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Soft Ground Tunnelling: DR Alun Thomas

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Aaron Wilson
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40 views

Soft Ground Tunnelling: DR Alun Thomas

Uploaded by

Aaron Wilson
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Soft ground

tunnelling
Overview

Dr Alun Thomas
Dr Alun Thomas
u 25+ years experience in tunnelling worldwide
u Previously worked for designers, a contractor
& a supplier
u Mott MacDonald
u Ramboll
u Minova

u Currently
u Owner / founder of All2plan Consulting ApS
u Research associate at CSIC, Uni of Cambridge

© Alun Thomas 2020


Overview
u The course covers soft ground tunnelling and it will
introduce:
u Design concepts & the design process
u Ground characterization & soil-structure interaction
u Construction methods used in soft ground:
u cut and cover, TBM tunnels with segmental linings, Sprayed
concrete lined tunnels (also known as SCL or NATM).

u Design methods
u Design tools including numerical modelling

u SCL tunnelling:
u covering all aspects from the mix design and properties of
sprayed concrete, through to construction sequences and
modern design approaches (including composite lining theory).

© Alun Thomas 2020


Module 1 - General design

u The course starts with a recap on general design


methodology within the context of soft ground to
ensure that all participants have the correct foundation
for this course. A risk-based design is essential for safe
designs and this is implicit or explicit in all design work.
The boundaries of soft ground (vs hard rock) will be
outlined. A wide range of factors influence a design such
as functional requirements like waterproofing, fire
protection and durability as well structural
performance. Sustainability will be examined in detail.

© Alun Thomas 2020


Module 2 - Soil-structure
interaction
u The biggest influence on any tunnel is the ground. A
thorough understanding of the type of ground and the
hydrogeology is required in order to identify the key
mechanisms of ground behaviour. This governs the
choice of construction method and from the two arise
the design calculations. By focusing on the
fundamentals of ground behaviour, the course will show
how to develop safe and cost-effective solutions in any
situation. Settlement is a key concern for soft ground
tunnelling. Prediction, monitoring and mitigation of
settlement will be discussed.

© Alun Thomas 2020


Module 3 - Construction
methods
u Having understood the mechanisms present, a
construction method can be chosen to manage these
risks effectively. This has an influence on the design so
this topic appears before design. Common construction
techniques in soft ground tunnelling include: cut &
cover; TBMs with segmental linings; sprayed concrete
lined tunnels (SCL/NATM). Immersed tube tunnels and
pipejacking are less common so they will only be
discussed briefly. In addition ground treatment is
sometimes used to reduce water ingress or to improve
the ground.

© Alun Thomas 2020


Module 4 - Design methods

u There are three type of (structural) design methods –


empirical, analytical and numerical method. Each one
will be examined in detail, considering the common
tools used for soft ground cases. Guidance will be given
on how and when to use each method, as well as their
benefits and limitations. Special structures such as
portals, junctions and shafts will be considered, along
with special design cases such as seismic loading and
fire.

© Alun Thomas 2020


Module 5 - Sprayed concrete
linings (SCL/NATM)
u This module will look in detail at SCL tunnelling in soft
ground, beginning with mix design and material
technology, then advancing to the properties of sprayed
concrete and material behaviour. Construction methods,
including the excavation sequence, have a large
influence on design so this will be explored before
explaining the common analytical and numerical design
methods. Construction management and monitoring
play a key role in successful SCL tunnelling.

© Alun Thomas 2020


Practicalities
u Content bank
u This contains the recorded lectures, the slides and notes as
well as exercises and their notes.
u These are released in stages following the modules.
u Calendar
u This contains details of the live webinars
u Webinars
u This is where we can discuss the exercises and any questions
that you have on lectures.
u Forum
u This is the space for posting questions and debating topics.
u If you have any questions on the platform & course admin
u Please contact [email protected]

© Alun Thomas 2020


Blended learning
u This is a mixture of online material and live webinars.
u I would like to discuss the exercises in the webinars.
u There is a list of references if you want to read more
about a certain topic.
u You can follow the course at your own pace.
u … but ideally you will attempt each exercise before the
webinar each week.
u Feel free to post questions
u I will try to answer them directly or we can discuss them
in the webinars.

© Alun Thomas 2020


Thank you for your
attention!
www.all2plan.com

© Alun Thomas 2020

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