Tunnel Sewer Con-
tract 2 in Mississauga, the need for some-
thing new was created by the ground itself.
The bedrock there is Georgian Bay Shale,
which exhibits instantaneous and time-de-
pendent deformation after excavation; this
means that the ground can move immedi-
ately after tunnel excavation and for a con-
siderable amount of time afterwards.
Normally a tunnel in such shale would be
shored up temporarily using ribs and lag-
ging, rock bolts and a final lining cast or in-
stalled months later once most of the
swelling occurred. However, this sewer tun-
nel must also run through mixed ground
among the shale, requiring the use of an
EPB machine. So contractor Technicore Un-
derground elected to use EPBMs throughout
and to develop a new compressible grout for
the annulus to allow for ground movement
in the shale sections.
As if one new product wasn’t enough,
Technicore is also using Herrenknecht’s
Combisegments, manufactured by Ewing
Fabricators - precast concrete segments with
HDPE cast into them - for two sections of
tunnel where a HDPE layer was specified by
8 NORTH AMERICAN TUNNELING JOURNAL
designer WSP to protect against corrosion.
Though versions of the Combisegments
have been used on other projects elsewhere
in the world, this is a first for North America.
It isn’t just necessity which drives Techni-
core’s invention. DiMillo says he is inspired
to do new things “for a better tomorrow”
and says that the Technicore Group invests
around $2m a year on research and develop-
ment, “a bit more than that this year.”
There have been teething problems with
both technologies. But if they prove to be
successful, this project could open the door
to wider use of both compressible grout and
Combisegments in North America and fur-
ther afield.
Twinning the West Trunk Sewer
The existing West Trunk Sewer in Peel Re-
gion in Southern Ontario was built around
50 years ago and is nearing capacity. By
twinning the sewer – essentially adding an-
other pipe in parallel – the Region of Peel in-
tends to create a system that will last for the
next 100 years.
The Region of Peel awarded Contract 2 to
Technicore in June 2015 for a price of $46m.
Technicore started on site in early 2016, al-
though it had to wait for approvals linked to
a value engineering change proposal (VECP)
Above: Plan of the project alignment
which meant tunneling could not begin until
this year.
Technicore’s 3.8km (12,500ft) stretch of
3m- (10ft-) diameter tunnel includes four
shafts, one of which (Manhole 4) contains a
drop shaft accommodating a drop of 30m
(see cross section). It is the sections either
side of Manhole 4 that require the HDPE
liner.
“When the sewage stirs up Oxygen close
to chambers and manholes, it mixes with
the Oxygen and creates Hydrogen Sulphide
which is acidic,” explains DiMillo. “An HDPE
liner is one of the few ways of fighting
that.”
WSP’s original design for Region of Peel
called for an EPB machine to be used be-
tween Manholes 5 and 4. For part of this
drive, a fault has stirred up the geology and
the machine had to mine in and out of the
shale bedrock and the overburden which
consists of interbedded cohesive and granu-
lar layers, ranging from clayey silt to sand
and gravel. The last 100m running up to
Manhole 4 was to have an HDPE lining, al-
though the method of installation was left
to the contractor.
WSP envisaged that the remaining two

