School of Engineering and Technology, (SET)
 
CE71.53 : Underground Excavation and Tunneling  3(3-0)
 
Course objectives:

Rapid urbanization and the development of infrastructures in the Asian region, coupled with the increase in people's environmental awareness have given a great impetus to the demand for underground space utilization and tunneling activities in the region, in line with the global trend in sustainable development of infrastructures.
 
Learning Outcomes:

Types of underground opening; elastic and elasto-plastic stresses and displacements around underground openings; ground reaction curve; tunnel ground condition; excavation methods (drill-and-blast and machine); excavation systems for large openings and difficult ground conditions; supports and linings; determination of rock loads; exploration and instrumentation; case histories.
 
Pre-requisite(s):

CE71.12
 
Course Outline:

I Introduction
1. History, type, stability and influencing factors, related problems

II Underground Excavations in Rocks
1. Stresses and displacements around underground excavations

  • In situ stresses
  • Thick-walled cylinder solution, stresses and displacements around a circular opening, uniform stress field & nonuniform stress field (elastic, elasto-plastic), ground reaction curves (characteristic lines)
  • Displacements around advancing tunnel face
  • Elastic stresses and displacements around non-circular openings and caverns; around multiple excavations
  • Design considerations for underground rock excavation on the basis of stress criteria; pressure tunnels

2. Tunnel responses and relation to ground properties and geology

  • Standup time and free span
  • Type of tunnel grounds: rock and soft ground

3. Major ground responses: rock burst, loosening, squeezing.
4. Methods of excavation and support

  • Conventional method (drill-and-blast with steel support)
  • Mechanized tunneling & tunnel boring machines (TBM's)
  • Supports (initial & final supports): steel ribs, rockbolts, and shotcrete
  • Methods of excavation, ground treatments and supports for heavy grounds

5. Geotechnical investigations for design and construction
6. Determination of rock loads on tunnel support requirements

  • Empirical methods (Classifications: Terzaghi's, Deere's, Barton's, Bieniawski's, NATM, etc.)
  • Analytical methods - confinement-convergence method.
  • Numerical methods - stress and displacement analysis.
  • Observational methods - control criteria/back analysis.

7. Instrumentations, purposes, types of measurements and interpretation
8. New Austrian tunneling method (NATM)

III Soft Ground Tunneling
1. Types of ground responses and influencing factors

  • Face stability in clay and granular soils
  • Shield tunnelling
  • Ground movement prediction (empirical & numerical analyses)
  • Response of structures to ground movement from tunneling, shallow foundation, piled foundation, damage criteria, risk assessment
  • Control of stability and ground movements: compressed air; groundtreatment (grouting, dewatering, freezing, etc.)

2. Lining design: lining load, ground-lining interaction, segmented lining, analysis methods.
3. Instrumentation and Monitoring

 
 
 
Learning Resources:

Textbook:
Whittaker, B. N. and Frith, R. C. (1990):
            Tunneling: Design, Stability and Construction, London: Institution of Mining and Metallurgy.
 
Reference Books:
Hoek, E and Brown, E.T. (1980):
            Underground Excavation in Rock, The Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, London

Bieniawski, Z. T. (1984):
            Rock Mechanics Design in Mining and Tunneling, Balkema.
 
Journals and Magazines:

Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology


Tunnel and Tunnelling
 
 
Teaching and Learning Methods:

N/A
 
Evaluation Scheme:
The final grade will be computed according to the following weight distribution:

Mid-Semester Exam (30%);
Final Exam (50%);
Semester Paper (10%);
Homework (10%)

Closed book exam.
 
Instructor(s):
SECTION NAME
A Prof. Noppadol Phien-wej