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TUNNEL LEAK REMEDIATION AT THE TORONTO SUBWAY

L. Narduzzo, P.Eng.*

ABSTRACT:

The spring of 1997 marked the beginning of a professionally engineered, state-of-

the-art remediation grouting program at the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). A
Tunnel Leak Remediation program was developed with the objective of stopping the
water infiltration problems that plagued the Toronto subway tunnels since their
construction.
Water infiltration into the subway tunnels results in service affecting delays as well
as concerns relating to the safe operation of a transportation system serving over a
million riders per day. Problems include: accelerated aging of the rail and rail
fastening systems, deterioration and malfunction of electrical systems and associated
components and deterioration of the structure itself.
A two-hour nightly working window, in which maintenance activities can be
performed, combined with the marginally injectable ground conditions and difficult
tunnel structure made achieving positive results especially challenging.
An engineered solution grouting injection program using acrylamide technically
proved to be the most suitable design for this particular application. The newly hired
in-house work force had never previously worked with acrylamide solution grouts
and therefore had to be trained and coached in all aspects of the grouting procedures.
The acrylamide grouting operation is closely monitored under stringent quality
control parameters and is implemented under what is likely one of the highest levels
of personal protection ever used for an acrylamide grouting application. Acrylamide
was never previously used anywhere on Toronto Transit Commission property, but it
has demonstrated to be an invaluable tool in solving difficult water infiltration
problems in difficult ground conditions under a limited two hour working window.
This paper shares some of the experiences gained to date in this on-going Tunnel
Leak Remediation Program at the Toronto Transit Commission.

*Leak Remediation Engineer, Toronto Transit Commission, 29 Lascelles Boulevard,

Davisville Yard, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4V 2B9

180

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Introduction

The Toronto Transit Commission is one of the largest public transportation systems
in North America. More than 1,000,000 commuters rely on this public transportation
facility every day. The first subway line in Toronto was opened in 1954. It
extended along Yonge Street from Union Station in the south to Eglinton Station in
the north. Since then their have been several extensions linking the city of Toronto
from McCowan Road to Kipling Avenue (East to West respectively) and Union
Station to Downsview and Finch Stations (South to North respectively).

Toronto's Transit system is comprised of approximately 44 kilometers of

underground tunnels and numerous below-grade structures in different geological
zones and hydrological conditions. There are two main arteries, one running north to
south and the other running east to west.

Since their construction the tunnels had not received any major restoration of any
kind. The requirement for a structure maintenance program was in great need due to
the persistent and progressive water infiltration that was causing extensive concrete
and steel deterioration.

Water infiltration has been a problem with the TTC since the time of construction.
The water accelerates the life cycle of many operational components and systems
affecting the safe operation of the system. Rail plates and anchors need replacement,
electrical signal components require significant up-keep and replacement, drains
become plugged etc .... Up to the start of the remediation grouting program only
emergency repairs had been performed on an as required basis. Given that water
infiltration into the tunnels was the leading contributor to a large range of problems
with electrical and mechanical systems and components including the structure itself,
tunnel leak remediation was deemed a primary objective and focus of the
Commission.

The implementation of a regular maintenance program, by skilled and knowledgeable

professionals in their respective areas of expertise was launched early in 1997 with
the formation of a tunnel leak remediation crew. An "in-house" design-build
approach was selected due to the large and complex scope of work needed to restore
the integrity of the structures since localized remediation to control water leakage
(the emergency repairs) had yielded minimal success and could not keep pace with
the increasing severity of the problem. The tunnel leak remediation program was
built around a solid foundation of expertise in the specialty field of grouting,
restoration and rehabilitation.

This paper gives a general overview of some of the key aspects of the tunnel leak
remediation program using acrylamide solution grouts. It shares some of the
experiences gained from this fast pace, successful state-of-the-art tunnel leak
remediation grouting program.

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Tunnel Leak Program Background

In April 1996 the consulting firm Klohn-Crippen Consultants Ltd. completed a

detailed investigation and report by analyzing the current leakage conditions within
the existing subway tunnels. The findings of the study clearly indicated that it is
imperative that the Commission immediately allocate sufficient funding to
implement a comprehensive maintenance and repair program, to minimize the
detrimental effects of leakage and ensure safe operation of the subway and rapid
transit system. So was born the tunnel leak remediation program. On average,
approximately 30 percent of the underground tunnel structures require some form of
remediation.

