Tunnel is are the underground artificial passage

which are constructed without disturbing the ground

surface. The methods involved in under ground
operation are known as tunnel drilling. Tunnel may
constructed through hills, below ground, rivers etc.
for various purposes.
To provide passage for roads and railway track and
gas pipes etc.
To provide access to mines.
To lay conduits for water, sewage etc.
The development of tunnels is very old. Generally a
tunnel is needed when an obstacle in the form of a
hill or rising ground is met with in the alignment of a
railway track or highway etc.
Tunnel are more economical then open cuts beyond
certain depth.
Tunnels protect the system (railway track, highway,
sewer, line or oil line etc.) for which it constructed
from weather effect such as snow, rain etc. thus
tunnels reduce the maintenance cost of the system.
Tunnels avoid disturbing or interfering with surface
life and traffic during construction.
During war time tunnels protect the system from
destruction due to bombarding.
In certain places tunnel have proved cheaper for crossing
the mountain or river then open cut or bridge.
In most congested urban area under ground railways or
highways is the best alternative to provide means of
transportation.
In soft-rocked hills, construction of tunnel has proved
cheaper then open cut due to large number of slips etc.
In a circuitous rout to reach the other side of the
mountain, tunnel reduces the length of the railway line
etc. considerably.
Tunnels avoid the dangerous open cut very near to the
structure.
Tunnels have proved cheaper to carry public utility
services as water, gas, sewer etc.
Tunnels if provided with easy gradient , the cost of
hauling is reduced.
The safety of tunnel construction has considerably
increased due to improved modern methods of
construction.
Due to shortening in distance tunnels have proved
economical.
Initial cost of the tunnel construction is more.
Tunnel construction requires skilled labour and
technical supervision of high order.
The construction duration of tunnels is more then
bridge or open cuts.
The construction of tunnels requires sophisticated
and specialized equipments.
1. According to alignment
 OFF-SPUR tunnels – These are short tunnels to
negotiate minor local obstacles.
 SADDEL OR BASE tunnels – These tunnels are
constructed in the valley along with the natural slope till
the slope does not exceed the ruling gradient.
 Slope tunnels – These tunnels are constructed in steep
hills for economic and safe operations of roads and rout
ways.
 Spiral tunnels – These tunnels are constructed in narrow
valleys in the form of loops in the interior of the
mountain. These are constructed to avoid steep slopes
by increasing there lengths.
2. According to purpose –
• Traffic tunnels - These tunnels are constructed to
carry highway, railway, navigation, subway and
pedestrian etc. and are know highway tunnel,
railway tunnel, navigation tunnel, subway tunnel
and pedestrian tunnel etc.
• Conveyance tunnel - These tunnels are constructed
to carry sewer, water, oil etc. and are know as sewer
tunnel, water supply tunnels, hydroelectric power
tunnels etc
3.According to type of soil met during construction –
According to this classification, tunnels are sub
classified as follows:
 Open cut tunnels
 Tunnels in soft rocks
 Tunnels underneath river bed.
IN HARD ROCKS :-
1. Full face method
2. Heading and benching method
3. Drift method
4. Pilot tunnel method
5. Perimeter method
This method is suitable for small tunnel. Whose dimension do not
exceed about 3m. In this method the entire section is drilled,
the hole are loaded and the explosives are discharged. Drills
used in small tunnels are mounted on bars or column equipped
with a screw jack at one or both ends. Bars are installed
horizontally in tunnels whose width is less than the height,
while columns are installed vertically in a tunnel whose height
is less than the width.
Recently with the development of the jumbo, or drill carriage use
of full face method has become increasingly more popular in
driving large tunnels. The obvious advantages of full face
method are:-
1. Increased progress of work
2. Efficient
3. Continuous tunneling
This method involves the driving of the top portion of
the tunnel ahead of the bottom portion.
In case of rocks which are firm enough to permit
the roof to stand without supports, the top heading
usually is advanced one round ahead of the bottom
heading .