Above: The geology along the route presents two major challenges: mixed ground at one end and then the Georgian Shale which would
traditionally be supported temporarily and given a cast insitu lining once the ground started moving.
sections of the sewer, which are almost en-
tirely in the shale, would be constructed with
an open TBM, followed up by a cast-in-situ
lining. A 150m section at the other side of
Manhole 4 would also be lined with HDPE.
However, Technicore had other ideas; it
modified two Caterpillar TBMs so that they
could cope with both shale and mixed
ground conditions, running in EPB mode at
pressures up to 2.6 bar.
Modifications to the Caterpillar machines
included changes to the cutterheads to allow
them to deal with mixed ground. “We
changed them to more of a Technicore con-
figuration,” says Di Millo. “We have 22
TBMs and everyone is designed to work in
our ground conditions in our local area.”
The second major change was to add in a
Technicore system which controls the pres-
sure for the EPB function. “In most cases the
operator controls the EPB in the cutting
chamber,” says Di Millo. “We developed a
system years ago that allows the machine to
maintain the pressure automatically.”
Di Millo points out that even if the EPB
had been used only for the section between
Manholes 5 and 4, there would have been a
need to install segments in ground that
would be subject to potential ground move-
ments after installation. “The segments were
the right choice, the problem is nobody put
enough thought into the squeezing ground
with the segments,” says Di Millo.
So here was a great opportunity for Tech-
nicore to put compressible grout, which Di
Millo says they had been developing for
some time, to the test. “We had been work-
ing on the grout for around five years,” says
Di Millo. “We had it on the backburner and
had run some tests in the lab six to eight
months prior, so we were able to convince
the owner that it was a good solution. The
alternative was worse: not putting anything
in the annulus.”
Technicore’s VECP to use an EPBM for the
entire length of the contract required an
alignment change too. The original design
called for open cut construction where the
tunnel crossed a river between Manholes 1
and 2; Technicore wanted to lower the level
and tunnel under the river, which DiMillo
says has been completed successfully.
Grout with a difference
Compressible grouts for squeezing rock have
been tried before. Hochtief developed one
called DeCo Grout over a decade ago; a sim-
ilar product called Compex is also docu-
mented around the same time; both rely on
tiny polystyrene balls to enable the material
to compress.
Technicor’s compressible grout – which as
yet has not been named – works on similar
principles. It is made up of a hydraulic bind-
ing agent, bentonite clay, polystyrene parti-
cles, admixtures, anti-wash agents, air and
water. BASF supplied the admixtures.
“The biggest challenge for the compressi-
ble grout was of course the recipe and learn-
ing methods and means to mix the
product,” says DiMillo. “The polystyrene is
very light. When you try to put something so
light in a liquid it tends to float so that was a
big challenge to overcome that.”
Mixing in the lab is one thing, says DiMillo;
mixing on site is completely different. The
team were able to develop methods to mix
the grout with either planetary mixers or
shaft mixers. The goal, says DiMillo, was for
the workers on the TBM to be able to work
with the grout in the same way as it nor-
mally would for any annulus grouting opera-
tion.
Arup, who Technicore hired to carry out
WEST TRUNK
the lining design, set parameters for how it
wanted the grout to behave. “In terms of
specification of the grout, there were two
things we were looking for,” says Arup’s
global tunnel design leader Jon Hurt. “First,
the initial stiffness needed to be pretty simi-
lar to normal backfill so that it could support
the self-weight of the rings and the con-
struction loading. Second, if the imposed
stress got too high we wanted the grout to
start collapsing. This material could provide
that very well.”
Using numerical modelling, Arup calcu-
lated that the time-dependant rock deforma-
tion would cause a strain of around 8
percent in the annular grout. It specified that
the compressible grout had to be able to
cope with a compression of up to 16 per-
cent.
The other challenge in formulating the
grout was making sure it didn’t get too
strong. “In a regular segmental tunnel, it
Above: Technicore developed a compress-
ible grout to allow precast segments to
be used in the Georgian Shale which can
move inwards for some time after tun-
neling has finished.
NORTH AMERICAN TUNNELING JOURNAL 9
 WEST TRUNK
Above and Right: Technicore is using Herrenknecht’s Combisegments – precast segments
with a protective lining and attached gasket cast in – for the first time in North America.
does not matter how strong the grout is,”
says DiMillo. “In a scenario where you need
compression, you cannot afford the grout to
be too strong or to grow stronger as it gets
older.”
Technicore has hired Queens University to
carry out continuous testing of the grout.
Tests have been ongoing for the last eight
months. “All the tests so far, either in-situ or
cylinder tests have all shown very positive,”
says DiMillo.
The grout is delivered to the machine by
grout cars or pumped through lines and can
have accelerators or retarders added as re-
quired. “For the workers, nothing
changed,” says DiMillo.
For both the compressible grout in the
shale sections, and the standard grout in the
soft ground Technicore is injecting the grout
through holes in the segments. “The ma-
chine was set up for tailskin grouting but my
personal opinion is that for a smaller diame-
ter machine, under 4m, it works really well
through the segments. There’s just not
enough room in a small machine for tailskin
grouting, it’s very hard to clean the lines, to
unplug the system.
“Everything was metered, it all went well
and we didn’t get any settlement as a result
of the grouting operation.”
Technicore extended the tailcan beyond
the brushes and pumped from inside the tail
can. “In the shale it is not as crucial as when
in EPB mode when you need to take up the
space straight away,” says DiMillo.
Technicore is currently in the process of
applying for a patent for its compressible
grout. DiMillo plans to license the product so
that other manufacturers can supply the ma-
10 NORTH AMERICAN TUNNELING JOURNAL
terial. “One of the reasons we are doing
that is that we believe it’s a great product
and we don’t want contractors or municipal-
ities to feel that they will be sole sourcing
from another contractor so we are willing to
put the product to be licensed outside.”
As well an interest from others who are
facing squeezing rock, DiMillo has also spo-
ken to engineers who are interested in inves-
tigating its use in seismic zones, he says.
Combisegments
Herrenknecht has been developing its Com-
bisegment concept for some years. The earli-
est versions of the Combisegment were
used in 2009 on the Yuzhny Sewage
Pipeline in Tzariayno, Moscow.
There have been a few iterations since
then. The Combisegments used on West
Trunk Sewer Contract 2 are Type II HDPE. A
pDPCD (Polidicyclopentadiene) frame, sup-
plied by Telene, holds both the EPDM gas-
kets, supplied by Datwyler, and a 5mm-thick
HDPE liner, from ACRU Kunststofftechnik in
place. This means that once the segments
are installed, with gaskets engaged, there
should be a continuous protective liner, with
no need for a follow-on activity to join the
cast-in liners together.
Technicore sister company Ewing Fabrica-
tors, which manufactured the segments, en-
countered some initial problems during the
casting phase. “We had some start-up is-
sues, glitches in the beginning, a little defor-
mity,” says DiMillo. “It’s a plastic, so it
distorts. The ambient temperature and the
heat of hydration were affecting the liner.”
The solution – after plenty of brainstorm-
ing - was to heat up the liner material prior
to installation in the mould and cut it to size
when at the higher temperature. However,
the team did not reach the solution in time
for the first section of lined segments be-
tween Manholes 5 and 4.
“We didn’t want to delay the project
while we were doing modifications to the
form to get the Combis right,” says DiMillo.
“We would have been held up by five or six
months. So we finished the first lane by
casting HDPE liners into the forms and weld-
ing the joints on site once installed.”
By mid-October Technicore was at the be-
ginning of the final run of the tunnel, be-
tween Manholes 3 and 4 and will tackle the
lined section at the end of that run using the
Combisegments. “It’s still a new develop-
ment,” says DiMillo. “As yet we have not
done anything other than trial rings, al-
though Ewing has cast the Combisegments
ready to install. I am very excited to see how
it works. This is an industry thing, not just
for Technicore.”
If all goes to plan, all the tunnelling will be
complete by the end of this year. Despite the
trials and tribulations of doing R&D on a live
project, DiMillo says that the biggest chal-
lenges on this project to date have not been
the new technologies, but the unpredictabil-
ity of the ground.
“Adapting to the changing ground condi-
tions on the EPB was probably the biggest
challenge,” he says. “We had shale, cob-
bles, sand, water, it changed very rapidly.
Just when we had got into a sequence for
dealing with the ground, all of a sudden it
would change.”
Technicore’s TBM was fully fitted with
methane detectors but only encountered the
 WEST TRUNK

gas during interventions, in the cutter cham-

ber. DiMillo points out that a closed face
machine, rather than an open-faced one is
better where methane can be present.
The contractor managed not to carry out
any interventions under pressure during the
run in mixed ground. “We did push the ma-
chine to its absolute limit for the interven-
tion,” says DiMillo. “We did not expect that
we were going to be in the soft soil for as
long as we were, so we never geared up for
an intervention in soft soil. So we pushed it
and when we did get into the shale, we
sealed it off and got in there and did the in-
tervention.”

