Course :Advanced Construction Methods

Course code :201CEL406

Tunneling in Soft Ground and

Hard Rock

Prepared by
Mr. P.A.Nadgouda
Assistant Professor
D.Y.Patil College of
Engineering & Technology
Kolhapur
Content :

1)Introduction

2)Tunneling in soft ground

3)Tunneling in hard rock

4)sequence of operation

5)methods of tunneling
Tunnelling Through Soft Ground:
1) Compressed Method
2) Fore poling Method
3) Needle Beam Method
4) Five Piece Set Method
5) Liner Plates Methods
6) Other Methods
1) American Method
2) English Method
3) German Method
4) Austrian Method
5) Italian Method
6) Belgian Method
7) Army Method
8) Shield Method 3

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Compressed Method of Tunnelling Through Soft Ground:

1) Most modern method of tunneling in soft ground having water bearing stratum.
2) Compressed air is forced into the enclosed space to prevent the collapse of the
roof and sides of the tunnel.
3) Compressed air is used with air tight locks and in conjunction with the shield.
4) The air pressure forces back the percolating water or water mixed soil and keep
the tunnel dry.
5) As the compressed air escape through the pores of the soil, it continuously
decreases. Hence the air pressure should be varied from time to time to the actual
required pressure inside the tunnel.
6) Air pressure is approximately 1 kg/cm2.
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Mucking:- Removal of excavated material

1) The process of loading & removing of the excavated or blasted

material from the tunnel proper is called Mucking.

2) Hand mucking has only limited use these days.

3) Most of mucking are mechanized to achieve better efficiency.

4) Machine are operated by electric power or compressed air.

5) Shovel, conway digger, mine car loaders, gathering arm loader,

vibrating type loader, duck bill loader, slushers, scrappers,

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excavators, etc.
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FORE POLING METHOD
Sequence of operations for 1.50 x1.50 mtr.
• Sinking of shaft
• Bent is placed from the sheeting
• Holes are driven in the sheeting from 7.5 c/c above
the cap and below the cap.
• Fore pole consist of plank with wedge ends are
entered one at a time
• Driven through half length at 15 cm/mtr inclination
• Timber laid at the end of all spiles.
• Face sheeting broken out and ground is allowed to run.
• Put temporary supports at end called horse head.
• The other end of forepole is supported with board of size
45 cm.
• Now, repeat the procedure and inserted boom for the support of
board.
merits :
• Used without compressed air
• Used for small dimensions in running ground
demerits :
• slow process
• used only for small cross section
NEEDLE BEAM
• It consist of a stout timber beam from main temporary support
• It is used when the soil roof can stand for a few minutes

Sequence of operation :
• A drift of about 1 mts. is driven on working face

• Roof of this drift is lagged with sheeting.

• Apply trench jack on it.

• A needle beam of 5 to 6 mtr. is inserted and one end is carried on

plank and other on stout post.
• With help of jacks, drift is widened side ways
 BELGIAN METHOD

It is used for moderately firm or hard soils.

 SEQUENCE OF OPERATION :

• A top heading ABCD for the full rise of the arch is driven &
supported.
• Heading is widened sideways and supported by additional crown
bars on sill.
• Oiling the arch

• Inserted the shore at side and excavate the MNOP.

• Shoring is removed and space is filled with masonary.

 ARMY METHOD OR CASE METHOD
It is derived by USA army for constructing
small tunnels at shallow depth
SEQUENCE OF OPERATION :

• A common gallery of wood 1.1x1.8x0.05 mtr. of wood is used.

• A top braced is removed and ground is excavated for a short
distance.
• The box is moved ahead and set next cap.
• After that remove the breast one by one and excavate .
MERITS :
• Simple,economic
• Outskilled labour can driven
DEMERITS :
• Only for short tunnel
 ENGLISH METHOD

• The main characteristic of this method is excavation of

full section of the tunnel at once using longitudinal
struting and alternate of masonary work and excavation.
SEQUENCE OF OPERATION :

• Top head is driven upto 5 mtr.

• It is supported on crown bars
• Then widening of the heading is then done by
digging away the
earth at each side.
• Then started excavation of part -2 and put the sill
• Part -3 in same manor and started masonary
MERITES :

• simple method of hauling are possible

• masonary lining is built , so making the construction
strong and homogeneous.

