Design of segmental
lining for TBM tunnels
Emilia Roguska
Rosario Russo
Design of segmental lining for TBM tunnels
Premise
TBM technology is currently the most applied method of
tunnelling, with performance indexes impossible to be
reach with any of traditional methods.
Tunnels with diameters up to 16m, executed with
excavation rate up to 20 m/day, perfectly watertight and
fire-resistant are the state of the art.
Those impressive results are also due to the continuous
technological improvement of the core of this industrial
process: the segmental lining design and production.
The contents hereinafter has the scope to focus on the main
important design aspects and provide a wide layout of the
design scenarios and applications.
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Contents
1 . TBM Tunnel – Feasibility assessment
2 . TBM-EPB machine workflow
3 . The pre-casted lining and the Universal Ring
4 . The lining design
5 . Geotechnical model
6 . Structural model
7 . Hydraulic model
TBM Tunnel – Feasibility assessment
Geological framing
Soil/rock parameters
Tectonized zones analysis
Hydrogeological conditions
Risk assessment
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TBM Tunnel – Feasibility assessment
An application template of Multigraph
application for large diameter tunnel in
Carpathian Flysch.
CAVING
ROCKBURST
SQUEEZING
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TBM Tunnel – Feasibility assessment
The TBM Competitiveness formula
𝑇𝑢𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑙 𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ [𝑚]
𝑇𝐵𝑀: 1 > 1,5
𝑇𝑢𝑛𝑛𝑒 𝐷𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑚 ∙ (𝑈𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑃𝑎 ) ൗ3
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TBM-EPB machine workflow
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The pre-casted lining and the Universal Ring
Two ring types have been designed for the project:
• Light reinforced ring: to be used generally in the tunnel alignment.
• Heavy reinforced ring: to be used in those special sections where maximum or operational TBM thrust is required as well as for opening
sections for cross passages and niches. They will also be used in the first 20 m of the tunnels at both portal areas.
Ring type Universal ring
Ring configuration 9 standard segments +K segment (1/2)
Inner diameter of lining 13.45 m
Outer diameter of lining 14.65 m
Segment thickness 0.60 m
Ring length 2m
100 mm (taper on one side).
Ring taper/conicity
Minimum theoretical tunnel radius of 293 m.
Segment slenderness
7.74
(λseg=Lseg/thickness)
Minimum ring length 1.95 m (at the K segment)
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The pre-casted lining and the Universal Ring
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The lining design
Standards and main references
Eurocode 7
ACI 533.5R-20 Guide for Precast Concrete Tunnel Segments
BTS Tunnel lining design guide
ITA-AITES – Guidelines for the Design of Segmental Tunnel Lining
The design, sizing and construction of precast concrete segments installed at the rear of a tunnel boring
machine (TBM)
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The lining design
Set of partial safety factors and design approach
Load case Unfavourable Favourable
Demoulding (*) 1.35·1.50 = 2.025 -
Stacking 1.35 -
Transient load cases
Transport (*) 1.35·1.50 = 2.025 -
Handling (*) 1.35·1.50 = 2.025 -
Maximum 1.10 -
TBM thrust
Operational 1.20 -
Primary grouting (**) 1.25 -
Ground forces 1.35 1.0
Variable load 1.50 0
Gasket compression 1.35 -
(*) - Extra safety factor of 1.50 is applied for dynamic load cases.
(**) - Safety factor recommended in ACI 544.7R-16 [24].
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The lining design
Load combination and load cases
1. Temporary construction loads
2. TBM Thrust forces
3. Primary grouting
4. Final state
5. Fire load
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The lining design
Load combination and load cases
1. Temporary construction loads
2. TBM Thrust forces
3. Primary grouting
4. Final state
5. Fire load
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The lining design
Load combination and load cases
1. Temporary construction loads
2. TBM Thrust forces
3. Primary grouting
4. Final state
5. Fire load
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The lining design
Load combination and load cases
1. Temporary construction loads
2. TBM Thrust forces
3. Primary grouting
4. Final state
5. Fire load
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The lining design
Load combination and load cases
1. Temporary construction loads
2. TBM Thrust forces
3. Primary grouting
4. Final state
5. Fire load
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The lining design
Load combination and load cases
1. Temporary construction loads
2. TBM Thrust forces
3. Primary grouting
4. Final state
5. Fire load
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The lining design
Load combination and load cases
1. Temporary construction loads
2. TBM Thrust forces
3. Primary grouting
4. Final state
5. Fire load
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The lining design
Load combination and load cases
1. Temporary construction loads
2. TBM Thrust forces
TBM light ring thrust: 175000 kN.
3. Primary grouting For TBM light ring thrust the partial safety factor applied is 1.20.
4. Final state 𝐹𝑇𝐵𝑀,𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 ∙ 𝛾𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 175000 ∙ 1.20
𝐹𝑑,𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡,𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑠 =∙ = = 11052.6 𝑘𝑁 Τ𝑟𝑎𝑚 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑒
𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑎𝑚 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑒𝑠 19
5. Fire load
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The lining design
Load combination and load cases
1. Temporary construction loads
2. TBM Thrust forces
3. Primary grouting
4. Final state
5. Fire load
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The lining design
Load combination and load cases
Self-weight of segments
1. Temporary construction loads
Ground pressure
2. TBM Thrust forces
Water pressure
3. Primary grouting
Creep and shrinkage
4. Final state loads
5. Fire load Seismic loads
Live load
Accidental load
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The lining design
Load combination and load cases
1. Temporary construction loads
2. TBM Thrust forces
3. Primary grouting
4. Final state
5. Fire load
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Geotechnical model
Analythical method
Muir Wood’s Method:
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4
𝐼𝑒 = 𝐼𝑗 + ∙𝐼 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑛 > 4
𝑛
Ie: Effective moment of inertia of segmental lining.
Ij: Second moment of area at the joint.
n: number of segments.
I: moment of inertia of segment complete section.
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Geotechnical model
Numerical method – 2D
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Geotechnical model
Numerical method – 3D
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Geotechnical model
Numerical method – 3D
The 3D numerical modeling has the skill to
analyze also advanced boundary conditions.
E.g. the construction stages of transversal cross
passages.
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Structural model
Analytical structural model
Tensile force Zy and Zx in edge and vertex zones
(left) and reinforcement in vertex zones
Strut and tie model for bursting analysis
Tensile stresses in concrete due to TBM thrust in circumferential direction
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Structural model
Numerical model
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Hydraulic model
Analythical method
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Hydraulic model
Watertightness verification
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Hydraulic model
Watertightness verification
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Conclusions
• The TBM technology has to be assumed as an on-site industrial process
• The supply chain has the most important ring in the production of segmental lining, that requires a strongly
detailed design process, to keep in account the complete lifecycle, since the production, up to the installations,
up to the lifetime
• A huge set of scenarios and boundaries conditions takes place in the design process
• Both analythical, bot numerical methods of analysis has to adopted in order to properly resume in a feasible
design process the limitless possible scenarios
• The contents presented above have to scope to present a roadmap from the conception up to the execution of
the segmental lining elements
• Further aspects of the technological process can be focused with the same approach, among them the
segments survey and review and, after it, the repairing actions.
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