IRc:sP-91-2010
GUIDELINES
FOR
ROAD TUNNELS
Published by
INDIAN ROADS CONGRESS.
Kama Koti Marg,
Sector 6, R.K. Puram,
New Delhi - 110022
NOVEMBER - 2010
Price Rs. 400/-
(Packing & postage charges extra)IRe:sP-91-2010
First Published November, 2010
(All Rights Reserved. No part ofthis publication shall be reproduced, translated or
‘transmitted in any form or by any means without the pemisson ofthe
Indian Roads Congress)
Printed at: 1G Printers & Publishers Pvt Ltd,, New Delhi
(600 Copies)IRCSP:81-2010
CONTENTS
Page No.
Personnel of Highways Specifications & Standards Committee i
Section
41, Introduction 1
2. Planning of Road Tunnels 7
3. Geo-Technical Investigations 19
4. Structural Design ar
5. Tunnel Construction Methodology 40
6. Safety During Construction of Tunnels Co
7. Ventiation and Lighting 79
8. Operation and Maintenance 88
‘Annex-A Terminology 98
Annex-B Environment Management Plan for Road Tunnels 102
Anex-C Gore Log- 4
‘Annex-D Tunnel Instrumentation 2
‘Appendix Classification & Characteristics of Rock 16
‘Appendix-Il Data Sheet of Geomechanical Classifcation of Rock 119
‘Masses and Assasment of Rack Mass Rating (RMR)
‘After Bieniawski 1989)
Appendix ll Data Sheet of Geomechanical Classiication of Rock 124
Masses for Assesment of Tunnelling Quality Index
(After Barton ET AL 1974)
‘Appendix IV. Example for Determination of RMR & Q Values & 124
‘Support Requirements,
‘Appendix-V Supports in The Tunnel 126
Codes of Practice/Acts/Rules for Tunnelling Work 127SUGGS SEs SCO,10
1",
2
13.
14
4.
6
1”,
18.
19.
2.
a
IRC-SP:81-2010
PERSONNEL OF THE HIGHWAYS SPECIFICATIONS AND
‘STANDARDS COMMITTEE
(As on 1 May, 2010)
Sinha, AV. Director General (RO) & Spl Secretary, Ministry of
(Convenor) Road Transport & Highways, New Delhi
Pur, SK. ‘Addl. Director General, Ministry of Road
(Co-Convenor) “Transport & Highways, New Delhi
Kandasamy,C. Chief Engineer (R) S&R, Ministry of Road
(Member-Secretary) Transport & Highways, New Delhi
Members
Datta, PK. Executive Director, Consulting Engg. Services ()
Put Lid, New Debi
Gupta, KK. Chief Engineer (Retd), Haryana PWD
Sinha, S. ‘Addl. Chie Transportation Engineer, CIDCO,
"Navi Mumbai
Kadiyall, Dr. LR. Chief Executive, LR Kadlyall & Associates, New Delhi
Katare, PK, Director (Projets), National Rural Roads
Development Agency, (Ministry of Rural Development),
New Det
Jain, Dr SS. Professor & Coordinator, Centre of Transportation
Engg, IIT Roorkee, Roorkee
Roddy, K Siva Engineer in-Chiet (R&B) Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad
Basu, SB. Chief Engineer (Reta), Minstry of Road Traneport &
Highways, New Deli
Bordolo, AC. Cif Engineer (NH) Assarr, Guwahati
Rathore, SS. Principal Secretary tothe Govt. of Gujarat, R&B Deptt
‘Gandhinagar
Pradhan, 8.0. Chief Engineer (NH), Govt of Orissa, Bhubaneshwar
Prasad, D.N. Chief Engineer (NH), RCD, Patna
Kumar, Ashok Chief Engineer, Ministry of Road Transport &
Highways, New Deli
Kumar, Kamlesh Chief Engineer, Ministry of Road Transport &
Highways, New Debi
krishna, Prabhat Chief Engines, (Retd,), Ministry of Road Transport &
Highways, New Delhi
Patankar, Vi. Member (Tech), National Highways Authority of Inia
Now Debi
‘Kumar, Mahesh Engineer-in-Chiet, Haryane PWD
Bongirwar, Pl.
‘Advisor L&T, MumbalIRe-sP-ot-2010
22
23,
24,
2,
6
27
28,
29,
30.
31
BEES
36,
a7.
38,
39,
40.
Sinha, AK.
Sharma. 8.
‘Sharma Dr. VM.
Gupta, DP.
Momin, 8S.
Reddy, Or TS.
Shokla, RS.
Nashkar, 8.8.
Raj, Dr. GS.
‘Alam, Parwez
Gangopadhyay, Dr.
Singh, Nirmal Jt
Sinha, VK.
Jain, NS.
