The URUP Method

Tunnel Excavation
With Extremely Thin Soil Overburden

Shusaku Mino1, Atsushi Kagawa2, Akihiko Nishimori3

1
Manager, Obayashi Corporation, 2-15-2 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8502, Japan
1
Manager, Obayashi Corporation, 2-15-2 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8502, Japan
1
Manager, Obayashi Corporation, 2-15-2 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8502, Japan

ABSTRACT: Ultra Rapid Underpass (URUP) method is developed to excavate

tunnels with extremely thin soil overburdens by Earth-Pressure-Balanced (EPB) tunnel
boring machines. The URUP method enables tunnels in soft ground to be excavated by
EPB tunnel boring machines at near ground surface where soil overburdens become
extremely thin. The URUP method does not require deep soil overburdens above EPB
tunnel boring machines for ground stability and thereby eliminates the need of deep
vertical shaft constructions. The tunnel excavations by EPB tunnel boring machines at
near ground surface can replace large scaled open-cut excavations required for
approach structure constructions. The eliminations of deep vertical shaft constructions
and large scaled open-cut excavations reduce a volume of excavated materials, CO2
emissions and durations of constructions, which in turn makes tunnel constructions
with the URUP method more sustainable. This paper elaborates on the URUP method
and introduces its successful applications to underground infrastructure projects in
Japan.

INTRODUCTION

Conventional Tunnel Constructions in Soft Ground

For conventional tunnel constructions in soft ground, vertical shafts are constructed
to maintain deep soil overburdens above tunnel excavations for ground stability and
large scaled open-cut excavations are carried out to construct approach structures as
shown Figure 1. The deep vertical shaft constructions and the large scaled over-cut
excavations generate a significant amount of excavated materials. Large CO2
emissions are also generated due to haulage of the excavated materials. These activities
require large working area on the ground surface which impact traffic, community and
the adjacent environment.

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 OPEN-CUT EXCAVATION TUNNEL EXCAVATION OPEN-CUT EXCAVATION
FOR APPROACH STRUCTURE FOR APPROACH STRUCTURE

FIG.1. Conventional Soft Ground Tunnel Construction

The URUP Method

The URUP method is newly developed to excavate tunnels with extremely thin soil
overburdens by EPB tunnel boring machines. With the URUP method, tunnel
excavations in soft ground can be started and/or finished by EPB tunnel boring
machines at near ground surface where soil overburdens become extremely thin as
shown in Figure 2. The tunnel constructions with the URUP method do not require
deep shaft constructions and large scaled open-cut excavations as opposed to the
conventional tunnel constructions in soft ground, and thus reduces the volume of
excavated materials as well as CO2 emissions. The URUP method does not require
large working areas on ground surface and thereby reduces impacts on traffics,
communities and environments adjacent to the working areas. The elimination of the
deep shaft constructions and large scaled open-cut excavations could also reduce
construction duration/project schedule.

A DEPTH REQUIRED
FOR STABILITY OF
TUNNEL EXCAVATION
WITH URUP METHOD

FIG.2. Soft Ground Tunnel Construction with the URUP method

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EXPERIMENTAL TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION

Digging a tunnel through a sand castle on the beach becomes more challenging
when the sand castle gets shorter as shown in Figure 3. The same can be said of the
URUP method because tunnel excavations by EPB tunnel boring machines will be
started and/or finished at near ground surface where soil overburdens above tunnels
become extremely thin. To verify that technical challenges imposed by such thin soil
overburdens can be overcome by the URUP method, an experimental tunnel is
constructed at the Obayashi’s Research & Development Centre. The experimental
tunnel is comprised of a 40m underpass section and two (2) 30m approach sections as
shown in Figure 4. Depth of soil overburdens above the underpass section varies from
0.65m to 2.2m. A rectangular EPB tunnel boring machine (4,800mm x 2,150mm)
shown in Figure 5 is used to excavate the experimental tunnel. The EPB tunnel boring
machine is set on a cradle as shown in Figure 6 and 7, and launched to excavate the
approach section from near ground surface as shown in Figure 8 and 9. The EPB tunnel
boring machine is subsequently advanced through the underpass section to other side of
the tunnel as shown in Figure 10 and 11.

