Department Of Civil Engineering

Transportation Engineering II
Presentation On
• Module 5:Tunnel Engineering,
• Driving Tunnels in Soft Ground
Tunnel engineering
 Meet Our Team

Hiyanuj Pathak James Saud Rupjyoti Choudhury

210910001030 210910001031 210910001055

Dipankar Paul Jintu Kalita Nirupam Boro

220950001003 220950001005 220950001007
Table Of 1. Soil types

Contents
2. Soft soil types

3. General characteristics of soft

ground

Methods of driving tunnels in soft

4. Elaborate on what you
grounds
want to discuss.
 SOFT SOIL
SOFT SOIL OFTEN REQUIRES A WELL DESIGNED SUPPORT SYSTEM TO
PREVENTS COLLAPSE AND MAINTAIN STABILITY DURING EXCAVATION.

HARD SOIL
FOR HARD SOIL WHEN THE DEPTH OF EXCAVATION IS LESS THEN
1.5METER, THE SIDES OF THE TRENCH DO NOT NEED ANY EXTERNAL
SUPPORT.
IF THE SOIL IS LOOSE OR THE EXCAVATION IS DEEPER SOME SORT OF
SHORING IS REQUIRED TO SUPPORT THE SIDES FROM FALLING. SO
BASICALLY IT IS ALSO CALLED FULLY SELF SUPPORTING SOILS.
 SELF FIRM
SUPPORTING GROUND
GROUND

Soft SOIL
TYPES
RUNNING SOFT
GROUND GROUND
 SOFT GROUND
RUNNING GROUND
REQUIRES INSTANT SUPPORT FOR
Soft SOIL THE ROOF BUT THE WALLS CAN
REQUIRES INSTANT SUPPORT TYPES DO WITHOUT SUPPORT FOR A
THROUGHOUT THE EXCAVATION. FEW MINUTES.
EXAMPLE:- GRAVEL, MUD, SILT, etc. EXAMPLE:- DAMP SAND, SOFT
EARTH, etc.

FIRM GROUND SELF SUPPORTING

THE SIDEWALLS AND FACE OF THE GROUNDS
TUNNEL CAN DO WITHOUT EXCAVATION OF THE TUNNEL
SUPPORT FOR ONE OR TWO SECTION CAN BE CARRIED OUT
HOURS, BUT THE ROOF CAN LAST WITHOUT SUPPORT FOR SMALL
ONLY A FEW MINUTES. LENGTHS RANGING FROM 2 TO 5m.
EXAMPLE:- FIRM CLAY, DRY EARTH, EXAMPLE:- SAND STONE, HARD
etc. CLAY, etc.
 GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SOFT GROUND
 Material is excavated with tools like picks, shovel, axe etc. No heavy and
costly equipment is required .

 Excavation do not require drilling and blasting .

 Excavation has to be supported immediately after excavation .

 Progress of work is slow as more precautions are needed during

excavation .

 If the ground is very unstable, it exert enormous pressure upon timber and
strutting on roof , sides and bottom .
 DIFFERENT METHOD OF DRIVING TUNNELS IN
SOFTGROUND
WITH TIMBER
1.Forepoling Method
2.Needle Beam Method
3.Army Method
WITHOUT TIMBER
4.Belgian Method 1. Linear plate method
5.English Method 2. Shield method
6.American Method
3. Compressed air method
7.Austrian Method
8.German Method
9.Italian Method
 Forepoling Method
 This method is advocated for running ground and similar
soils.

 This method is slow , time consuming required skill

miners and correct sequence of operation is to be strictly
followed .

 The sequence of operations is shown in the figure shown .

i. Forepoling Methot5tt
 Method Of Operation For Forepoling Method
 Sinking of shaft .

 Bent placed from the sheeting .

 Holes driven in the sheeting from

7.5C/C above the cap and below the
cap .

 Forepole consist of plank with

wedge ends entered one at a time,
Driven through half length at 15 cm
per meter inclination .
Fig 1– Forepoling Method
 Needle Beam Method
 This method is suitable for soils where the roof could
stand for some minutes without support.

 This method could be advanced by 10ft to 12ft length per

day.

 The needle beam consist of a stout timber beam or a

composite flitched beam and forms the temporary
primary support during the excavation
i. Forepoling Methot5tt
 Method Of Operation For Needle Beam Method
 A drift of about 1m is driven on
working face.

 Roof of this drift is lagged with

sheeting.

 Apply trench jack on it.

Fig 2 – Needle Beam Method
 A needle beam of 5-6m is inserted and
one end is carried on plank and other
on stout post.

 With help of jacks, drift is widened

sideways.
 Army Method
 The US Army devised this method for constructing small
tunnels at reasonably shallow depths.

 This was mainly used for laying underground sewers.