Drift is a small tunnel driven through all or a portion of length of the
tunnel prior to excavating the full bore . The drift can be :-
1. Centre drift
2. Bottom drift
3. Side drift
4. Top drift
The advantages of this method are :-
1. The extent and nature of difficulties likely to meet with prior to
driving the full bore can be determined. These difficulties or bad rock
or excessive water. This helps in planning corrective steps.
2. The driving of drift help in ventilation of the tunnel.
3. The quantity of explosive requires is reduced.
4. in case of tunnel to be driven through broken or fractured rock, side
drift, facilitate the installation of timber to support the roof.
5. This method is economic and requires less labour.
In this method a pilot tunnel paralleled to main
tunnel is first driven to the full size. Later it is
connected to the centre line of main tunnel at as
required.
This pilot tunnel helps in:-
The removal of muck
Lighting of main tunnel
Ventilation of main tunnel
1. Fore poling method
2. Needle beam method
3. Linear plate method
4. Shield method
5. American method
6. English method
7. Belgian method
8. army method
9. German method
10. Austrian method
11. Compressed air method
The technique of providing fresh air inside the tunnel during
and after the construction is known as ventilation.
OBJECTS OF TUNNEL VENTILATION
1. To supply the fresh air to the workers during construction.
2. To remove injurious and obnoxious fumes and gases of
explosion.
3. To remove the dust caused by drilling, blasting and
mucking safely.
4. To reduce the temperature in tunnel situated at great
depth.
1. NATURAL VENTILATION
2. MECHANICAL VENTILATION
REQUIREMENT OF A GOOD VENTILATION SYSTEM
1. The smoke and fumes of the tunnel must be cleared as early
as possible from the working face, so that work can be
resumed without serious delay.
2. The amount of dust produced by the tunnel operations
should be brought with in permissible safe limits at the
earliest.
3. The system should provide an working atmosphere at the face
where workers can carryout their job safely and comfortably.
4. The accumulation of dangerous fumes should be prevented at
any point along the length of the tunnel.
Various operations and activities of tunneling can not
be effectively and satisfactory carried out if there is no
proper light in the tunnel. Situation which demand
adequate light are as obstruction in tunnel, drilling
and mucking zones, bottom of shaft, storage points,
pumping stations, under ground repair shops etc.
SPECING OF LIGHTS:-
1. Dimension of the tunnel
2. Size of light source
3. Nature of rock surface
TYPES OF TUNNEL LIGHTS:-
1. Oil burning lantern and lamps
2. Coal gas lighting
3. Acetylene gas lighting
4. Electric lighting
1. Wash water
2. Sub soil water
Free drainage
Dewatering
Permanent drainage
 Lining in tunnels is provided to give final shape to the tunnel cross-
section and to give strength to the sides and roof to prevent them
from collapsing. Lining may be temporary or permanent.
OBJECTS OF LINING:-
1. To provide the correct desired shape and cross-section to the tunnel.
2. To with stand the soil pressure and prevent the tunnel from collapse
more specially in soft grounds.
3. To keep the tunnel in side portion free from water leakage.
4. To bind the loose rock and provide stability to the tunnel.
5. In case of sewer or water supply tunnels, lining is used to reduced the
coefficient of rugosity and too prevent seepage of water and its
contamination etc.
6. To reduced the maintenance cost of the tunnel.
7. To provide better appearance to the tunnel.
1. Timber lining
2. Brick lining
3. Stone lining
4. Cast steel lining
5. Plain and reinforced cement concrete lining
6. Iron lining
7. Pressed steel plates lining
Tunneling is very tedious, time consuming and
hazardous operation. There are various causes which
may lead to an accident. The man is the most
expensive piece of equipment employed on the job,
therefore maximum possible care should be taken to
prevent any mishappening.
CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS:-
1. Falling of rocks
2. Cramped working space
3. Loading and hauling muck
4. Shaft operation
5. Handling of explosive etc.