Chief Engineer (Pig)
Representative
President, IRC
Chief Engineer, (NH), UP, PW, Lucknow
Director Gonoral (RD) & AS (Reld.), MoRTH,
Now Delhi
Consultant, AIMIL, New Dethi
Director Genera (RD) & AS (Ret), MORT&H,
New Delhi
Former Member, Maharashtra Public Service
‘Commission, Mumbai
Ex-Sciontist, Central Road Research Insitute,
New Delhi
Ex: Scientist, Central Road Research Institute,
New Delhi
Chief Engineer (Retd.) Haryana PWD, Sonepat
Director (Tech), National Rural Roads Development
‘Agency (Ministry of Rural Development), New Delhi
Member (Tech), National Highways Authority of India
New Dethi
Chief Enginoor (NH), PW (R), Kolkata
Chief Engineer (R&B), Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad
Vice-President, Hindustan Consin Co. Lid,
Director, Central Road Research Institute, Now Delhi
Director General (RD) & SS (Ret), MORTAH,
New Deli
Director General (RD) & SS (Red), MORTAH,
New Delhi
Chief Engineer (Ret), MoRTAH, New Deli
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, New Delhi
Director General Border Roads, New Debi
EX-Offcio Members
(Liansanga), Engineorin-Chof and Sooretary, PWD
Mizoram, Aizawl
Director (General) RD & (Sinha, AV) Ministry of Road Transport & Highways,
‘pl. Secretary
Secretary General
Justo, Dr. CEG,
Kater, MD.
Agarwal, MK.
Borge, VB.
New Deli
{Indoria, R.P.) Indian Roads Congress, New Delhi
Corresponding Members
Emeritus Fell, Bangalore University, Bangalore
‘Consutent, Runwal Centre, Mumbai
Enginoeri-Chief (Retd.), Haryana PWD
‘Secretary (Roads) (Ret), Maharashtra PWD, MumbaiIRc-SP91-2010
1 INTRODUCTION
‘The Road Tunnels Committee (H-7) of the IRC was constituted in August 2006. The
Personnel ofthe H-7 Committee are as under:
Momin, 8.8. ‘Convenor
Vidwans, RM. Co-Convenor
Mahale, J.G. Member-Sexretary
Members
Bhandari, RC. Patel, Saurin
‘Chopade, RM. Ragavan, N.
Dutt, Sunil Rajvanshi, U.S.
Iyer, J. Chandrashekar ‘Singh, Mangu
Jethwa, Dr. JL. Saini, MLS.
Kulkami, SR. Rep. DGBR
Kumar, Vinod Rep. E-n-C PWD, Uttarakhand
Maji, Or. Vidya Bhushan Rep. E-in-C PWD, HP
Nandargkar, S.R. (Bhuvan Starma)
Navalkar, C.B. Rep. Secy. ?WD, Tamil Nadu
Pandit, Ashish
Exofficio Members
President, IRC (Uiansange}
DG (RD) & SS, MORTH (Sinha, AV)
Secretary General, IRC (Indoria, RP.)
This is the first time that such guidelines are being prepared for Road Tunnels in
the country by the IRC. Therefore, the Committee in its frst meeting held on 18th
ct, 2006 discussed the scope as suggested by IRC ard decided upon various
topics to be taken up by the members. The Committee had several meetings and
prepared a draft for consideration of Highway Specification and Standards (HSS)
Committee. The draft was placed before the Highway Specification and Standards
(HSS) Committee on ‘st May, 2010, wherein some comments were offered for
incorporation.IROSP.91.2010
The revised draftincorporating the comments ofthe Highway Speciation and Standards
(HSS)Committee was presented before the Counclinis 191st meeting held on 22nd May,
2010 at Munnar (Kerala). The document ater discussion was approved by the Council for
printing as @ publication of IRC. The valuable contributions of the members ofthe Road
“Tunnels Commitee (H-7) and suggestions of members of Highway Specification and
Standards (HSS) Committee and Council members are hereby acknowledged.
44 Tunnels are introduoedinto the road system in mountainous terain to negotiate
‘mouniain ranges and reduce the road length. The tunnels may also be introduced to avoid
passage through snow bound areas or pass below sea, creeks and rivers or even to
‘ross thickly popuiated urban areas etc. A road tunnel may also be considered in open
‘country on environmental grounds to protect areas of ecological interest. The fundamental
objective of road tunnels to ensure safe transit ofthe road trafic in ifcult train
1.2 The decision to intoduce a tunnel in a road system largely depends upon
the cost benefit rato, traffic volume, category of road etc. Cost of Tunneling is much
‘more than that of open excavation. The tunnel costs mainly dependent on topography,
‘geology and access. For expressways and high density corrcors passing through
‘mountain ranges the option of tunnel is generally more economical considering ife-
cycle cost and overall saving forthe trafic using the shorter route.
43 The planning, design and constuction of @ road tunel is a complex inter-