Vertical integration enables innovation

Perhaps the reason why Technicore is willing
to attempt new ways of doing things comes
from the structure of the Technicore Group
itself. DiMillo started Technicore
Underground as a tunnelling and mining
equipment manufacturer, later launching a
construction arm and acquiring Ewing
Fabricators in 2012. The group also has a
speciality concrete business.
Usually when a product or process is new,
each member of the supply chain must add
the potential cost of risk onto their contract
price which compounds a rise in the overall
cost. Where a group like Technicore encom-
Above: Technicore Group company Ewing Fabricators supplied the segments for the 3m (10ft)
diameter waste water tunnel, which is one of two contracts to create a twin tunnel for the
existing sewer.
passes all the different specialities, the risk – “As a contractor only, we would never
and the cost of that risk - can be much more have dealt with the glitches and problems
easily shared and therefore reduced. that occurred.,” says DiMillo: “But as a
There is also the issue of communication manufacturer and developer we were able
and culture. For a group of companies these to work out the problems and deal with
are likely to be already established which can them in a proper fashion, rather than sit
make problem-solving quicker and more col- back and expect a supplier to try and
laborative. resolve them for us”.

NORTH AMERICAN TUNNELING JOURNAL 11

 MONITORING

Monitoring Round Table:

Instrumentation and big data
play an ever increasing role
in Risk Management
In this roundtable, NATJ speaks to three monitoring companies to find out how
monitoring and instrumentation have evolved in the past year, from high-tech
instrumentation to data integration programs and an increased role in risk
reduction. Participants include Dr. W. Allen Marr, Founder and CEO of Geocomp
Corporation; Loic Galisson, Vice President USA & Canada for SIXENSE Group;
and Dr. Angus Maxwell, CEO of Maxwell Geosystems.
Q: Are you seeing any new trends in in-
strumentation technology? If not, are
there areas where improvements need
to be made?
Marr: We don’t see new types of instru-
mentation, just more and broader use of ex-
isting technology. We see more emphasis on
including contextual information like con-
struction progress, photos, drawings, etc. to-
gether with data in visual displays and
reports. We also see more interest in tying
machine metrics with geotechnical and
structural performance. An example of this
would be using data on ground deforma-
tions over the tunnel arch to help control the
operation of a TBM. MissionOS is a fully customizable program
Maxwell: We are seeing moves toward offered by Maxwell Geosystems that can
more resistive and Vibrating Wire (VW) solu- be configured by end users to define any
tions in geotechnical instruments, which is data model or cross calculation.
driven by the need for higher sampling
rates. Recently, conversion of measured ana-
logue values to digital signals at the moni- also seeing the focus turning to construction.
toring point has been coupled with instrumenting other tunneling methods such Another trend we see is that
electronics embedded in the medium under as roadheaders in order to optimize machine manufacturers are providing more and more
observation and wireless data transfer, lead- performance. turn-key solutions for their hardware, mostly
ing to fewer wires on constructions sites, Galisson: We have not observed a major for the logging and the transmission of the
better power performance and less electro- revolution in the diversity of sensors used for monitoring data from the sensor on site to
magnetic interference. Fiber-optics are still underground monitoring, nor in the way in- the IDMS (Integrated Data Management
seen as expensive for general instrumenta- struments are prescribed or used. However, System) on the cloud. I must admit that I
tion but are starting to be required in perma- there are significant improvements in the er- have mixed feelings about some solutions
nent linings to study long term performance. gonomics and in the robustness of wireless advertised on the market. Those devices
For drill and blast tunnels, we are starting transmission systems. This is very helpful in fulfill the expectations of the users in many
to see that automation of blast monitoring underground environments and significantly cases for projects of limited sizes. But large
might be a good idea to avoid the need to reduces the need for cabling. It is a signifi- and mega-sized projects are not simply
manually turn on blast monitors and collect cant time and cost saving during the installa- magnified versions of smaller projects. They
data. This is especially true as there is always tion phase, and it also reduces the risk of often require a company with extensive
uncertainty over the timing of blasts. We are damage to the cables or sensors during the experience and optimizations as well as

