Scaffold

Scaffold rope rope

Operation
Operationroom
room

Winch for
Kibble rope kibble
Winch for kibble Winch for scaffold
Winch for scaffold
Crawler
Crawler cranecrane Kibble rope

Kibble
Kibble Five-shaft
Five-shaft jumbo jumbo

Concrete bucket
Concrete bucket

Rock
Lockboltbolt Rein forced
Reinforced concrete concrete

(Entrance part)
( Entrance part )

Mini back
Mini back hoe hoe

Wire mesh

Concrete
Concrete kibble kibble
Scaffold
Scaffold

Scaffold
Scaffold
Wire
Wire mesh
mesh Wire mesh
Wire mesh
Shaft loader Wire mesh
Wire mesh
Shaft loader
Five-shaft Concrete spray-machine
Shaft
Shaft loader
loader
jumbojumbo
Five-shaft
Wire mesh Shaft loader
Shaft loader
Shotcrete
Shotcrete
Kibble
Kibble

(Units : mm) Drilling

Drilling and
and blasting Mucking work
Mucking Primarylining
Primary lining
blasting work work
Figure 5 . 1 -2 Outline of vertical shaft construction method

5.1.2 Construction of main and connecting tunnels

5.1.2.1 Excavation method and tunnel support

The main and connecting tunnels are the key routes for material transfer and emergency escape in
the underground facilities. Typical excavation methods for such horizontal tunnels, are the
blasting, free-face mechanical excavation, full-face mechanical excavation and tunnel boring
machine (TBM) methods. Selection of an applicable method must consider variables such as
compatibility with geology and rock type, use and specification of the tunnel, work period,
economy and impact on the rock. Table 5.1-4 shows a comparison of these methods (Japan
Society of Civil Engineers, 1996). Table 5.1-5 shows the methods selected for main and
connecting tunnels for hard rock and soft rock systems, and the reasons for their selection (Japan
Society of Civil Engineers, 1996).
 Table 5.1-4 Comparison of typical excavation methods for tunnels
(one method missing – 4 listed above)
Free-face
Item Blasting method mechanical Tunnel boring machine (TBM)
excavation method
Compatible with most The construction Excellent performance for uniform
geological ability rapidly falls geology and rock.
environments and types when unconfined The performance significantly
Compatibility with
of rock. compressive degrades in rock with large variations
geology
strength exceeds in mechanical properties.
30 to 50MPa.
.
Tunnel specification Applicable to most Same as for Present technology is limited to a
(Cross sectional shape) cross-sectional shapes. blasting. circular cross section.
Economic optimization Excavation speed Initial cost is high. However,
of work is possible: decreases in hard excavation speed is high. Therefore,
Work period, economy e.g., excavation length rock. with increasing amount of
can be varied to respond tunneling, there is an improvement
to rock condition. in cost-effectiveness.
Blasting has the highest Because the Same as for free-face excavation.
impact on rock of the method involves Influence on rock is small.
three methods. mechanical
However, the shock can excavation, impact
Influence on rock be suppressed to some on rock is small.
extent by applying a
smooth blasting
method.
Large influence on rock.

Table 5.1-5 Selection of work methods for main and connecting tunnels
Item Method Reason for selection
Blasting method + Excavation performance is highest of candidate
(Smooth blasting methods, and is economical.
Hard rock system
method) + High flexibility with respect to cross sectional
Excavation shape and length of excavation.
method Free-face + Partial excavation is available. Flexibility in
mechanical excavation responding to variations in geological condition
Soft rock system
method is high.
+ High safety level.
+ Free from dust and flue gas emissions in the
Method for tunnel under operating conditions.
Rail type
mucking + Suitable for transporting large amounts of
muck for a long distance.
Shotcrete + Prevents degradation of rock. Ensures safety
Hard rock system
Tunnel during excavation.
support Steel tunnel supports, + Initial creep of rock conforms to the concept of
Soft rock system
shotcrete NATM.
Invert Concreting + General method
5.1.2.2 Outline of construction methods

Based on the construction methods reviewed in the preceding section, this section describes
examples of methods for the main and connecting tunnels in both hard rock and soft rock systems.
For tunnel support, a shotcrete lining is necessary based on excavation stability analysis, plus
rock bolts to prevent collapse of the damaged zone (EDZ). The length of a rock bolt is
commonly 3 m based on analysis of both hard rock and soft rock systems, which gave similar
depths for the EDZ. The spacing of the rock bolts should be smaller in the soft rock system than
in the hard rock, based on analyses of the extent of the EDZ and field experience. The thickness
of shotcrete for hard rock is a minimum of 50 mm for preventing rockfall, and the thickness of
invert concrete is 150 mm. Figure 5.1-3 illustrates the standard cross-sections (Tanai et al.,
1999a). At the intersections of tunnels, reinforcing rock bolts each with a length of 4 m are
driven into the rock, based on the in-situ experience.

(Units : mm)

Figure 5 . 1 -3 Standard cross sections of main and connecting tunnels

1) Construction of main and connecting tunnels in a hard rock system

Figure 5.1-4 shows the construction procedure for main and connecting tunnels in hard rock.
The outline for each activity is given below, based on the assumption of homogeneous rock.
Changes in procedures will be required, if and when phenomena such as rock-burst and
groundwater influx are encountered during construction.