The start-up of the present in-house specialty leak remediation crew was done from
"ground zero". Prior to the spring of 1997 the TTC had no professional grouting
equipment, no material and very limited in-house expertise in the field of grouting
restoration and rehabilitation. The TTC went to the outside to hire the required
expertise to head up and deliver the desired end results it was looking for.

The tunnel leak remediation crew is currently managed under the structure
maintenance section of the Track & Structure Department. The condition surveys,
investigations, design of leak repairs, product selection, grouting methodology,
quality control, reporting, scheduling and analysis of results are the responsibility of
the grouting engineer. The Tunnel Leak Remediation Crew is made up often
employees: a foreperson, a lead hand, two structure mechanics, two special vehicle
operators and four structure repair persons. In 1999, the program was expanded to
include station leak repairs which will not be discussed in this paper.

Description of Tunnel Construction

There are three different types of tunnel construction in the Toronto Transit
Commission:

9 concrete box structure

9 precast concrete circular lined tunnel
9 cast iron circular lined tunnel

In locations of the subway system that allowed it, the cut and cover tunneling system
was used whereby a concrete box tunnel construction was utilized. Approximately
80% of the subway tunnel was constructed by the cut and cover method. At some
locations there is as little as 1.5 metres of fill covering the subway box tunnel.
In several locations throughout the city, the subway extended to greater depths
below ground requiring the bored tunnel construction system using both a cast iron
segmental liner and a precast concrete segmental liner. The bored subway tunnels
are as deep as 25 metres.

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Concrete Box Structure

The standard concrete box structure portion of tunnel comprises a rectangular

concrete box of vertical walls, roof and floor slabs, with a central wall dividing the
tracks which run in opposite directions. The structure is monolithic with keyed
construction joints near the floor/wall joints and wall/roof joints.

The box structure sections are typically 12.2 metres long and each unit is separated
by an expansion joint running transversely to the track direction. Lateral movement
between adjacent units is restrained by means of a shear key. The wall/roof
intersection is hunched. The clearance inside each running tunnel formed by the
interior box section for passage of the trains is 4 metres high from the top of the rail
to the underside of the roof and 4.2 metres between inside faces of walls.

Cast Iron Liner

Cast iron liners were used to line the inside of the bored tunnel. The tunnel was
excavated behind a shield and the liner was erected immediately behind the shield
and the 40 millimeter annulus between the ground and liner was grouted with neat
cement.

The cast iron liners were the type of liners used in the first bored tunnels in the
Transit system and were used in conjunction with the precast concrete liners on later
sections of the bored tunnels where the more economic precast concrete liners could
not be used.

The tunnel formed by the cast iron liner is 4.9 feet in diameter. The liner is made up
of 8 segments around the circumference plus a key section at the crown. Each ring is
2 feet wide. The thickness of the liner is 22 millimetres (7/8 inch) with flanges 35
millimetre (1-3/8 inch) wide. The overall thickness of the liner is 150 millimetres.
This thickness coincides with the thickness ofprecast concrete liner. Each segment
is bolted to the adjacent segment with 3 - 25 millimetre diameter bolts per 610
millimeter (2-foot) ring, and 4 - 25 millimeter diameter bolts per segment. The
outside faces of all flanges were machined so that the segments were in contact over
the full contact width of the flanges.

A caulking groove was machined on the inside of each flange forming a groove 8
millimetres wide and 25 millimetres deep when the segments are erected. This
groove was caulked with an asbestos-cement ribbon, which was moistened and
rammed into the caulking groove. In some places, lead caulking was used instead of
asbestos cement ribbon. Plastic grommets were placed behind the head and nut of
each bolt to seal the bolt holes. Grouting the annulus between the outside of the cast
iron liner and the ground was achieved by pumping grout through grout holes in each
segment and closing these holes with plugs.

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Precast Concrete Liner

The precast concrete liners were used to line the inside of the bored tunnels in a
similar manner to that of the cast iron liner. These liners were usually used in
conditions where the groundwater table was below the tunnel axis. The use of
precast concrete liner was preferred over the cast iron liner as it was cheaper overall.
The cast iron liner was only used in areas of the tunnel where groundwater table
conditions prevented the use of the precast concrete liner.

