Construction Methods for Cross Passage in Soft
Ground Tunnels in China
Xiangdong Hu
Department of Geotechnical Engineering,
Tongji University.
Key Laboratory of Geotechnical and Underground
Engineering of Ministry of Education, Tongji University
Shanghai, P.R. China
anton.geotech@tongji.edu.cn
Abstract—In recent years, lots of soft ground tunnels, including
metro tunnels and road tunnels, have been constructed in many
cities in the east of China. Nearly all tunnels have cross passages
between two tubes. In soft ground area, cross passages could be
built in many kinds of methods, such as, cut-and-cover, mining
methods, and combined method. Mining methods with help of
ground improvement include grouting method, deep-mixing,
high pressure jet grouting and ground freezing method. This
thesis summarizes cross passage construction methods for soft
ground conditions in China, in which the most successful and
popular one, mining method with ground improved by artificial
ground freezing and its risk prevention and safety protection
measures, are introduced in detail.
Keywords-metro; soft ground tunnel; cross passage;
construction method; artificial groud freezing
I. INTRODUCTION
In metro construction in many cities in East China, the
subway interval tunnel distance between two metro stations is
about 1km in general with a cross passage set to connect the
twin tubes of metro tunnel. The cross passage of metro tunnel
is usually laid in the middle of subway interval tunnel buried
under the metro lines. The construction of cross passage and
the drainage sump are always combined, playing important
parts in catchment, drainage and connection of twin tubes[1,2].
The section span of cross passage is 2.0~3.0m commonly,
and the wall height is about 2.5~3.5m. Rectangular, circular
and straight-wall-top-arch are three primary shapes of the
section. The distance of cross passage is usually 6~15m.
Although the work load is less in the cross passage, the risk is
very high. There are many engineering accidents not only in
cross passage, but in the main body of metro tunnel, such as
quicksand and piping which might create very severe damage.
For example, in July 1st, 2003, there was a great quicksand,
pouring into the cross passage of Shanghai metro Line 4. The
metro tunnel was damaged. Land subsidence in the periphery
region, severe incline of 3 buildings, crack and settlement in
flood prevention wall, were all caused by this accident. This
paper fully considers the risk existing in construction of cross
passage. The paper summarizes the applicability of various
construction methods. The most popular method currently,
978-1-4577-0290-7/11/$26.00 ©2011 IEEE
193
Wang Guo
Department of Geotechnical Engineering,
Tongji University.
Key Laboratory of Geotechnical and Underground
Engineering of Ministry of Education, Tongji University.
Shanghai, P.R. China
guowangnk@sina.com
artificial ground freezing method is introduced, and its risk
prevention and safety protection measures are also described in
detail.
II. COSTRUCTION METHODS OF CROSS PASSAGE IN METRO
TUNNEL
The construction of cross passage is the most important
part in the metro construction. If one process encounters
improper operation, the whole construction safety of cross
passage will be impacted, resulting in the risk of the main
body of the tunnel. There are three primary construction
methods in cross passage in soft ground tunnel: cut-and-cover
method, mining methods and the combination of the two
methods.
A. Cut-and-Cover Method
Cut-and-cover method in cross passage has three steps.
Firstly, excavation is in advance, and it is supported to the
designed elevation; Secondly, the prophase works include
lashing reinforcement cage, standing module and concreting,
then the major structure of the cross passage would be formed;
Last, the covering soil is backfilled.
Many advantages are contained in cut-and-cover method.
First is the wide adaptability. This method is suitable for all
classes of soil. Second is lower cost. The cost mainly depends
on the charge of the supporting systems. The third advantage
the influence to the main body of the tunnel is much smaller
when some accidents broken out in the course of the cross
passage construction. Moreover, the requirement of
construction technique is more inferior, and the construction
pace is faster. When the cover depth of cross passage is lighter
and the surrounding area allowed, this method is considerable.
B. Mining Method
The Mining method in cross passage construction can be
divided into three categories by different ground
reinforcement methods (see TABLE I).
 TABLE I. DIFFERENT GROUND REINFORCEMENT METHODS
Physical stabilization method: artificial
ground freezing method
Foundation reinforcement
method Chemical stabilization method:
grouting method;
deep-mixing method;
high pressure jet grouting method
Previous timbering mining pipe shed method;
method flashboard method
Mechanized construction
pipe jacking method
method
The foundation reinforcement method is used to enhance
the strength, impermeability and self-supporting of the weak
and crashing soil by physical chemistry method in order to
excavating through manual work or mechanical process. The
previous timbering method is used to support the soil and
prevent the collapse of soil through flashboard or pipe shed.
Then soil excavation and lining support should be well
proceeded. The mechanized method uses pipe jacking machine
to push and to keep the stabilization of the tunnel surface. The
precast section of direct jacking could be used for permanent
structure. This method has higher mechanization.
C. Combined Method (Combining Cut-and-cover Method
and Mining Method)
Combined method also has three steps. At first, adopting
manual hole digging pile or other supporting methods to
construct one shaft to the designed elevation of cross passage
at the top of the reinforced soil in the middle of main body of
two tunnels. Then, from the shaft to the main body of two
tunnels respectively, using mining method to excavate, thus
the cross passage would be formed. As the structure of cross
passage finished, the sealed steel segment should be opened.
In the end, after the end of the cross passage construction, the
shaft would be backfilled or reformed as a discharging-air or a