 The advantage of this method lies in its simplicity and economy

as only a few timber planks, with 1-2 trench jacks, form the
leading equipment.

 It is also called as Case Method.

 Method Of Operation For Army Method
 A common gallery of wood
1.1x1.8x0.05 m is used.

 A top braced is removed and

ground is excavated for a short
distance .

 The box is moved ahead and next

cap board is set and held in
position by a trench jack.

 After that remove the breast one by

one and excavate. Fig 3– Army Method
 Belgian Method
 This is a popular method and is suitable for all classes of
moderately firm or hard soils.

 The advantage of the Belgian method lies in lighter timber

sections, as the timber is placed closely.

 It has difficulties due to the system of the underpinning of the

built arch, mainly when the avoidable subsidence of the soil
may occur, causing settlement and cracks in the arch masonry.
 Method Of Operation Belgian Method
 A top heading ABCD for the full rise
of the arch is driven and supported.

 Heading is widened sideways and

supported by additional crown bars on
sill.

 Lining the arch. Fig 4 – Belgian Method

 Insert the shore at side and excavate

the MNOP.

 Shoring is removed and space is filled

with masonry.
 English Method

 The english method involves use of a lot of timber and

frequent shifting for heavy timber logs back and forth is
greatest disadvantage of this method.

 The main characteristic of this method is excavation of

full section of the tunnel at once using longitudinal
strutting and alternate of masonry work and excavation.
 Method Of Operation English Method
 Top head is driven up to 5 meter.

 It supported on crown bars.

 Then widening of the heading, then

done by digging away the earth at
each side.
Fig 5 – English Method
 Then started excavation of part-2
and put the sill.

 Part-3 in same manor and started

masonry.
 AMERICAN METHOD

 This method is suitable for large-sized railway or

highway tunnels.

 It does not require heavy timbers, involves simple

operation.

 This method is unsuitable for tunnels of flat bottom.

 Method Of Operation American Method
 A top drift is first driven and supported
by laggings, segments, and two posts.

 Sides of the drift are now widened and

supported on shoulder segment timbers
and struts from the sill.

 Wall plates are introduced at the

springing supporting the arch set.
Fig 6 – American Method
 Vertical posts are driven.

 Sides and benching are cleared &

tunnel lining started.
 Austrian Method
 The new Austrian Tunneling Method is a support method
to stabilize the tunnel perimeter by means of sprayed
concrete anchors and other support and uses monitoring too
control stability.

 Main idea is to use the geological stress of the surrounding

rock mass to stabilize the tunnel itself.

 It is also called as “ Sequential excavation method”.

 Method Of Operation For Austrian Method
 A centre cut is taken for full
height.

 Cut is widened to full face.

 Permit short section of masonry

to be completed .

Fig 7 – Austrian Method

 German Method
 In this method 3 drifts are used to support the roof and
side.

 One at the crown and rest two are at bottom along the
wall.

 It is also called as core leaving method.

 Italian Method
 The Italian tunnelling method is also known as packing
method.

 It is used to overcome very difficult geological conditions

(strongly squeezing rock with water ingress).

 Excavation is done in parts with immediate installation of

packing material (even within the finished dimension of
tunnel) and later broken out after ring closure.
 Linear Plate Method
 Plain or corrugated steel plates are used to support the soil
during excavation.

 The size of plates are 0.9x0.4 with flange of 0.05m.

 Plates are bolted to each other through holes in flange.

 Method Of Operation For Linear Plate Method
 A Hole of 0.4m depth is cut at
crown and linear plate “a” is
inserted.
 Excavated sides are provided with
“b” and “c” plates.
 Two wooden wall plates of size
about 20x5cm are placed on each
side of the bench.
 Jack are removed. Fig 8 – Linear Plate Method
 The bench is then cleared and the
wall plates are under pinned at
bottom.
 Shield Method
 This method is used for driving a tunnel through water bearing
strata.

 Shield is an equipment which acts as a bridge with roof for

workers.

 A shield is a movable frame and it is used to support the face of

tunnel.

 The excavation & lining of tunnel can be carried out under

protection of shield
 Method Of Operation For Shield Method

 The ground is excavated ahead of the

shield of 0.45 to 0.75m.
 The shield is jacked forward.
 Primary lining is the heavy cast iron
lining used in conjunction with the
shield.
 Secondary lining is 5 to 7cm concrete
placed over the flange of iron.
 It is a speedy method.
Fig 9 – Shield Method
 Compressed Air Method
 Most modern method used for tunneling in soft grounds having
water bearing strata.

 Timber support is not required, support is provided by

compressed air into enclosed space to prevent collapse of roof
and sides of tunnel.

 Air pressure adopted is approximately 1kg/cm².

 If pressure will be more than working hour will reduce which

will increase the cost of labors and the construction cost as well.