PUBLICATIONS

Geotechnical Engineering in Research and Practice

WBI-PRINT 6

Edited by Prof. Dr.-Ing. W. Wittke Consulting Engineers for Foundation

Engineering and Construction in Rock Ltd. (WBI)

Stability Analysis and Design

for Mechanized Tunneling
Walter Wittke
Ralf Druffel, Claus Erichsen,
Jens Gattermann, Johannes Kiehl,
Dieter Schmitt, Meinolf Tegelkamp,
Martin Wittke, Patricia Wittke-Gattermann,
Bettina Wittke-Schmitt

Aachen 2007

Translated from the German edition: Statik und Konstruktion maschineller Tunnelvortriebe. Geotechnik in
Forschung und Praxis, WBI-PRINT 6, VGE-Verlag Glckauf GmbH, Essen 2006, ISBN 978-3-7739-1306-7

- II -

Front row from left to right:

Dr.-Ing. Claus Erichsen, Dr.-Ing. Bettina Wittke-Schmitt, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Walter Wittke,
Dr.-Ing. Patricia Wittke-Gattermann, Dr.-Ing. Martin Wittke

Second row from left to right:

Dr.-Ing. Johannes R. Kiehl, Dipl.-Ing. Ralf Druffel, Dr.-Ing. Jens Gattermann,
Dipl.-Ing. Dieter Schmitt, Dipl.-Ing. Meinolf Tegelkamp

WBI - TBM-Team

- III Preface
The field of application of mechanized tunneling has been extended
in recent years. In jointed rock mass especially shielded tunneling machines are used, although as a rule a support is required in
the machine area under these ground conditions at least over considerable tunneling sections.
The problems which are associated with this kind of tunneling have
been studied intensely by the "WBI-TBM-Team". With this volume,
published within the WBI-PRINT series, the experience gained is
presented to the technical community.
Essential for the success of mechanized tunneling in rock are an
extensive site investigation and a substantial experience with regards to the in-situ ground conditions, as I like to point out as
the editor of this series. Also, modeling of the constitutive laws
accounting for the relevant properties of the ground as well as a
corresponding analysis method play an important role. This is the
only way to obtain reliable predictions regarding the stability of
the rock mass and the need of support measures within the machine
area. This applies also to the safe and economic design and dimensioning of the segmental lining.
I like to focus the reader's attention in particular to the chapter concerning the interaction between the ground and the tunnel
boring machine. In this chapter, new approaches regarding the conditioning of the intact rock, the rotation of shield machines and
the transmission of the gripper forces of hard rock tunnel boring
machines can be found.
Vibrations and ground-borne noise arising from mechanized tunneling become more and more important particularly in urban areas.
Risk analyses in tunneling are also considered to be more and more
important. Also with regards to these topics, the book provides
interesting approaches. The book closes with some case studies.
Walter Wittke

- IV Contents

Page

1.

Introduction

2.

Methods of mechanized tunneling

2.1

Tunnel boring machines (TBMs)

2.1.1

Overview

2.1.2

Gripper TBM

2.1.3

Shielded TBM without face support (TBM-S)

10

2.1.4

Double-shield TBM

15

2.1.5

TBM-S with slurry face support (TBM-S4)

16

2.1.6

TBM-S with earth pressure balanced (EPB) face

(TBM-S5)
19

2.1.7

TBM with convertible mode

23

2.1.8

Excavation tools

24

2.1.9

Annular gap, steering gap and tail-skin

sealing

30

2.2

3.

Lining concepts

33

2.2.1

Overview

33

2.2.2

Single segmental lining

37

2.2.3

Double segmental lining

64

2.2.4

Structural fire protection

68

Fundamentals of stability analyses

78

3.1

General

78

3.2

Structural models

78

3.3

Models for stress-strain behavior of jointed rock

87

3.3.1

On the stress-strain behavior of jointed rock 87

3.3.2

Elastic behavior

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- V Contents

Page
3.3.3

3.3.4

3.3.5

3.4

3.5

4.