12 NORTH AMERICAN TUNNELING JOURNAL


customized solutions that fully integrated
systems don’t offer. The follow-on effect is
that we now see a multitude of newcomers
in the monitoring industry, believing that
instrumentation programs can be “plug-and-
play”, but that lack the experience and
knowledge. This for me is a very precarious
position. We already see the limitations of
this trend on various iconic projects in the
U.S. One might think that Design-Build and
Public-Private-Partnership projects would
foster the emergence of creativity, but in
reality contractors (and owners) are still very
careful about innovation and new
technology. Don’t get me wrong, we have
been able to bring new ideas to the table,
and some contractors have appreciated it
and looked at it with attention. But in most
cases, although the technical benefit is easily
recognized, contractors rarely take the risk to
innovate during the bid phase and keep the
value engineering card in their pocket for
potential discussions with the owner
afterward. From my experience, because our
industry is mostly based on low-bid criteria
only, the implementation of innovative ideas
remains rare.
Satellite Radar Interferometry (InSAR) is
one good illustration of this trend. It has
been implemented in the U.S. because a
precursor project team (contractor and
owner) were receptive to it on a critical
infrastructure project (SR99 tunnel in Seattle,
WA). This project has once again proven the
efficiency and the benefits of the technique.
However, we still do not see InSAR specified
in recent RFPs for large projects, contrary to
SIXENSE Group’s Automatic Motorized Total Stations
(AMTS) are capable of detecting movements in an
underground structure at a very early stage.
other areas in the world where InSAR is now
a common practice (Crossrail in the U.K.,
Grand Paris Express in France, etc.).
Q: Do you think North America is catch-
ing up to the level of data
integration/monitoring seen in other
markets worldwide?
Galisson: Unfortunately, I don’t think so.
Monitoring specifications for recent big tun-
nel projects in the U.S. (transportation, CSO,
etc.)--some of them being in urban areas or
in a challenging environment--have shown
that the culture is not changing. With a few
exceptions, monitoring programs are still
prescribed on the basis of old technologies
and old methods. That does not mean that
monitoring consultants refrain from offering
modern solutions, but it often adds some
confusion in the way monitoring programs
should be approached and evaluated. There
needs to be greater education for designers
(preparing the RFP) and for contractors (esti-
mators) to really grasp the pros and cons of
each bid package. As a result, bids are usu-
ally awarded on price only, often to the detri-
ment of the system’s performance. This
phenomenon is emphasized by the fact the
industry recently attracted a myriad of new
actors as I mentioned. These new actors usu-
ally approach the projects with more tradi-
tional setups and are often less inclined to
bring innovative and high-tech solutions.
Maxwell: Our first foray into North America
on the LA Metro sees an increase in the de-
mands of both client, consultant and con-
tractor on the monitoring regime.
Automation seems to be a key focus, and
the use of data-logged real time instrumen-
tation such as shape arrays in place of con-
ventional manual inclinometers is welcome.
For the first time we have also seen a desire
to combine prediction from numerical analy-
sis with the results of the instrumentation to
create an informative observational analysis
of engineering structures.
Marr: This is a mixed picture in the US.
Many owners and contractors still don’t see
the benefits of monitoring as a strong risk
management tool. Some contractors at the
operational level still view monitoring as not
needed and a waste of money. Others em-
brace the need when specified in the con-
tract documents but push to get the lowest
cost bid for monitoring services. In my expe-
rience it’s hard to deliver best value and
good technical advice and also be the lowest
bidder on a monitoring project.
I urge owners to establish a pre-
qualification process for monitoring
companies in the same way that they do for
contractors. There are sizeable contracts in
the current market and people are coming in
that don’t know much about
instrumentation and monitoring on these
large projects—they give a low bid and win
the contract. In a few months’ time,
everyone finds out the company can’t do the
reports and real-time monitoring that are
needed, and so they can’t react quickly if
there is a problem. This is a lose-lose
situation. Monitoring & Instrumentation
programs are often the first thing cut out of
a budget and the reasons given are lack of
NORTH AMERICAN TUNNELING JOURNAL 13