drainage passage.
III. APPLICABILITY ANALYSIS OF THE COMMON MINING
METHOD
The different kinds of risk in mining method are undertaken
by the main body of the tunnel and cross passage together.
However, by using cut-and-cover method or the combined
method, the risk is mainly assumed to the main body of the
tunnel. Therefore, in the specific cross passage engineering, the
selection of the proper construction methods should be based
on the engineering geologic condition and the surrounding
environment in order to consolidate the security and economic
interest of the construction.
A. Artificial Ground Freezing Method
This method has been widely used in many engineering
fields such as cross passage, shield launching and accessing
tunnel and other tunnel engineering. The method is suitable
for all kinds of soil, especially for the soft ground with high
water content. At first, horizontal freezing technology is used
to reinforce the soil on the excavation surface. Then, mining
construction is followed.
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This method brings many advantages. Firstly, the frozen
soil cylinder has higher strength. Secondly, the frozen soil
cylinder has good impermeability, and this could be easily
tested by the hydrological hole which is setting in the frozen
soil cylinder. Thirdly, by using this method, the disturbance of
the ground would be smaller, and the land subsidence could be
well controlled. Lastly, the ground area wouldn’t be occupied
by this method. However, some disadvantages also exist, such
as the construction cycle is relatively longer, the cost is higher,
and frost heave and thaw settlement would lead to land
subsidence.
B. Deep-mixing Method, High Pressure Jet Grouting
Method
These two methods are suitable for the soft clay region,
and their craft has been mature because there are many
construction instances in city metro.
If the reinforced soil has a good quality, the cross passage
construction would be much safer and faster. On the contrary,
when the cross passage is in the sandy soil with a greater
depth, the reinforcement quality would be difficult to
guarantee. However, if the reinforced soil has a poor quality,
the tunnel surface will be more likely to collapse in the
excavation process, and the water leakage will be brought on.
Besides, these methods would occupy plenty of ground area,
which may cause noise pollution, mud pollution and land
subsidence.
C. Grouting Reinforcement Mining Method
Grouting method could consolidate the ground and plug off
the growth of the crack in order to shut off the water. Then, the
purpose of ground reinforcement would be achieved. This
method has a good effect on the weak rock and soil stratum
with crack. Meanwhile, it also has a bad effect on the
homogeneous and dense ground. Therefore, the homogeneity
of the reinforcement effect is relatively poor, and the reliable
detection measures for reinforcement quality are lack off. In
sum, grouting method has been used less commonly in the
cross passage construction of the shield tunnel.
D. Pipe Shed Method, Flashboard Method
These two methods are suitable for the weak surrounding
rock, especially for the rigorous land subsidence. They have a
good pre-reinforcement effect on surrounding rock, bringing
with remarkable economy and social benefit. They are also
among the comprehensive subsidiary methods in underground
engineering. Pipe shed method was originally applied in
Beijing metro, and plenty of engineering experience had been
accumulated. Furthermore, this method is used more often in
poor geologic condition of tunnel construction. In cross
passage construction, especially with the drainage sump, this
method is seldom used.
E. Pipe Jacking Method
Pipe jacking method is a streamlined construction method
in underground pipelines. It is a non-excavation method in
paving underground pipelines. This method has a greatest
difference with other soil reinforcement methods. The pipeline
section not only acts as the permanent structure of the cross
passage, but also supports the excavation surface. This is also
the superiority of this method.
This method is suitable for the soil with low water content
and good self-supporting ability, and the cost is not high.
However, when the jacking force is exerting on the segment, it
might affect the stability of the main body of the tunnel and
the segment. If the jacking force is not well controlled, the
displacement of the main body of the tunnel will be occurred.
Therefore, we should stabilize the main body of the tunnel and
install rational fixed device. Because of these reasons, pipe
jacking method has more complicated technology and higher
requirement for the construction workers.
At present, deep-mixing method, high pressure jet grouting
method and artificial ground freezing method are the most
common mining methods in the cross passage construction.
Shanghai metro Line 1 mostly adopted the deep-mixing
method and jet grouting method. Since the application in
Shanghai metro Line 2, the artificial ground freezing method
in cross passage construction has been more and more popular
used, such as in Nanjing metro, Guangzhou metro, the
extension of Line 1 and Line 4 in Shanghai, etc.
In order to balance the water and soil pressure, the pressure
will be supplied by the by-pass vavle of blow-out preventer. At
the same time, the volume of sand removal should be
monitored strictly. When the strata loss is over size,
compensatory grouting must be carried through the freezing
pipes. Furthermore, the junction between blow-out preventer
and tunnel structure should be fastness, so that the paroxysmal
sandblasting would be held back when the blow-out preventer
is departed from the tunnel structure. It is very important to the
freezing pipes under the structure.
B. Protection of Segment
During the excavation of cross passage, a part of the
segment lining of the main tunnel has to be removed,
rendering the ring structure of lining in a disintegrated state,
thus, the considerable stress concentration at the opening,
which may cause excessive deformation or even
destabilization of lining structure. Steel reinforcement is fixed
around the opening as a protection device to prevent lining
from excessive deformation (see Fig. 2).