FIG.3. Images of Tunnels in Sand Castles

Arrival at ground level Overburden:0.65m (minimum) Launch at ground level

Overburden:2.2m
(maximum) 10%
10%

Approach Section Underpass Section Approach Section

30m 40m 30m
Experimental Tunnel 100m

FIG.4. Experimental Tunnel Profile

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FIG.5. Rectangular EPB Tunnel Boring Machine (4,800mm X 2,150mm)

FIG.6. Cradle and Thrust Frame on FIG.7. EPB Tunnel Boring Machine’s
Ground Surface Launching at Ground Surface

FIG.8. EPB Tunnel Boring Machine’s FIG.9. Excavation of Approach

Excavation at Ground Surface Section

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 FIG.10. Excavation of Underpass FIG.11. EPB Tunnel Boring
Section Machine’s Arrival at Ground Surface

Rectangular segmental steel linings (4,656mm x 2,006mm) are erected as the EPB
tunnel boring machine is advanced. A void between the steel lining and ground overcut
by the EPB tunnel boring machine is filled with cement grout to avoid excessive
settlements on ground surface as shown in Figure 12. All the surface settlements
observed above the underpass section remain within +/-10mm as shown in Figure 13.
On the completion of the experimental tunnel excavation, the underpass section is
unearthed to confirm that all tail voids around the steel linings have been completely
filled with cement grout as shown in Figure 14, 15, 16 and 17.

Tail Void
72mm

Steel
Segmental
Lining

EPB Tunnel Boring Grout

Machine
FIG.12. Concept of Tail Void Grout
Settlement (mm)

FIG.13. Ground Surface Settlements above Underpass Section

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 90mm

FIG.14. Unearthed Underpass Section FIG.15. Tail Void Grout (Top)

105mm

80mm

FIG.16. Tail Void Grout (Side) FIG.17. Tail Void Grout (Bottom)

THE URUP METHOD APPLICATION TO TUNNEL PROJCTS

The Oi Area Tunnel Construction Project

The URUP method
is adopted for the first
time in the Oi Area
Tunnel Construction
Project in Japan. The
project is a part of the
construction of
Metropolitan
Expressway Central
Circular Shinagawa
Route as shown in
Figure 19. Two (2)
tunnels, Ohashi-bound
tunnel and Oi-bound FIG.18.Overview of the Oi Area Tunnel
tunnel, are constructed Construction Project

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for transitions of the inbound and outbound expressways from ground surface to
underground as shown in Figure 18. Project data of the Oi Area Tunnel Construction
Project is summarized in Table 1.

Route
Ce
ntr
al

Bay Shore
Length : approx. 9.4km
C
irc
ula
r Sh
inj
uk
u Ro
ute

Ohashi Junction
Oi Junction
Cent
ral C
ircula
r Sh
inag
)

awa
Route

Aobadai 4-chome, Rout Yashio 3-chome,

Meguro-ku e Shinagawa-ku
uya
hib
3(S
Route

Oi Area Tunnel construction project

FIG.19. Project Map (by courtesy of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and
Metropolitan Expressway Co., Ltd)

Table 1. A Summary of The Oi Area Tunnel Construction Project

Project Owner Tokyo Metropolitan Government

Project Duration June 25, 2008 to November 30, 2011
Tunneling Method Earth Pressure Balance method
(URUP method)
TBM Data Excavation Diameter: 13.6m
Tunnel Length: Total 886m
Ohashi-bound (The 1st drive): 550m
Oi-bound (The 2nd drive): 336m
Lining Data Outside Diameter: 13.4m
Inside Diameter: 12.5m
Segment Width: 1,700mm
Other Structures Ventilation Station (TBM receiving /
U-turn shaft) constructed by Pneumatic
Caisson method
39 m × 35 m × 44 m (depth)

The construction sequence of the Oi Area Tunnel Construction Project is described

below and also shown in Figure 20:

 Step 1
The EPB tunnel boring machine is launched at near ground surface to start the
excavation of the Ohashi-bound tunnel as shown in Figure 21 and 22, and advanced to
the shaft that has been built for the Oi Kita ventilation station structure.

 Step 2
The EPB tunnel boring machine is turned around within the ventilation shaft and

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lifted up to the elevation at which the excavation of the Oi-bound tunnel is started as
shown in Figure 23 and 24.

 Step 3
The EPB tunnel boring machine is relaunched to start the excavation of the
Oi-bound tunnel and advanced to ground surface level as shown in Figure 25 and 26.

l
d leve
vel t groun
ground le hing a Shield machine
Oi-kita Arrival at Launc
Ventilation Station
l
tunne
ound
on of Oi-b
structi nel
③Con nd tun
②Turning around and raising
hashi-bou
the shield machine
uctio n of O
str
①Con

FIG.20. Construction Sequence of the Oi Area Tunnel Construction

Project

FIG.21.Tunnel Boring Machine FIG.22.Launching at Ground Surface

FIG.23. U-Turn in a Shaft FIG.24. Lift-Up in a Shaft

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 FIG.25. Surface Arrival (before) FIG.26. Surface Arrival (after)