Above: Monitoring & Instrumentation are a key part of any risk management plan, say the
round table participants.
Right: Geocomp Corporation’s iSite Central was used successfully on the LA Metro Crenshaw
Tunnel in Los Angeles, California to monitor ground movement and send alerts above a
threshold of one inch.
reliability, hard-to-quantify benefits, and a
previous bad experience. We are hearing
from potential clients who are distrustful of
the value of monitoring programs.
Q: In terms of data integration and man-
agement, what is new in the industry
within the past year?
Maxwell: There has been a desire in recent
years for engineers to be able to get into the
inner workings of a system and express their
abilities as engineers. Maxwell Geosystems
have taken this on board: Our Mission OS
programs have been re-written over the last
two years to be completely configurable by
the end users to define any data model and
cross calculation. This has been achieved for
instrumentation type data in our ‘Mission
Monitor’ program and we are rolling out the
same for construction progress data with the
‘Mission Site’ program this year. These two
platforms justify our decision to call the plat-
form Mission OS, since we are now in a po-
sition to provide a true data operating
system for construction data.
Marr: We have a product called iSite Cen-
tral: We are in version 4, and adding abili-
ties based on what the market is asking for.
We’ve had a major upgrade this past year
to fully integrate with a GIS platform using
maps and site coordinates to see where
your instruments are in relation to project
features. These data can be integrated with
data from the TBM, so you can see where
the machine is, as well as key information
about TBM performance together with the
monitoring data. Another big thing we’ve
done is introduce a high-speed data logger
to allow for dynamic monitoring in real
time. Our most recent example is not from a
tunnel but from the new Tapan Zee Bridge
in New York. Sensors in the structure are
being read 100 times per second. iSite
draws its timing from a global satellite time
network accurate to within a few microsec-
onds, so when we take a reading at one
end of the bridge and one at the opposite
end they are synchronized in time. Of
course the data builds up very fast so we
had to get smart about data management.
The software looks at data in slices of time
to see if anything is above a certain thresh-
old level. If yes, it will pull all the data for all
sensors for that slice of time. A user would
see events, as well as a window 1 or 2 sec-
onds wide that shows all of the data for a
given event so they can see what led up to
and what happened after the event. This
type of system is also applicable to tunnels
going below existing structures, for example
one transit system being excavated above or
below an existing subway tunnel. It could
also be used to monitor repeated loads on a
lining system or to monitor deformation of
the lining over time from transient loads.
Q: Are there any recent tunnel projects
you have worked on where the use of
monitoring was able to prevent or
lessen a problem?
Galisson: Our experience has been that
monitoring instruments have provided useful
information to identify anomalies early
enough to prevent disruptions on projects. It
is not always easy to say if the monitoring
prevented a problem or not, because the
problem actually did not happen due to
prompt reactions taken on the basis of early
observations. But, I am convinced that instru-
mentation has certainly contributed in many
cases to incident prevention. We are cur-
rently monitoring two urban excavations in
major cities in the US where AMTS (Auto-
matic Motorized Total Stations) have de-
tected, at a very early stage, movements of
the supports during excavation. In both
cases, immediate actions were triggered and
the safety of the projects was not jeopard-
ized.
Marr: When I started my career in the late
1960s, it wasn’t uncommon to see streets
settle several inches to a foot. Often build-
MONITORING
ings adjacent to a construction project would
sustain serious damage. That would be unac-
ceptable today, with most projects achieving
less than an inch of settlement and almost
no damage to surrounding structures.
Monitoring has proved very useful on the
LA Metro Crenshaw and Regional Connector
projects in providing data on ground
subsidence over the TBM to help the TBM
operator keep that subsidence to a very low
amount. Street settlement on these projects
was kept to fractions of an inch. This was
achieved because of excellent real-time
monitoring integrated with data from the
TBM. We were monitoring settlement of the
ground over the arch of the Crenshaw
tunnel--every 100 to 200ft we had placed a
multipoint borehole extensometer. These,
combined with surface monitors, allowed us
to see any ground movement as the TBM
passed byIf sensors move more than a
certain level, say an inch, in this area then we
get concerned. We take that data and feed it
back to the TBM operator so he can see in
real time what is happening and react. That
is what happened on the Crenshaw
project—at one point the ground had moved
over an inch, the problem was found and
corrected quickly, and the rest of the job
completed without a problem.
Maxwell: An interesting experience, al-
though not so recently, was on a project
where the contractor increased the level of
instrumentation as part of an observational
engineering approach. The intention was to
prove to the client that the strutting could
be reduced. However, during the excavation
the instrumentation revealed that consider-
able load was coming onto the retention
system from the application of grout pres-
sures applied for water control; a process
put down to temporary works and not con-
sidered in design. Secondly temperature
fluctuation was producing large variations
in load; an issue alleviated by painting the
struts white.
NORTH AMERICAN TUNNELING JOURNAL 15
 MONITORING
Q: How does monitoring fit into a risk
management plan?
Marr: Monitoring is a powerful tool to indi-
cate when a risk is emerging. It has the po-
tential to be a significant part of any risk
management plan or risk register. It can be
written into the risk management plan to
identify potential risks, assess the magnitude
of those risks, and then set up a metric to
monitor risks so you can get feedback.
When I talk about “monitoring”, it doesn’t
have to be a physical device. It could simply
be people observing a change—that is mon-
itoring too. For example how many contrac-
tors take into account the risks of bad
weather? How many check the forecasts?
There are many stories where I’ve heard of
flooding at a jobsite that was unexpected,
etc. iSite Central can bring in other sources
of data for these types of environmental
risks. For example if an earthquake occurs
within 200km of the project we will have a
message pop up right away. Bad weather
alerts and other geohazards pop up as well.
We need to push as an industry for real-
time monitoring—with data streaming in
every few minutes, some people tend to
think it’s overkill. But serious problems with
ground loss, structural overloads, and other
events can happen very quickly, over a
matter of minutes. If you’re checking your
data once a week, you are not going to
capture it. Once we start going to
automated systems, whether you’re taking
readings once a day or once a minute
doesn’t add much to the cost since it’s all
done by computer. You have the ability to
watch once every few minutes and it
provides a much earlier warning if
something is changing.
Maxwell: Any risk management of tunnel
projects has to be a feedback loop and mon-
itoring is a fundamental stage in this. At
Maxwell Geosystems we advocate covering
Influences, predictions, causes, effects and
consequences with the effects being meas-
ured through the use of instrumentation.
Each of these areas has a tendency to be in
its own silo, and breaking down barriers be-
tween these silos is a key role for systems
such as the MissionOS.
Galisson: Monitoring data provides very
early warnings of unexpected behaviors in
structures and in the ground--far before
cracks, deflections or settlement start being
visible to the human eye. Sensors, software
features and other technologies enhance the
potential of monitoring programs, improving
the spatial resolution of the information, the
frequency at which this information is re-
leased, and the relevance of this information
for a quick and thorough analysis of any sit-
uation. When a monitoring program is prop-
erly designed, is installed with great care,
and is operated by an experienced monitor-
16 NORTH AMERICAN TUNNELING JOURNAL
Above: Real-time monitoring, integrated with data from the TBM, is being requested more
frequently in a trend seen on North American projects and worldwide.
ing consultant, it can definitely help a proj-
ect team maintain the site and improve the
performance of the construction process.
However it takes a lot of trust for stake
holders to rely on the instrumentation con-
sultant in order to optimize the performance
of their project. As in any other industry,
trust comes more naturally with experienced
and renowned service providers. The same
applies to monitoring consultants. Experi-
ence, qualifications, reputation, technical ca-
pacity, financial capacity, etc. are all
considerations that should be made during
the selection process.
Q: Where do you see Instrumentation &
Monitoring Programs headed in the
coming years?
Maxwell: We have almost 40 TBMs that
will be using Mission OS in the next 2-3
years. The key desire from the industry is to
fully couple all of the data sources available
to the tunnel engineer and present them in
a configurable environment to allow cross
correlation and analytics to be defined to
give up-to-the-minute forecasts. This in-
cludes updates on ground conditions en-
countered and linking these to TBM
performance and ground response. Our con-
versations with tunnel professionals indicate
that they all have ideas as to the most effec-
tive cross plots (parameter ratios) to use, and
in some cases tunneling professionals are
enhancing TBM control systems to manage
tunnels using these parameters rather than
the ones provided by the TBM manufactur-
ers. These are key drivers in the current and
future MissionOS development objectives.
The same objectives are seen in drill and
blast and hand-mined tunnels. In the last 10
years many contractors have dipped their
toes into data management systems and are
starting to see this as the ‘unavoidable’
future. Rather than resist, many are starting
to embrace it and demand that the systems
do more and more to assist in the delivery of
the product. Many are recognizing the
importance of properly managing historic
data so that it can be used for future
planning and tendering.
Lastly, the use of drone technology—for
both site progress monitoring and satellite
interferometry for historical as well as large
scale ground movement impact--is
becoming more frequent.
Galisson: I think that consultants preparing
monitoring programs have the responsibility
to enhance their knowledge and under-
standing of modern technologies, and
deeply revise the way specifications are
written for underground projects. The evo-
lution towards Design-Build or Public-Pri-
vate-Partnership procurement methods
should not be an obstacle for the introduc-
tion of innovative solutions. It all depends
on the capacity of the consultants to inte-
grate new technologies in their plan in
order to increase the added value of the
monitoring program. Hopefully, in the fu-
ture, the monitoring data will not only serve
the purpose of detecting anomalies, but
will also help the contractors to optimize
their construction methods and reduce their
factor of safety. This will happen only if the
industry acknowledges the benefits of new
automated technologies, with higher fre-
quencies of readings, higher spatial resolu-
tions, longer range and better accuracy.
Today, the tools exist but the overall matu-
rity of the community needs to grow a little
bit. With the emergence of Public-Private-
Partnership programs, it also makes sense
to optimize the integration between the
construction monitoring and the structural
health monitoring (SHM) programs. Struc-
tures, should they be underground or aerial,
can gain in resilience if they are instru-
mented properly from the very early stage
of the process.
Marr: What I hope to see is broader recog-
nition of the value of Instrumentation &
Monitoring (I & M) as a risk management
tool that can benefit the owner and the
contractor. I hope to see improved selection
of qualified I & M companies that provide
high value to projects, not just the lowest
bidder. I hope to see provisions that pro-
mote the use of the data to learn how to do
the next project better, not just the immedi-
ate use of advancing the current project.
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NORTH AMERICAN TUNNELING JOURNAL 17