DEMERITES :
• use of lots of timber
• process are slower due to alternate of excavation & masonary
 AMERICAN METHOD
• It is used for railway or highway tunneling
SEQUENCE OF OPERATION :

• a top drift is driven and supported by laggings,cap timber and parts

side are widened

• walls plates are introduced at the springing supporting the arch set

vertical posts are driven

• sides and benching are cleared & tunnel lining is started
 LINEAR PLATE METHOD

• It is presented steel plates ,plain or corrugated are used to

support the soil during excavation.

• The size of plates are 0.9 x 0.4 with flange of .05 mtr.

• The plates are bolted to each other through holes in flange.

SEQUENCE OF OPERATION :

• A hole of 0.4 mt. depth is cut at crown and liner plate “ a” is

inserted
• Excavated sides and place “b” and “c” plates

• Now two wooden wall plates of size about 20 cm. x 5 cm. and
placed on each side of the bench
• Jacks are removed

• The bench is then cleared and the wall plates are under pinned at
bottom
 SHEILD METHOD

• It is used for driving a tunnel through water bearing strata.

• It is an equipment which acts as a bridge with roof for workers.

• It open at one end or both end.

• It consist sledges , conveyors etc.

LENGTH OF SHEILD :
1. storage required

2. problemes of changing direction

SHAPE OF SHIELD :

• Resistance of motion : contact

area of the shape

• Cross section area / unit

perimeter
for circular and square=d/4

• Resistance to pressure caused by surrounding soil :

circular is best

• Permission for rotation of shield about its own axis :

circular is preferable
SEQUENCE OF OPERATION :
• The ground is excavated ahead of the sheild of 0.45 to 0.75 meter.

• The shield is jacked forward.

PRIMARY LINING :
• It is the name given to the heavy cast iron lining used in

conjuction with the shield.

• SECONDARY LINING :
5 to 7 cm. concrete is placed over the flange of iron.
 COMPRESSED AIR METHOD
• Used of compressed air

• Used in soft ground

COMPRESSED AIR TUNNELING IN CLAY :

• No timbering is required inside the tunnel

• Pressure required inside the tunnel is p = wh. ;w=weight of soil

EQUIPMENTES FOR COMPRESSED AIR TUNNELING :
Tunneling in Hard Rock
Locating centre line on the ground.
Construction of shaft
Transferring center line to the inside of tunnel.
Setting up and drilling hole for blasting
Loading holes and carrying out
blasting
Providing ventilation
Providing ventilation
Loading and hauling muck
Pumping of ground water
Placing reinforcement steel
Placing concrete lining
 Methods of tunneling in rock
1. Full face method

2. Heading and bench method

3. Drift method
Full face method
• In this whole section of tunnel is attacked at the same time.It is
suitable for the small cross sectional area about 3 m dia.

• Entire section is drilled, the holes are charged and explosives are
discharged

• Bars are installed whose width is less than height.

• Columns are installed vertically whose height is less than its

width.
Heading and Bench method
• It is used when tunnel is very large and the quality of rock
is not satisfactory.

• If rock is hard and self supporting heading advanced ahead

by one round ahead of the bench.

• The bench provides platform for timber supports.

• To heading is usually 3 to 3.5 m ahead of bench.

 Drift method
• A drift is a small tunnel driven through all or a portion of the
length of the tunnel prior to excavating full bore.

• Types:
1. Centre drift
2. Side drift
3. Top drift
4. Bottom drift
Centre drift
• Generally 3 * 3 m to 2.5 * 2.5 m centre drift is driven through
portal to portal.
• Holes for enlargement are ring drilled with a drill set upon
the axis of tunnel.

ADVANTAGES :

• Good ventilation
• Mucking work does not disturbed
• Elaborate supporting system not required.
 Side drift
- Two drifts are advanced along the sides of tunnel.
-Breakups are then made in form of arch and permanent
timbering is erected to support the roof.
 Top drift
• When a drift section chosen lies in top of the tunnel section it
called top drift.
 Bottom drift
• In this , the lower part is first blasted and cleared for the full
length.
THANK YOU