Strength, failure and post-failure behavior

of intact rock

95

Failure and post-failure behavior of

discontinuities

102

Failure and post-failure behavior of a rock

mass

103

Models for seepage flow in jointed rock

107

3.4.1

Homogeneous model and Darcy's law

107

3.4.2

Equation of seepage flow

114

3.4.3

Hydrostatic uplift and seepage force

118

Analysis methods

120

3.5.1

Finite element method (FEM)

120

3.5.2

Simplified approaches

134

Stability and water inflow in the machine area

138

4.1

Risks and selection of TBM

138

4.1.1

New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM)

138

4.1.2

Gripper-TBM

143

4.1.3

TBM-S, open mode

145

4.1.4

Earth pressure balanced TBM-S, closed mode

(EPB)

149

4.1.5

Slurry TBM-S, closed mode

153

4.1.6

Squeezing rock mass

154

4.1.7

Conclusions

156

4.2

Stability proof for a TBM heading in a stable

rock mass

157

4.2.1

157

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- VI Contents

Page
4.2.2

Rock mechanics model of the unleached

Gypsum Keuper (Mittlerer Gipshorizont)

159

4.2.3

Calibration of the rock mechanics model

162

4.2.4

Stability proof by means of two- and threedimensional finite element analyses

168

Selection of driving method and type of TBM

177

4.2.5
4.3

Stability proof for a TBM heading in unstable

rock mass above the groundwater table

178

4.3.1

General

178

4.3.2

Rock mechanics model of the leached Gypsum

Keuper

180

Assessment of the stability by means of

three-dimensional finite element analyses

185

Selection of type of TBM

188

4.3.3

4.3.4
4.4

5.

Mechanized tunneling in the presence of high water

pressure, lowering of the groundwater table and
inflow of seepage water

190

4.4.1

General

190

4.4.2

Three-dimensional seepage flow analyses

191

4.4.3

Seepage water quantities

196

Interaction between ground and TBM

202

5.1

Cutting, penetration, wear and adhesion

202

5.1.1

Cutting

202

5.1.2

Penetration

205

5.1.3

Wear

209

5.1.4

Adhesion

220

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- VII Contents
5.2

5.3

5.4

Page
Performance

223

5.2.1

Net performance

223

5.2.2

Gross performance

224

5.2.3

Degree of utilization and influences on

gross performance

228

Required forces and torques

233

5.3.1

Thrust force and driving torque

233

5.3.2

Excavation tools and flashings on the

conveyor openings

238

5.3.3

Required torque for closed mode operation

242

5.3.4

Conditioning of the intact rock

250

Transmission of forces and torques

264

5.4.1

Gripper-TBM

264

5.4.2

Shielded TBM

280

5.4.3

Rotation of the TBM

283

5.5

Anchoring

286

5.6

Advancing exploration

287

5.6.1

General

287

5.6.2

Geophysical measurements

288

5.6.3

Drillings

290

5.6.4

Advancing exploratory adits

291

5.7

Filling of annular gap

294

5.7.1

294

Annular gap grouting in soil and rock

5.7.2. Penetration of the grout into the

steering gap and the annular gap

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- VIII Contents

Page
5.7.3

6.

Annular gap grouting in the presence of

seepage water

302

5.7.4

Plugging of the injection lines

309

5.7.5

Pneumatic injection of pea gravel

311

Dimensioning and design of the segmental lining

314

6.1

General

314

6.2

Analyses for the segmental lining (stage

of operation)

315

6.2.1

FE-mesh, boundary conditions and loads

315

6.2.2

Load case self-weight

324

6.2.3

Load case rock mass pressure

324

6.2.4

Load case water pressure

332

6.2.5

Superposition of rock mass and water pressure 334

6.2.6

Load case temperature and superposition with

other load cases
335

6.2.7

Special load cases

6.3

6.4

337

Analyses for the individual segment (loads resulting from installation, storage and transportation)

350

6.3.1

Loads due to jacking forces

350

6.3.2

Storage and transportation

352

Static proofs
6.4.1

6.4.2

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355

Dimensioning for stress resultants normal

thrust (N), bending moment (M) and shear
force (S)

355

Partial area compression and tensile

splitting reinforcement at the longitudinal
joints

359

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- IX Contents

Page
6.4.3

6.5

6.6

7.

