Chapter 6 Engineering Geology of Tunnel

Chapter 6 Engineering Geology of Tunnel

Chapter Outline Chapter Objective

•Introduction to tunnels • Define terminology related to tunnel

• Methods of tunnel excavation • Students will be acquire knowledge about

tunneling and problems
• Site investigation for Tunnels
• Students will be able to seek engineering
•Geological Considerations for Tunneling
solutions for tunneling on difficult ground

•Geological Structure Considerations for Tunneling • Will be familiar with tunnel site
investigation
•Tunnel excavation and support

• Understand tunnel excavation and support

•Consideration during tunnel excavation
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Introduction to tunnels
• What is tunnel?

▪ It is underground passages or routes (or passages through hills or

mountains) for different purposes.

▪ It is usually made to over come the natural obstacle in

transportation systems mainly roads and railways, for
underground transport to link areas of interest.

▪ What is tunnel support?

tunnel
▪ It refers to the structural ground support elements installed
immediately after excavation to guarantee stability and safety
both during and after construction

▪ What is tunnel lining?

▪ It is a layer of concrete or some other structural element, which

provides the tunnel with long-term strength
Tunnel…….
Tunneling purpose Types of Tunnel

• depending on its purpose;

➢ Passage ways
i. Traffic tunnel
➢ Underground installation ii. Hydropower tunnel
iii. Public utility tunnels
➢ Water supply
iv. Diversion tunnel
➢ Mining/ underground mining • based on construction in common use:

➢ River diversion/ for flood control or irrigation 1. Cut and cover tunnels: constructed in a shallow trench
and then covered over.
➢ Pipeline/ utilizing water to a given area
2. Bored tunnels: constructed in situ, without removing the
➢ Secret tunnels/ where the on surface road is difficult ground above. They are usually of circular or horseshoe
cross-section.
for security issues.
3. Immersed tube tunnels: sunk into a body of water and sit
on, or are buried just under, its bed.
Methods of tunnel excavation
As a general the selection of tunnelling method may be Tunneling and Shafts
dictated by: • Tunnel have ventilation system during and after
➢ Geological and hydrogeological conditions, excavation

➢ Cross-section and length of continuous tunnel, • Shafts open from the ceiling with specific intervals
➢ Local experience and time/cost considerations (what • Shaft is necessary in vehicular road tunnel because of
is the value of time in the project), exhaust fumes.
➢ Limits of surface disturbance, and many others • In underwater tunnels it can be under the road.
factors.

• The excavation methods that commonly used are;

• Cut-and-cover

• Boring machine

• Drill and blasting

 Site investigation for Tunnel
Objective Site investigation • In any tunnelling project, a thorough knowledge of the geology
of the area is essential for adequate planning and to avoid extra
• The main objectives of geological and geomechanically
costs, accidents and unforeseen delays
tunnel investigations are to:
• Geological, geotechnical, and hydrological factors are more than
▪ Understand the geological, geo-mechanical and
hydrogeological conditions. any other factors determine the degree of difficulty and cost of

▪ Identify any peculiarities or areas of greater geological constructing an underground facility. For example,

complexity. ▪ Geologic profile (stratigraphy, structure, and principal

▪ Define geo-mechanical properties and zonation. rock types and their general characteristics).
▪ Establish geo-mechanical criteria for excavation methods ▪ Rock mass characteristics and geo-mechanical
and support design. Specify geological and geo-mechanical
properties.
conditions for the design of portals and intermediate
access. ▪ Hydrogeology (groundwater reservoirs, aquifers,

and pressures).
▪ Recommend ground treatment for stabilization,
reinforcement, drainage or waterproofing. ▪ Exposure to construction risk (major water-bearing

▪ Provide monitoring and control during excavation. faults, methane gas, etc.).
 Site investigation for Tunnel
• Strategies to follow:
• Because of their technical and economic
• Site investigations should be carried out in successive stages
importance, it is essential that site in areas that are significant for:

investigations should be properly planned. • Geological interpretation.

• Identification of particular problems: complex

Basic planning criteria include: geological, hydrogeological or geotechnical conditions

• Portal and access areas

• Prior information:
• Different site survey techniques should be selected and
• Geological description based on previous
combined as appropriate
studies and bibliography • Geological field mapping

• Project information • Geophysical investigations

• Hydrogeological tests
• Access for site investigations
• Boreholes sites
• Budget and delivery time 7
• Selection of in situ testing
Site Investigations procedures for Tunnel

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Site Investigations procedures for Tunnel Design

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Site Investigations procedures for Tunnel Design

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Geological Considerations for Successful Tunneling
Influence of geological conditions • As already stated, the safety, success and

• When a tunnel is excavated, three types of economy of tunneling depend on the

geological conditions may be found that various geological conditions prevailing

cause loss of strength and stability at the site.

problems in a rock mass • As usual, the important geological factors

• Unfavorable orientation of discontinuities. which interfere with this civil engineering
• Unfavorable orientation of stress with respect project (i.e. tunneling) are also
to the tunnel orientation. lithological, structural and ground water
• Water flowing inside the excavation along
conditions
fractures, aquifers or karstified rocks.