The tunnel formed by the precast concrete liner is all 4.9 metres in diameter except at
stations and the new Sheppard Subway line that is currently under construction. The
liner is made up of 8 segments plus a key section at the crown. Each ring is the same
size and thickness as the cast iron liner, namely 610 millimetres (2 feet) and 150
millimetres (6 inches) respectively. Each segment is bolted to the adjacent section
using two 23 millimetre diameter bolts in the circumferential direction. The radial
joints between the segments was cast slightly convex, with a radius of 1.5 metres, to
allow rotation within the joint. In some cases 8 millimetre plywood packing was
inserted between the precast cocrete liner rings to align the tunnel and to avoid stress
concentrations during shield jacking. The precast concrete liner was made using 45
MPa concrete in a factory environment. Each unit was moist cured for 7 days. The
liner was erected in the tail of the shield in a similar manner as the cast iron liners
and grouted in a similar fashion.

Nature of Seepage Problems and Subsurface Conditions

The mechanism for water infiltration into the tunnels is predominantly via the
expansion and construction joint systems and in the case of the bored tunnels the
infiltration is primarily along the radial and longitudinal joints but has also been
observed coming in via the bolt holes and also through cracks. The ground water
table is typically above the tunnel roof and is the source for all the water infiltration
problems. The water sits in behind the tunnel walls and/or liners and migrates along
the backside of the tunnel lining/walls until it finds an entry point via an expansion
joint, construction joint, crack or segmental tunnel joint. The zone immediately in
behind the concrete box tunnel walls or segmental tunnel liners that was disturbed
during the tunnel construction is a zone of high hydraulic conductivity. For the most
part, our hydraulic conductivity tests reveal an "infinite" permeability (infinite
meaning our equipment cannot supply water fast enough to register an effective
pressure after taking into account the headlosses in the system). The hydraulic
conductivity tests are continually performed using the acrylamide solution grout as
the testing fluid.

The geotechnical data is fairly consistent throughout all areas that the subway passes.
The soils vary from fairly silty clay till to dense till. In general, the soils are un-
injectable to at best marginally injectable by solution grouts. However, it is the

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preferential hydraulic pathway immediately adjacent to the back of the structure that
is the zone that is the focus of our grouting efforts.

GROUTING PROGRAM

Working Window
All tunnel leak remediation work is performed at night when the subway is not in
service. On average the actual maintenance window from which work can be
performed is approximately two hours per night. A six hour working window is
available on Sunday mornings. Due to the short working window, it was necessary
to develop and implement a strategic and innovative design solution to execute the
leakage repairs in a swift, effective and efficient manner. Given the vast amount of
other maintenance activities that are also performed at night the availability of work
zones in the same area night after night is not always possible.

Grouting Work Car

The majority of the grouting operations are performed from a twenty four metre long
work car that was custom built specifically for this program. The work car was
designed to be self sufficient for power, storage space and enough water for the entire
shift. The work car has two working platforms strategically separated to allow work
to be performed on two expansion joints simultaneously. The work car is electrically
powered with an electrically powered 350-CFM compressor. The cost of the work
car alone was one million dollars. The work car is loaded with grout material at the
start of every shift.

A second work car was made available for the tunnel leak remediation program on a
permanent basis starting in mid 1999. The addition of the second work car increased
the production and efficiency of the overall operation. The second work car became
the "drilling" car, preparing areas for grouting allowing grouting to be carried on
seven nights a week by the grouting work car.

Grouting Methodology
The grouting repair techniques that has been successfully used to stop the water
infiltration into the tunnels has been the "back-wall" or exterior soil grouting
approach using acrylamide based solution grouts. AVANTI's AV100 and AV118
have been used. The manner in which these leak repairs are carried out is slightly
different in the circular bored tunnel sections compared to the concrete box tunnel
sections.

In the concrete box tunnel sections the grouting is targeted in the soils immediately
behind the expansion joint. In essence a mini grout curtain or grout bulb is created
immediately behind the expansion joint preventing water from entering the joint via
the back of the structure. Grouting ("back-wall grouting") is carried out via

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mechanical injection packers installed at a 1 to 1.5 metre spacing along the expansion
joint. The holes are drilled by means of rotary air percussion techniques using stoper
and jack-leg drills. Drill holes are 35 millimetres in diameter. A ball valve in
conjunction with a cam-lock connection system is then attached to the mechanical
injection packers so that a grout hose can be hooked-up when grouting is to take
place. Multiple hole grouting with up to six holes at a time is performed.