The Tahara 2nd Line Mikawa Bay Crossing Tunnel Project

The Tahara 2nd Line Mikawa Bay Crossing Tunnel Project involves construction
of a tunnel for installation of a new gas conduit underneath the seabed of the Mikawa
Bay as shown in Figure 27. The project data is summarized in Table 2. Two (2) deep
vertical shafts were originally envisioned at both the tunnel ends for an EPB tunnel
boring machine to be launched and received respectively. However, the URUP method
is proposed and adopted as the final plan as shown in Figure 28, considering the
following advantages:

Launching from
Ground Surface

Arrival at
Ground Surface
Sea

FIG.27. Overview of the Tahara 2nd Line Mikawa Bay Crossing Tunnel Project

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 Table 2. A Summary of Tahara 2nd LineMikawa Bay Crossing Tunnel Project

Project Owner CHUBU GAS CO.,LTD.

Project Duration June 17, 2010 to November 30, 2011
Tunneling Method Earth Pressure Balance Method
(URUP method)
TBM Data Excavation Diameter: 2.13m
Tunnel Length: Total 1,086.7m
Lining Data Outside Diameter: 1.956m
Inside Diameter: 1.8m
Segment Width: 750mm

Surface Surface
Arrival Launching

▽H.W.L
▽L.W.L
23.5m
Mikawa Bay
」「 -15%
-14%
23.7m
▽ Existing Channel
▽Future Channel
5.5m Launching Shaft
Level φ=12.0m
Receiving Shaft φ=4m
Original Open Cut EPB Method (Conventional Launching/Arrival) L=937.2m Open Cut 130m Open Cut

Proposed Open Cut EPB Method (URUP Launching/Arrival) L=1,086.7m Open Cut

FIG.28. Comparison of Original/Proposed Tunnel Profiles

 No Shaft Construction /No Ground Improvement

The tunnel excavation by the EPB tunnel boring machine is started and finished at near ground
surface as shown in Figure 29 and 30. Thereby, both the 23.5m deep vertical shafts
envisioned in the original plan are eliminated. Ground improvements required to
remove the shaft walls for the EPB tunnel boring machine’s launching and receiving
are also eliminated.

FIG.29.Surface Launching FIG.30. Surface Arrival

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 Earlier Full Production of EPB Tunnel Boring Machine
The EPB tunnel boring machine can be geared up with all back-up system on
ground surface as shown in Figure 31, which allows the EPB tunnel boring machine to
be advanced at its full production rate immediately after being launched.

FIG.31. Tunnel Boring Machine and Full Back-Up System on Ground Surface

 More Efficient Gas Conduit Installation

As for gas conduit installation, longer sections of the gas conduit can be installed in
the tunnel because of no restriction by the vertical shaft, which improves efficiency and
increases production of the gas conduit installation.

The aforementioned eliminations and improved efficiencies of the work, in all,

accelerate the project schedule by 5-1/2 months.

CONCLUSIONS

The URUP method is developed to make it possible that tunnels in soft ground can
be excavated by EPB tunnel boring machines at near ground surface where soil
overburdens become extremely thin. A full-scaled experimental tunnel construction
verifies that the URUP method can overcome technical challenges imposed by the thin
soil overburdens. The URUP method has been successfully applied to several tunnel
projects in Japan for its environmental friendliness and schedule advantage. The URUP
method provides designers and planners who are eagerly trying to make infrastructure
projects more sustainable with flexibility and choices in their selections of tunnel
construction methods.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to thank the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Chubu
Gas Company CO., LTD. for their support in publishing this paper. Any opinions,
findings and conclusions stated in this paper are those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government or Chubu Gas
Company CO., LTD.

REFERENCES

Tanaka, Yamauchi, Nonaka (2011), “URUP (Ultra Rapid Underpass)-TBM

Excavation in Soft Ground From The Surface Elevation (Zero Overburden) Without
Shaft and/or Large Scaled Open Cut Pit”, Rapid Excavation Tunnel Conference,
San Francisco, USA, June 2011.
Fujiki, Nakamura, Izawa (2010), “URUP (Ultra Rapid under Pass) Method – The First
Implementation in the World”, World Tunnel Congress, Vancouver, Canada, May
2010.
Hayashi, Miki, Yokomizo, Yoshida, Izawa (2006), “The demonstration work of
URUP method”, Proceedings of the 61st Annual Conference of Japan Society of
Civil Engineers.
Izawa, Miki, Yokomizo, Yoshida, Hayashi (2006), “The outline of the development
of URUP method”, Proceedings of the 61st Annual Conference of Japan Society of
Civil Engineers.
Miki, Yokomizo, Ueda, Hino, Yamamoto (2009), “Development of Construction
Method for a Road Underpass at Intersection”, World Tunnel Congress, Budapest,
Hungary, May 2009.

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