18 NORTH AMERICAN TUNNELING JOURNAL
 SITE REPORT

The city of Akron’s Long Term Con-

trol Plan will reduce Combined Sewer
Overflows into the Little Cuyahoga
River and surrounding waterways to
0% in a typical rainfall year.

ON AUGUST 19, 2017, thousands of Akron,

Ohio residents thronged around a 9.26m
(30.4ft) Robbins Crossover TBM. The event for
the machine—dubbed “Rosie” in honor of
Rosie the Riveter, a World War II icon—fea-
tured tours, activities, food, giveaways, and
even a limited edition TBM-themed beer from
a local brewery. In many ways this is the most
unusual and intriguing aspect of the Ohio
Canal Interceptor Tunnel (OCIT) project: that
the tunnel and the TBM are effectively being
used as a gathering place for positive commu-
nity involvement. The people of Akron are en-
thusiastic about the tunnel that travels
through the downtown area. They know the
project’s benefits, and they know about the
TBM: quite the counterpoint to many tunnels
across the U.S. that are either virtually un-
known or receive negative local news cover-
age. So what is being done in Akron, a city of
nearly 200,000 people, to bolster the positive
image? A lot, it turns out.
Where There’s Water, There’s a Way
The City of Akron’s water initiative—Akron
Waterways Renewed—is on a mission to pro-
mote the benefits of the OCIT and related
structures, and dispense knowledge about the
EPA-mandated solution to clean up the city’s
waterways. The OCIT is the key component of
the city’s Long Term Control Plan aimed at re-
ducing Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs)
into the Little Cuyahoga River and surround-
ing streams. The tunnel will be combined with
drop shafts, diversion structures, consolidation
sewers, and related appurtenances that will
decrease the flow of untreated CSO and di-
rect wastewater and storm water through
Akron’s water reclamation facility. Consent
decree timing stipulates that the OCIT must
be complete and operational by December
31, 2018 and the rest of the system and its
structures must be online by 2028. “About
Riveted by
“ROSIE”
Ohio’s Akron OCIT serves as a Blueprint for Positive
Community Involvement and TBM General Interest,
writes Desiree Willis of the Robbins Company
30% of Akron’s current system is combined
sewers. This includes drainage from showers,
sewers, and other sources combined with
storm water, so the system can be over-capac-
itated. With the new system we expect 0%
overflows in a typical rainfall year,” said
Heather Bolestridge, Communications Man-
ager for Akron Waterways Renewed.
The city looked at rainfall records and
identified 1994 as a typical year. The 6,200ft
long OCIT will thus be able to handle 450
gallons of CSO annually in a 27ft finished
inside diameter tunnel. If rainfall is above
typical, a further 17 million gallons of
overflow can be diverted through an
Enhanced High Rate Treatment (EHRT) process
that will allow the water to be directly
released into the Little Cuyahoga. The tunnel
will pull from nine main regulators referred to
as racks (overflow spots) along a narrow
corridor to achieve the water storage, while
the city’s other overflow spots are being
controlled through green infrastructure such
as catch basins and rain gardens. Many of the
improvements are already being made, and
are having a dramatic effect: “We went
through a period where there was reduced
bug life on the waterways, which depleted
the fish and then, in turn, the herons. We are
already seeing major benefits with wildlife
returning,” said Bolestridge.
Public Partnership
The education of Akron’s population has
been a process, and one that Akron Water-
ways Renewed is proud of. “People are
charged for construction through their water
bills. It is our goal to explain where their
money is going, and to put out an educa-
tional model to teach people about their in-
frastructure. I do trolley tours every week
where I take people to various construction
sites and they can see tangibly what their
money will be used for,” explained
Bolestridge. Transparency helps to gain and
keep public trust: “Rosie” the TBM is publi-
cally accessible from an overhead roadway
where onlookers can view the construction.