The grouting operations are slightly different for the circular bored tunnels. Given
the nature of these circular tunnels (i.e. 610 millimetre wide segment rings bolted
together) a larger scope external soil grouting operation is performed. Naturally,
there are many more potential infiltration points in the circular tunnels compared to
the concrete box tunnels. Again, through extensive hydraulic conductivity testing it
was determined that a preferential hydraulic pathway exists immediately behind the
liner. This is likely the result ofungrouted or unsuccessfully grouted tunnel annulus
during the original tunneling.

For the precast concrete segmental liner, 23 millimetre diameter grout holes, are
drilled at a 1 to 2 metre staggered spacing. Mechanical injection packers with a ball
valve and cam-lock connection system are then installed in the drill holes. The drill
holes are drilled using rotary electric percussive drilling techniques. Multiple hole
acrylamide grout injection is then performed working from the bottom upwards to
the crown.

In the case of the cast iron segmental tunnel liner, the original existing grout plug
holes are used as grout access points. The new grout hole spacing is dependent on
the locations of the old existing grout plugs. Apart from this fact, grouting
procedures are the same as for the precast concrete segmental lined tunnel. External
soil grouting is performed starting from the bottom upwards to the crown. Good
hydraulic interconnection has always been observed during all grouting operations
ideally creating overlapping grout cylinders.

The set times used in the acrylamide (AV100 and AV118) grouting is for the most
part between 30 seconds to 3 minutes. However, set times of less than 30 seconds
are sometimes required due to excessive leakage encountered during the grouting
operations.

In all cases, the effective grout injection pressures are kept to a maximum of 15 psi
above the hydrostatic pressure at that location. Due to time constraints, grout
volumes have been pre-determined and fixed volumes of grout are placed at each
location. In the box tunnel the typical volume of grout that is placed is 800 litres of
acrylamide based solution grout per location. By experience, the installation of this
quantity of AV118 acrylamide grout optimizes the success in sealing problem
leakage locations. On an average night a total of four box tunnel locations are
completed. For the bored tunnels, an average of 250 litres of acrylamide based
solution grout are injected per linear metre of tunnel, completing and average of 4.5
lineal metres &bored tunnel per grouting shift.

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Grout Selection

The requirement for a technically suitable, durable, proven grout material that is
applicable in the type of repairs to be executed lead to the use of an acrylamide based
solution grout. Much of the success that has been achieved can be attributed to the
use of the acrylamide based solution grout. At the start of the program, AVANTI
INTERNATIONAL's AV100 was used. In April of this year the switch was made
to AV118. One of the reasons made for switching to the AV118 was regarding the
high air quality test result readings that were obtained. The air quality sampling
results were higher than the Ontario allowable Time Weighted Average Exposure
Value level of 0.03 mg/cubic meter for acrylamide. For this reason the alternative
AV118 was selected due to the lower acrylamide content. Since the switch was
made air quality sampling results were quite satisfactory to the extent that respiratory
protection could be eliminated if there would be no concern for mists or sprays
during the grouting operation.

As it turns out, the switch proved to be much more advantageous to the overall
program. Another important reason for switching over to the AV118 was the
elimination for the need for a concentrate batching plant. AV118 already comes in a
40% concentrate solution. This proved to be a favourable move since it eliminated
the concentrate batching step in the grouting procedures. With higher volumes of
acrylamide being used on a nightly basis, the elimination of the batching process
stream-lined the overall grouting procedure. Naturally, because the AV118 already
comes in a 40% concentrate solution less handling is required. This simplification in
the preparation stage made for a safer more efficient grouting operation overall.

Grout Formulations
The acrylamide is injected at a 10% to 20% final injection concentration depending
on the in-situ conditions at the time of grouting. In areas where there is a high water
presence (evident by flowing water from the grout packers) a final injection
concentration of 20% AV118 is selected. Locations that are dry at time of injection
(due to time of season) are injected with a final injection concentration of 10% to
12.8% AV118.

All batches are prepared at the start of the shift prior to heading out to the work zone.
Quality control ofeaeh batch is checked for set time. Batch sizes are typically 1,600
litres at final injection concentration.

