HANOI PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE

HANOI METROPOLITAN RAIL TRANSPORT PROJECT BOARD

(HRB)

Some problems on underground works

for Hanoi metro projects

LUU Xuan Hung, Ph.D

PHAM Quoc Thai, Ph.D

Hanoi, 29 February 2008

 Content
Part I. Introduction to the Hanoi Metro Projects.

Part II. Some problems on underground

construction for Hanoi metro projects.

Part III. Some solutions proposed for

application.
 Part I. Introduction to the Hanoi
Metro Projects.
• General planning of Hanoi capital until the year
2020
• Line 1: Nhon-Hanoi railway station (Phase 1)

• Line 2 :Tu Liem/Nam Thang Long-Thuong Dinh

(Phase 1)

• Construction method
 General planning of Hanoi capital until the year 2020
(Decision No. 108/1998/QD-TTg dated 20/06/1998)
Ministry of Transport proposed
to build 8 urban rail transport
lines, forming the main axes of
the public transport network in
Hanoi:

-Yen Vien - Ngoc Hoi (25 km)

-Ha Noi - Ha Dong (15 km)
-Bac Co - Hanoi Station - Voi
Phuc - Nhon (16 km)
-Hanoi - Noi Bai Airport (25 km)
-Daewoo - Trung Kinh - Hoa Lac
(32 km)
-Giap Bat - Southern Thang
Long (19 km)
-Buoi - Dong Anh - Soc Son (24
km)
-Co Bi - Gia Lam - Kim No (26
km)
 Line 1: Nhon-Hanoi railway station

Option V1A

Viaduct
U/G

Nhon Depot
Hanoi station
0
Crossing VĐ3 VĐ2 12,5 km
National
Railway Intersection Intersection

L=12.5 km, mainly integrated at segregation. Total 15 stations

– U/G section 2.9 km, 4 stations
– Elevated section 9.6 km, 11 stations
 Line 2 :Tu Liem/Nam Thang Long-Thuong Dinh

Tu Liem/Nam Thang Long

-Thuong Dinh Line length:
17.2km Underground section: 14
km.
Underground section goes under
ancient quarter and city center.
 Construction method
3000 8000 2000 3000 W

For the underground section, the station could be excavated by cut

and cover method, and TBM could be used to excavate a tunnel
between stations.
 Part II
Some problems on underground
construction for Hanoi metro projects
- Various existing structures in the vicinity, on ground surface
- Unknown obstacles in the ground and public utilities relocation
- Flooding and land subsidence
- Difficult geological condition (heterogeneity)
- Planning for the use of underground space
- Constraints of alignment
- Tunnel depth (for twin or single tunnel)
- Construction site and access difficulties
- Traffic congestion by cut and cover method
 Hanoi
Railway
Various existing
station structures in the vicinity,
on ground surface
Sensitivity of structures (building in ancient
quarter, railroad, Hanoi station...) to ground
Line 1
settlements

Railway

Line 2

Ancient Line 2
quarter
 Unknown obstacles in the ground and public
utilities relocation

• Existing state of public

utilities has not been
investigated and listed.

• Presence of frequently
unknown obstacles and the
public utilities relocation
causes specific difficulties
for urban tunnelling (space
for relocation in some
stations)
Flooding and Subsidence

- Usually flooding due to rains at

certain areas in the city, primarily
as a result of poor and insufficient
drainage system.
- Land subsidence is a growing
issue, as excessive ground water
extraction continues as alternative
water supply sources have not
been developed yet.

Flooding and
Subsidence Areas
Along UMRT Line 2
Corridor
 Difficult geological condition
(heterogeneity)
• From ground to about 10m depth, the geological condition
changing with weak geological formations (clayey mud, clay
with sandy clay- plastic solid to semi solid, clayey sand,
clayey silt, sandy clay-plastic solid to semi solid), and lenses.
The underground stations will be built through these layers.

• In the deep layers, there are aquifers (fine sand, medium

sand and alluvial clayey silty sand), the steady water source
supplied by Red river. It is difficult to dewater and drain by
pumping system. The underground section is mainly located
in these layers.
 Planning for the use of underground space
• There are not plan for underground space use in Hanoi.
• Underground station and the tunnel depth design have some
difficulty, example the interconnection between Line 1
(extension) and Line 2 in Hang Bai-Tran Hung Dao crossroads.

High building (with

underground floors) Line 1

Line 1 (Extension)
Line 2
Commercial center in
the stations Line 2
 Constraints of alignment

Ministry of
Health
building

• Selection of both horizontal and vertical alignment generally

meets with constraints. (curve at Kim Ma-Nui Truc, Giang Vo-
Cat Linh, Kim Ma-Nui Truc, Phan Dinh Phung-Hang Giay…)
• Land acquisition costs would be very high and the foundations
of the existing buildings would create complications during
construction.
 Tunnel depth (for twin, single tunnel)
-For Line 1, we can use twin or single
tunnel.
-The Line 2, vertical twin tunnel is
suitable for ancient quarter section
and horizontal twin tunnel for the
Hoang Hoa Tham street section.
-Considering the Overall cost, safety of
construction, schedule of construction,
station dimensions, geological condition..
Traffic congestion by cut and cover method

3000 8000 2000 3000 W

The streets are narrow and the traffic land is reduced

It causes the traffic congestion
 Construction site and access difficulties

Launching Shaft for TBM

Lieu Giai
Road
Ngoc Khanh Car Parking,
Opposite to Daewoo Hotel

Kim Ma Road

Selecting places of attack (launching shaft, access to TBM),

place for mud and lining segments stock and the point of
going underground
 Point of Going underground

Lieu Giai
Road

Daewoo Hotel
Thu Le Zoo/Park

Kim Ma
Str.