NORTH AMERICAN TUNNELING JOURNAL 19

 SITE REPORT

Robbins personnel stand proudly in front of the Crossover TBM for the Akron OCIT.

A camera mounted in front of the tunnel por-
tal streams a live video feed that can be
viewed any time on the internet (just visit
www.akronwaterwaysrenewed.com). “It’s an
exciting project, so why not celebrate it?
Akron is a great place to live and we are fix-
ing our infrastructure.”
A key part of public education, says
Bolestridge, is the trolley tours. “Trolley tours
give people access that they otherwise
wouldn’t have. When you are face to face
with someone they trust you more. They get
something more from it—that’s why it’s so
important. On trolley tours I also have a
captive audience. ”During the tours she
emphasizes the positive aspects of the
construction—for example the 50% hiring
requirement specifying that workers must be
Akron residents. Another 15% of contracts
must go to minority-owned, woman-owned,
or disadvantaged businesses. The city also
partners with Urban League to promote soft
skills training and educational outreach for
underemployed people in Akron. And further
taxpayer dollars are going towards student
programs such as workshops and internship
programs for Akron High School students on
an engineering career path.
Last but not least for Bolestridge is easing
public fears of disruption and delays. Akron
Waterways Renewed worked with the local
tourism board to make sure key attractions
weren’t affected, such as a scenic railroad
near construction. When it was determined
that the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail—an
iconic 111-mile pathway—would be affected
by the construction, a plan was worked out
to reroute a small section of the path so it
could remain open.
In terms of local popularity, it also helps
that the construction project has an icon to
rally around: The Robbins TBM. “We chose
the name ‘Rosie’ for the TBM in a contest
where Akron citizens submitted
suggestions—Rose May Jacobs was a real
“Rosie” that lived and worked in Akron
during World War II. It’s a good icon: a
perfect storm of educating, marketing, and
visual appeal.”
The intense interest by the people of Akron
has not gone unnoticed by others working
on the project: “The City of Akron has shown
more interest in this project than I have ever
seen from any community in my past
experience. We have had multiple media
days, weekly trolley tours, and even opened
the site up to public tours to allow the
citizens of Akron to get up close with the
TBM. Overall the participation has exceeded
our expectations and the interactions have
been very positive,” said David Chastka,
Project Engineer for contractor
Kenny/Obayashi. For the contractor’s part,
working with the community has also proved
beneficial. “As far as impacts to the
community we have worked to minimize any
disruptions to the City. We monitor
Project officials inspect the Robbins TBM, now currently boring the Ohio Canal Interceptor
Tunnel in mixed soft soil and shale rock conditions.
throughout the City constantly through all
phases of the project. The most powerful tool
we have had to date is communication:
letting the public know what to expect has
helped everyone feel like they are part of the
process to get this tunnel completed
successfully.”
Custom Setup
The OCIT Project was awarded to the
Kenny/Obayashi JV with a Notice to Proceed
date of November 4, 2015. The contractor
chose the 9.26m (30.4ft) Robbins Crossover
(XRE) TBM due to varying geology that begins
in full-face soft ground, giving way to partial
face shale and mixed conditions, and finally
full-face shale rock. The machine is capable of
operating in both hard rock and soft ground
(EPB) configurations. The TBM has been cus-
tomized in a number of ways, from cutting
tools to abrasion-resistant wear plating, and it
is a design that the contractor is confident in:
“Robbins has provided a robust design that is
capable of handling all of the challenges