IV. ARTIFICIAL GROUND FREEZING METHOD

Artificial ground freezing method has personal
particularity such as the necessity of drilling operation,
variability of the property in frozen soil and the behavior in
frozen soil cylinder, the nature of the frost heave and thaw
settlement[3-5]. With these characteristic, many accidents may
happen during the freeze holes drilling, frozen, excavation and
thawing process of frozen soil. In this way, artificial ground
freezing method is a kind of construction method with a high Figure 2. Protection device for segment
risk. Catastrophe will be bred without enough attention.
Concerning with these hidden dangers, some key techniques
adopted are introduced as below[6,7]. C. Protective Door
Many factors may cause the failure of frozen soil cylinder,
A. Drilling of Freeze Holes such as geometric imperfection and physical defect of the
During the process of drilling freeze holes from the main cylinder, error judgment of the characteristics of the frozen
tunnel to the outside, water spewing and sandblasting are soil cylinder In case of uncontrollable water inrush due to the
likely to occur, which may lead to excessive ground loss failure of the frozen soil cylinder, pre-installed protective door
followed with destabilization of lining structure. In order to can block the path of intruding water to the inside. Thus, it
guarantee drilling safety, reliable blow-out preventer should protects the main tunnel and minimizes the loss.
be applied to reduce the risk of water spewing and
sandblasting. Fig. 1 illustrates the structure of a blow-out
preventer.
Ground Segment Flaned casing-stub
Gate valve (spherical)
Freeze-tube

Figure 3. Waterproofing door for tunnel collapse prevention

Bleed valve
In convenience of emergency shut-down, the protective
door adopts the up-down rotating shutting system. In normal
Figure 1. Blow-out preventer state, the protective door is open upward and fixed (see Fig. 2
and Fig. 3).

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D. Thermal Insulation
Ventilation in the main tunnel may take away the coldness
of the frozen soil near segment lining with the existence of
concrete thermo-conductivity and reduce refrigeration effect,
which may lead to a problem that the frozen soil does not
adfreeze to the outer surface of the segment. In order to
achieve a sound adfrozen state between segment and frozen
soil, surface freezing tubes are set lying along the inner side of
the segment to reduce the segment temperature, thus weaken
the influence of heat exchange caused by ventilation. Surface
freezing tubes are located around the opening and appressed
on the inner surface of the segment, covering the area larger
than designed range of the frozen soil curtain. Fig. 4 presents
the general layout of the surface thermal insulation.
Figure 4. General layout of the surface thermal insulation for segment
E. Frost Heave
The hazard of frost heave is mainly consisted in the over
size of the frozen soil volume, taking much longer time of
freezing and bad control measures of frost heave.
There are several measures applying to controlling the
hazard of frost heave. First, the sensibility of the frost heave
should be ascertained by the frost heave test. Second, much
longer time in freezing should be avoided. Third, during the
excavation, the cooling energy consumption should not be
provided too sufficient, and the control measures of the frost
heave should be carried out. For instance, prestressed steel
ring could be set up in the tunnel to limit the segment
deformation caused by the frost heave (see Fig. 5).
Figure 5. Prestressed steel ring for tunnel structure protection
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F. Thaw Settlement
Thaw settlement usually occurs after the completion of the
frozen engineering. This phenomenon may cause the
differential settlement of substructure. As a result, the
substructure will be deformed or destroyed. Besides, the
surface structures, other underground structures and some
pipelines might also be destroyed.
Thaw settlement is also the order of nature. At present, the
main method used to control thaw settlement is grouting.
Owing to the restriction of various conditions in construction,
the grouting tubes are always difficult to dispose to the
optimum position. Therefore, the whole freezing area should
be guaranteed to grout fully as far as possible.
V. CONCLUSION
This thesis analyzes the cross passage construction methods
for soft ground conditions in China. Then, it generalizes the
applicability of different kinds of methods in common use, as
well as the relating advantages and disadvantages. At last, the
paper summarizes plenty of ordinary risk and the relevant
countermeasures in construction of artificial ground freezing
method, some of which have been commonly applied into
actual engineering fields. No matter what methods applied, the
security in projects is premier. Before the final decision, it is
necessary to consider cautiously based on the characteristic of
different construction methods.
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