Point of Going
U/G
 Part III. Some solutions proposed for application
Design step
• Detailed geotechnical investigation
• Detailed investigation of public utilities and relocation
method design
• Impacts on underground water level and land subsidence
• Solutions to minimize damages to the adjacent existing
buildings
• Detailed study and analysis of risk management
• Study of integrated underground space plan
Construction step
• TBM method : Slurry TBM, EPB TBM, or Mix shield TBM
• Good tunnelling practice, Monitoring during the construction
• Ground treatment measures
• Traffic management solutions
 Investigation and design
• Detailed geotechnical investigation: Laboratory tests (physical
parameters, groundwater chemistry, direct shear box tests,
oedometer, consolidation tests, triaxial tests CU+U…) and site
investigation (SPT, permeability tests Lefranc or Lugeon, pumping
tests, piezometers for reconstruction of the hydrogeological
regime..), distance between the boreholes could be 100 m.

• Detailed investigation of public utilities and relocation method

design.
- Drawings (at least scale 1/500) showing the existing main Public
Utilities (P.U.) must be prepared for the Metro Line corridor. The
location, the type, the depth or height, the dimension of those
utilities will be given.
- Main utilities along and across the alignment such as the gas lines,
high voltage electric cables, water supply, water drains, canals,
sewerage, telephone and optic fiber lines must be suitably
relocated for each station site (space for relocation around station).

• Study of integrated underground space plan for effective

underground space use for every field.
 Risk management
• Land subsidence must be analyzed by considering the
weak local geological structure, existing groundwater
exploitation, loss of groundwater during the construction
phase
• Solutions to minimize damages to the adjacent existing
buildings due to tunneling-induced ground settlements
include: Settlement prediction; Monitoring; Protective
works; Defects surveys; and Repairs
• Risk management procedures should be provided for to
cover all the possible risks and to prepare measures to
deal with that risks including corresponding cost estimate
 The TBM method
(Slurry TBM, EPB TBM, or Mix shield TBM)
• TBM method could permit of safe and economic tunnelling in
soft ground under urban conditions
• For the Line 1, in loose or medium dense sand, a Slurry TBM
has more advantages
• Mix Shield TBM is the most suitable for excavating the Line
2 bored tunnels
 Tunnelling practice and Monitoring
• Good tunnelling practice (including continuous working,
erecting linings immediately after excavation and providing
tight control of the tunnelling process to reduce the magnitude
of settlement);
• At-source measures (including all actions taken from within
the tunnel during its construction to reduce the magnitude of
ground movements generated at source, such as face
stability, backfill grouting at shield tail, etc.)
• Monitoring: Settlement, displacement of hole during
excavation, convergence of tunnel, deformation of lining,
ground stress and ground displacement around lining...
• Structural measures (to reduce the impact of ground
movements by increasing the capacity of a building or
structure, typically including underpinning or jacking/shoring).
• Traffic management solutions
 Ground treatment measures
• Anchors, grouting (jet grouting, compensation grouting,
compaction grouting…), and also some solutions of
presupport and preconfinement (advance grouting, grouted
body, face reinforcement, pipes umbrella over the roof…);
cut off walls, dewatering and drainage…
With some problems and the solutions
presented above, the tight cooperation
between the stakeholders (project owner,
consultants, contractors and relevant
units) is important to carry out safe and
economic tunnelling operations
Thank you for your
attention!
 Reference
• Hanoi Authority for Tram and Public Transport Development
Management (HATD), 2006. Hanoi Pilot LRT Line - Feasibility
Study Report, Hanoi, November 2006.
• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Hanoi People's
Committee (HPC), 2006. The Comprehensive Urban
Development Program in Hanoi Capital City (HAIDEP). Draft Final
Report - Prefeasibility Study B: The UMRT 2 Line. Almec Co.,
Nippon Koei Co. Ltd., Yachiyo Engineering Co. Hanoi, November
2006.
• Vu Quyet Thang , 2008. Underground water and land subsidence
in Hanoi ancient quarter.
• Nguyen Duc Toan and Luu Xuan Hung, 2007. Hanoi Metro Pilot
Line Project: Some aspects of risk management and subsidence.
Seminar of ITA and ITST on Tunnelling.
• Kovari K., Ramoni M. 2004. Urban tunnelling in soft ground using
TBM's. Key note lecture at International Congress on Mechanized
Tunnelling: Challenging Case Histories. Politecnico di Torino, Italy
- 16-19 November 2004.