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Geological Considerations for Successful Tunneling
Lithology (Opening in competent rock Hydrogeological conditions

and soft rock) • Excavating a tunnel creates an effect similar to a

large drain towards which water will flow from
The competent rocks (i.e. those which aquifers intercepted during the excavation process.
are strong, hard and massive) will lead to • It resulted in consequences:
safe but slow tunneling and incompetent • Reduction in rock mass strength.

rocks (which are loose or soft or • Increase in pore pressure on the support and lining.
• Swelling and softening in clay materials.
fractured), through amenable for easy
• Rapid formation of cavities in soluble materials such
tunneling, will be unstable and require as salt.

lining. • Tunnel construction problems.

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Geological structure condition in Tunneling
(I) Inclined strata, vertical and horizontal strata

(II) Folded rocks

(III) Fault Zones

(IV) Jointed rocks

Inclined strata

1. Tunnel perpendicular to the strike line:

•When a tunnel is driven perpendicular to the

strike direction, there is tendency in the rocks to
slide into the tunnel.
[Link] through the strike of
the rocks
When a tunnel is made parallel to
the strike of the rocks, it will pass
through different beds of rocks.
In such cases, there will be
arching action or down ward
pressure from the roof.
There is also the failure of Fig. Tunnel across the strike line of the rocks.

incompetent layers from the roof.

Horizontal Strata
• For small tunnels or for short lengths of long
tunnels, horizontally layered rocks might be
considered quite favorable but

• When horizontally bedded rock lies above the roof,

the thin strata near the opening will tend to detach
from the main rock mass and form separated
beams.

• The stability of such beams is great if:

▪ There is horizontal stress;
▪ The span-to-thickness ratio is fairly small.
• Thin beds just above the opening will tend to fall
down unless there is immediate support in the form
of rock bolts or sets.
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Folded rocks
[Link] along troughs:
This encounters unfavorable conditions, because rock
masses along trough are harder and more resistant.
There also seepage problem of groundwater
[Link] along crests: Fig. A= Tunnel along crest and, B= Tunnel along trough
The rock masses along the crest may be in a highly
fractured condition due to development of tension
joints.
As a consequence of this, if tunnels are driven in such
places, there may be frequent fall of rocks from the
roof.
 Fig. Tunnel aligned parallel to fold axis through limbs

[Link] aligned parallel to

fold axis through limbs:

• This is desirable if competent

rock is selected because
similar rocks with similar
properties are encountered
along the course of the tunnel.

• But if there is a problem in

one place, it can face all part
[Link] aligned perpendicular to fold

axis through limbs

• This is undesirable because, under such a

condition, different rock formations are

encountered from place to place along

the length of the tunnel.

• This results in difficulty of excavation,

instability of the tunnel and need of

support.
Tunnelling in Fault zones

• Faults are commonly found associated with a zone

of highly crushed rock or fault gouge.

• The crushed rocks, being highly permeable, allow

the ground water to seep into the tunnel.
Tunnelling in Jointed rocks

• In one way, the jointed rocks facilitate, easy

tunneling.

• But in the other way they present many

difficulties, because the roof of a tunnel can not
withstand with out support & there is a water
seepage
• As a general the geological condition to be suitable for tunneling should be;

• There should be one type of rocks

• There should be no faults and intrusion disturbance.

• The rocks should be soft but stiff enough not to need immediate support
near the face

• The rock should be impermeable and not adversely affected up on air

exposure.

• The rocks or the soil should not be changed its behavior under the
exposure to water (non-expandable)
Consideration during tunnel excavation
i. Natural state of stress: C) Support after excavation :
ii. Stress around tunnel openings • Bolts,
iii. Stand-up time • Anchor,
iv) Tunnel support: • Steel ribs,
a) Ground improvement • Shotcrete,
✓ Injection of cement into the ground (grouting) • Wire mesh or steel mats,
✓ Freezing of the water saturated zone.
• Perforated concrete + backfill mortar,
✓ Drainage of water out of the area to be tunneled.
• Formed concrete
b) Support during excavation:
v) Moisture in tunnel
➢ Shield tunneling in very soft ground.

➢ Bentonite tunneling with boring machine. vi. Gasses in tunneling

➢ Caisson tunneling to counteract water pressure
Failure mechanisms Summary in
Tunnels