Partial area compression and tensile

splitting reinforcement at the
circumferential joints

364

6.4.4

Gaskets

367

6.4.5

Screwing of segments

373

Reinforcement layout

376

6.5.1

General

376

6.5.2

Circumferential and Longitudinal

load-bearing reinforcement

377

6.5.3

Tensile splitting reinforcement

380

6.5.4

Boundary reinforcement

380

6.5.5

Reinforcement for blockouts and built-in

units

382

6.5.6

Shear reinforcement

382

6.5.7

Installation

383

Concrete

383

6.6.1

Requirements

383

6.6.2

Composition of the concrete

388

6.6.3

Production

389

6.6.4

Quality assurance

390

6.6.5

Examples for concrete mix compositions

391

Vibrations and ground-borne noise

392

7.1

General

392

7.2

Propagation and damping of vibrations

394

7.2.1

Vibrations

394

7.2.2

Ground-borne noise

402

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- X Contents
7.3

7.4

Page
Numerical analysis of propagation and damping of
vibrations

410

Criteria for the evaluation of vibrations and

ground-borne noise

416

7.4.1

Impact of vibrations on structures

416

7.4.2

Human exposure to vibrations within

buildings

417

Ground-borne noise exposure within

buildings

420

7.4.3

7.5

8.

422

7.5.1

Tunnel Murgenthal

422

7.5.2

Prediction of required minimum spacing

between TBM and location of impact

425

Risk analyses in tunneling

431

8.1

Fundamentals

431

8.2

Procedure

434

8.3

Risk simulation analysis

439

8.4

Tunnel Leutenbach, assessment of two planning

variants with the aid of a risk analysis

442

8.4.1

Description of project

442

8.4.2

Planning variants

443

8.4.3

Risk analysis

446

8.5

9.

Vibrations and ground-borne noise caused by

machine tunneling

Cost overruns, which occurred in connection with

machine-driven tunnels

455

Case studies

459

9.1

459

Introduction

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- XI Contents
9.2

9.3

9.4

9.5

9.6

Page
Design of five machine-driven rock tunnels for
the railroad line Genoa - Ventimiglia, Italy

459

9.2.1

Project

459

9.2.2

Ground conditions

460

9.2.3

Applied TBM

462

9.2.4

Design of segmental lining

464

9.2.5

Static proofs

468

9.2.6

Reinforcement

472

9.2.7

Bedding of segmental lining

476

9.2.8

Special subjects

478

Water transmission gallery in sedimentary rock,

Proyecto Mltiple Misicuni, Bolivia

479

Traffic tunnels in jointed rock,

Gotthard Basetunnel, Switzerland, Section Bodio

485

9.4.1

Project and TBM

485

9.4.2

Ground conditions

487

9.4.3

Stability of the unsupported tunnel

489

9.4.4

Temporary support

495

Assessment of risks for tunneling in squeezing

rock, Shotcrete method and TBM-tunneling,
Kallidromo Tunnel, Greece

497

Design of a shield skin, Tunnel Hallandsas,

Sweden

509

9.6.1

Statement of problem

509

9.6.2

Project

510

9.6.3

Investigated cases

513

9.6.4

Assumption for the seepage flow analyses

514

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- XII Contents

9.7

Page
9.6.5

Assumption for the stability analyses

515

9.6.6

Analysis results

520

9.6.7

Conclusions

524

Urban railway tunnel underneath the Stuttgart

airport runway, Germany, criteria for exclusion
of tunneling machines

525

9.7.1

Introduction

525

9.7.2

Structure

527

9.7.3

Ground and groundwater conditions

529

9.7.4

Fundamentals of the design

535

9.7.5

Excavation and support

539

9.7.6

Contractor's proposal for machine tunneling

542

9.7.7

Reasons for the rejection of the contractor's

proposal regarding the use of a TBM
543

10. References

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