Safety Program

One important feature of the Toronto Transit Commission's tunnel leak remediation
program is its stringent safety program. The T.T.C. has it's own Occupational
Hygiene Department that independently monitors the safety aspects of the work. The
Occupational Hygiene Department makes it's own assessment in personal protective
equipment requirements for the job and then recommends the specific personal
protective equipment for the job at hand.

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A unique system of personal protective equipment was specially developed for the
specific needs of the tunnel leak program. The Occupational Hygiene Department
was responsible in selecting the personal protective equipment to meet the safety
needs of the crew. One of the greatest safety concerns was having adequate
protection while performing grout injection work overhead. The ultimate system of
personal protective equipment selected consisted of the following:
9 Powered air-purifying respirator with organic vapour cartridges
9 Snap cap protective hood and visors
9 Rain gear with tapered sleeves
9 Rubber gloves with sealing attachment to rain coat
9 Rubber boots
To avoid even the slightest concerns for acrylamide contamination the safety
protocol has been established to replace all the above listed safety gear on a weekly
basis with the exception of the rubber boots.

Airborne Acrylamide Sampling

Occupational Hygiene's Department conducted sampling for airborne acrylamide
during several tunnel leak remediation grouting operations. AVANTI
INTERNATIONAL's AV118 grouting gel was used with final injection
concentration of 12.8%. The sampling and analysis was conducted generally in
accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration "OSHA"
Method #21 for Measuring Airborne Acrylamide Concentrations. Gilian Model HFS
113A and Gil-Air 5 sampling pumps were calibrated to a flow rate of approximately
one litre per minute. The flow rate was verified after sampling. Personal samples
were collected by having employees wear a pump and sample train during grouting
operations. Airborne acrylamide vapour and droplets were collected on open-faced
glass fibre filters of 13-millimetre diameter followed by a standard silica gel tube.
The filters and silica gel tubes were sent to an independent testing laboratory for
analysis. The laboratory analysis differed slightly from the OSHA Method #21 in
that it used a High Pressure Liquid Chromatograph for analysis.

The sampling results indicated that the airborne concentrations for all personal
samples taken within the protective hoods were below the allowable time weighted
average exposure values (TWAEV) of 0.03 milligrams per cubic metre as set in
Ontario. The Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA) TWAEV is 0.3
milligrams per cubic metre; (ten times less stringent then that set in Ontario).
Airborne concentrations outside the hood were at or 4 times above the allowable
exposure without wearing respiratory protection. Airborne concentrations inside the
cab of the work car were below the TWAEV. The average airborne concentrations
of acrylamide vapour ranged from 0.138 to 0.62 milligrams per cubic metre outside
the Snapcap Hoods and from 0.009 to 0.0288 milligrams per cubic metre inside the
Snapcap Hoods.

Based on the actual sample duration and considering zero exposure for the remainder
of shift, the Time Weighted Average Exposure Value Concentrations ranged from

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0.025 to 0.118 mg/m3 outside the hoods to 0.0055 to 0.0016 mg/m3 inside the hoods.
The TWAEV inside the cab of the workcar was 0.0076 rag/m3.

Experiences and Results

Since the start of the program many milestones have been achieved and many hurdles
have been overcome. Over 500,000 litres ofacrylamide (AVANTI
INTERNATIONAL's AV 100 and AV 118) solution grout has been successfully
injected throughout the tunnel structures to stop the water infiltration problems. In
consideration of the difficult working conditions and the short nightly work window
available, the success has been exceptional. The whole grouting operation has
become extremely efficient over time, enabling the completion of approximately 4
locations per shift. Presently, the program has two work cars: a drilling car and a
grouting car and as a result, a steady level of production could be maintained.

The greatest disappointment that has been experienced in the program so far is with
the acrylamide injection equipment. The acrylamide grout pumps in use have had
many problems with internal components breaking down for no apparent reason.
Early in February of 2000, two air-driven, two component pumps equipped with
extrusion pumps have been purchased for the program. These larger pumps have
performed well with no breakdowns to date.

Conclusions

The main reason for the success behind TTC's tunnel leak remediation program is
the professional manner in which the program was developed. The right decision
was made by assembling a team of knowledgeable professionals in their area of
expertise along with an experienced crew in general grouting procedures.

The results attained to date with the acrylamide (AV100 and AV118) grouting have
been very successful and the program is expected to expand in the years to come to
include a second grouting work car and a larger crew.

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