(1) Preparation for excavating horizontal tunnels

Before initiating the excavation of main and connecting tunnels, facilities must be prepared for
bringing in and out materials, transporting workers and removing debris. The work can be
grouped into the following activities:
• Preparatory work for vertical shaft facilities
• Excavation of the area surrounding the vertical shaft
• Installation of temporary facilities and machinery in tunnel

(2) Excavation in hard rock

Excavation is conducted in the following steps: drilling, charging, blasting, mucking, shotcrete
application and invert concreting. The drilling is done by a hydraulic two-boom jumbo, on the
basis of 1.5 m of progress per single blast. This progress may vary with the type and condition
of the rock. The smooth-blasting method is applied to minimize the damage to the surrounding
rock. The charging is done using the cage of the jumbo or other means, and blasting is carried
out after wiring and withdrawal of the jumbo. Mucking is conducted after blasting and
ventilation. The loading of debris is done by a shaf-loader and the transportation of debris is by
two or three train-type shuttle cars (each having a 12 m3 capacity) connected to each other. The
shuttle cars are a bogy type so that they can travel on a route with a 40 m radius of curvature.
For the shotcrete, the mixed concrete is carried by an agitator car to the working face and a spray
unit is used for application. The wet type of shotcrete has been adopted from the viewpoint of
work safety and ventilation as it generally gives rises to only small amounts of dust. Invert
concreting work in a connecting tunnel is carried out in parallel with the face excavation and the
secondary lining. However, the work will be limited to the places that do not interfere with the
mucking work. The work steps are removal of the rail facility, smoothing of the sub-base,
form structuring, concreting, curing and re-laying of rails.

Figure 5 . 1 -4 Construction procedure for main

and connecting tunnels in a hard rock system

2) Construction of main and connecting tunnels in the soft rock system

Figure 5.1-5 shows the construction procedures for main and connecting tunnels in the soft rock
system. An outline of each activity is given below assuming excavation of homogeneous rock.
Modification of these procedures may be necessary, however, disruptive phenomena are
encountered.

(1) Excavation work

Excavation is conducted by a crawler-type boom mechanical excavator, typically with 1.5 m
progress per single step. This progress may vary with the type and condition of the rock. The
loading of excavated debris is with a muck-scraper attached to the excavator and a belt conveyer.
The transportation of debris uses a train of steel mucking vehicles (two or three, each having a
capacity of 12 m3 ).
(2) Tunnel support
Primary shotcrete application is done immediately after excavation and mucking. Shotcrete
application is performed with a wet-type spray method using a spray robot, taking into account
worker safety and minimizing emissions of dust. The spray robot is attached to the gantry
jumbo and the concrete is transported to the face under pressure by the moving spray machine.
The mixed spray material is transported by an agitator car to the spray machine. Secondary
spraying is conducted in a similar manner. To prevent the early closure of the cross-section, the
shotcrete is also applied to the invert. After completing the primary shotcrete, wire mesh is
spread using the upper floor of the gantry jumbo and the movable middle stage floor as the
scaffolds. After that, the secondary shotcrete is applied. For driving rock bolts, drill holes are
excavated by a hydraulic two-boom gantry jumbo. After drilling, mortar is poured into the
holes and rock bolts are driven in. The invert concrete emplacement is done after completion of
the excavation work. The work steps are removal of rails, smoothening of the sub-base, form
structuring, concreting, curing and re-laying of rails.
1) Excavation and mucking

Crawler-type boom Mucking car Battery traun

mechanical-excavator

2) Primary shotcrete 5) Secondary and tertiary shotcrete

Spray robot Spray machine Agitator car

3) Installation of
ofthe wire
wire mesh
mesh

Scaffold

4) Rock bolt
Lockbolt

Hydraulic two-boom gantry jumbo

Figure 5 . 1 -5 Construction procedure for main and

connecting tunnels in a soft rock system

3) Ventilation and drainage

For the excavation of horizontal tunnels, ventilation is required to suppress dust from the
spraying work, to ensure dilution of any gases and to provide cooling. Detailed consideration
of the construction plans and layout of the disposal tunnels is necessary prior to design of the
ventilation system. In addition, drainage will be necessary as a countermeasure to inflow of
groundwater and construction water into the tunnel. Therefore, it will be necessary to establish
catchment drain age using the gradient of the drift and a drainpipe. The ventilation system for an
emplacement panel during the construction phase is expected to require construction of 2 shafts,
one for intake and one for the exhaust air (Japan Society of Civil Engineers, 1996 ; Japan
Construction Safety and Health Association, 1992).

5.1.3 Disposal tunnels

5.1.3.1 Methods for excavation and tunnel support

The TBM method is judged to be the safest most efficient and economic method for disposal
tunnel excavation for horizontal emplacement because the standard cross-section is circular. In
addition, this method can be applied to both hard rock and soft rock systems and the extent of the
EDZ can be minimized. The mucking may be carried out either by rail or with a fluid
transportation method. Rail is adopted because the debris does not need not to be crushed and
no large-scale subsurface facilities are required.