20 NORTH AMERICAN TUNNELING JOURNAL


ahead with the various geotechnical condi-
tions that we will encounter,” said Chastka.
Crossover Design for Abrasive Ground
One of the main problems in mixed ground
for TBM tunneling is related to abnormal flat
and multi-flat cutter wear, resulting in the
cutter wearing flat on part of its surface. This
is because the soft ground material in the
mixed face cannot provide sufficient rolling
force for cutters to overcome the pre-torque
of cutter bearings. The XRE TBM cutterhead
is equipped with 56 housings that can be
dressed with either knife bits/rippers or 17-
inch disc cutters. Due to geological variability
Kenny/Obayashi and Robbins decided that
disc cutters would be beneficial from the out-
set, launching the machine with a full dress-
ing of discs.
Since the disc cutters are operating in soft
ground, the pre-torque of the cutter bearings
has been reduced by 25% to require less
rolling force for the cutter to rotate evenly.
This could result in a shorter cutter life once
in rock; however, the shale is not expected to
be harder than 70MPa so cutter ring wear is
estimated to be very limited. Furthermore in
order to avoid hyperbaric intervention in the
first 1610ft (490m), sacrificial rippers have
been welded to intervene in case of ring wear
SITE REPORT
greater than 0.6in (15mm). In the event a
cutter gets blocked these rippers should be
able to cut the face until the machine reaches
a section where it can operate in open mode.
In consideration of the 65% drive in rock, the
cutterhead has also been dressed with
Hardox 450 faceplates and peripheral grill
bars to reduce the risk of abrasive wear.
The screw conveyor is another customized
component: it is a shaft-type design, 64.5ft
(19.7m) long, 47in (1200mm) in diameter,
with a tapered front nose to 30in (762mm).
In consideration for the OCIT geology and the
necessity to muck out shale bedrock, the
single shaft-type screw conveyor required a
much higher speed than would normally be
provided. The hydraulic power unit has an
output of 5x110kW, which brings the max
theoretical speed of the conveyor to 16rpm
at a limited torque of 232kNm.
In rock mode and mixed ground
conditions, and to a lesser degree in EPB The Robbins Crossover TBM’s cutterhead
mode as well, the auger and the casings are was customized for mixed ground condi-
in contact with abrasive material creating tions, with interchangeable cutting tools
wear. The screw conveyor features the and abrasion-resistant wear plating.
following characteristics to limit wear due to
abrasion: Chromeweld 600TM and hardfacing in a
• The leading face of the front auger flight crosshatch pattern
and the outside diameter is covered with • The auger shaft is covered in hardfacing in
welded-in wear plates, “inserts”, made of a crosshatch pattern
NORTH AMERICAN TUNNELING JOURNAL 21
 SITE REPORT
Above: The Robbins Crossover TBM was launched from the portal
site under low cover in October 2017.
Right: Tunneling on the Akron OCIT is expected take between seven
and ten months.
• The inside diameter of the casing is lined
with welded 0.4in (10mm) thick
Chromeweld 600TM for the first 1/3 of the
casing
• The inside diameter of the remaining 2/3 of
the casing is covered with hardfacing
• Four ports have been designed in for lubri-
cant injection of foam, bentonite, etc.
Chromeweld 600TM is a premium grade of
chromium carbide wear plate, produced with
a mild steel base plate and hardfaced/over-
layed chromium carbide wire.
A Milestone Conveyor System
Behind the Crossover TBM is a Robbins Con-
tinuous Conveyor system for muck removal.
The side-mounted conveyor is somewhat
standard in design, but the system also hap-
pens to be the 100th continuous conveyor
that Robbins has provided behind a TBM—
more than any other conveyor manufacturer.
“When I look back on the past 20 years, this
is a great achievement,” said Dean Work-
man, Robbins Director of Conveyors, Cutters,
& SBUs. The system consists of the belt plus a
main drive, splice stand, storage unit, and ad-
vancing tailpiece, operating through several
curves requiring patented self-adjusting curve
idlers that adjust belt tension based on the
belt load. The system discharges onto a cus-
tomer-supplied overland conveyor, which de-
livers the muck to a large storage yard near
the portal site. The system has been refur-
bished and customized for the job in a
process that Robbins has been perfecting for
decades: “We design our conveyor systems
to last for five to ten years, but many last for
decades longer. We have systems utilizing
components that have been in operation for
30 years. We haven’t reached a limit for
many of our systems—for example we had a
specialized conveyor system built more than a
22 NORTH AMERICAN TUNNELING JOURNAL
decade ago for the Parramatta Rail Link in
Sydney Australia. Those components were re-
furbished for a job in Atlanta, Georgia, and
now they are being used at the Dig Indy tun-
nels in Indianapolis, Indiana. These are long
and challenging tunnel drives and the com-
ponents are up to it.” While the Akron OCIT
conveyor is just beginning to move muck as
of this writing, it is sure to be a benefit
throughout the project’s varying ground con-
ditions.
Excavation & Upcoming Challenges
The TBM launched from its portal site in Oc-
tober 2017 with a depth to invert of approxi-
mately 40 feet (12m) through a jet grout plug
installed to provide a controlled launch envi-
ronment. The TBM is boring at a uniform
slope of 0.15 percent through ground condi-
tions that consist of soft ground, mixed face
soft ground over bedrock, and bedrock. The
OCIT is being lined with a steel fiber rein-
forced precast concrete segmental liner in-
stalled concurrent with the mining advance.
The low cover of the launch environment it-
self was the project’s first challenge: “In the
lower cover zone at the beginning of the soft
ground reach, where we have only 20ft of
cover from the top of the TBM, that is a chal-
lenge. This challenge is being overcome by
leveraging the experience of Kenny/Obayashi
(Contractor), Robbins (Manufacturer), and
BASF (Foam Supplier) to ensure there is no
impact to the ground above the TBM,” said
Chastka.
The second challenge will come later: “In
the second half of the mixed face zone we
will encounter rock in more than 50% of the
face. This will be overcome with several
strategies that have been evaluated by both
Kenny/Obayashi and BASF to allow for
multiple mix combinations to stabilize any
face condition encountered. Additionally,
Robbins designed the cutterhead to maximize
efficiency in all anticipated geology with their
selection of soft ground tooling and lower
bearing torque cutters,” said Chastka.
The TBM excavation will end at a retrieval
shaft with approximately 180 feet (55m) from
the surface to the invert of the tunnel.
Tunneling is expected to take between seven
and ten months. For Chastka, the OCIT is not
the end of the challenges however. He cites
the network of associated structures required
to connect up the OCIT to the existing sewers
as his biggest obstacle. There are a total of
four shafts, six diversion structures, four
hand-mined tunnels, and a microtunnel.
Associated construction is being performed
simultaneously in order to meet the project
goals for the City of Akron.
For Chastka, a particular diversion structure
known as the R16 Diversion Structure is the
most challenging piece of work to construct.
The structure was sub-contracted to Kenmore
Construction. “This excavation is being
performed under the water table, adjacent to
an already excavated drop shaft, in
contaminated soil, and redirects flows from
multiple sewers into the tunnel through a
multi-phase bypass approach that allows flow
to continue throughout all phases of
construction. Once the tunnel is complete
and all systems are in place, Kenmore
Construction will re-enter the structure and
remove the flume pipes used for bypass in
live flow situation in order to complete the
connection.”
Despite the high stakes involved, Chastka
says the companies involved are experienced
and well capable of completing the project to
all specifications. “It’s all very difficult work,
at the end of a project, with no room for
failure—but it can be done.”
 WORLD CLASS TUNNELING
EXPERIENCE

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