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Engineering Geology: Iqra National University

Thank you for the lecture material. I have learned a lot about the types and geological considerations for tunnel construction.

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muhammad jehangir
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148 views16 pages

Engineering Geology: Iqra National University

Thank you for the lecture material. I have learned a lot about the types and geological considerations for tunnel construction.

Uploaded by

muhammad jehangir
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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IQRA NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

ENGINEERING GEOLOGY
Lecture 05
Tunnels and Geological consideration

PREPARED BY ENGR. IMTIAZ KHAN LECTURER CED ,INU PESH 1


WHAT IS TUNNEL?
Tunnels may be defined as underground
routes or passages driven through the
ground without disturbing the overlying
soil or rock cover.
TYPES OF TUNNELS

ON THE BASIS OF USE

1.Traffic tunnels

2. Hydro power tunnels

3. Public utility tunnels


TRAFFIC TUNNELS
vehicular road traffic or rail traffic

Kohat tunnel Lawari tunnel


HYDRO POWER TUNNELS
Diversion tunnel purpose of conveying water under gravity from one point to another,
as for example, to cross a hill. In such cases they are called discharge tunnels.

Pressure tunnel are those which feed water under great pressure to turbines and is
distinguished as pressure tunnels.
PUBLIC UTILITY TUNNELS
This group includes a variety of underground excavations made for specific purposes
such as for disposal of urban waste (sewage tunnels), for carrying pipes, cables and
supplies of oil, water etc.
TYPES OF TUNNELS
ON THE BASIS OF Geology

1.Hard rock tunnels

2. Soft rock tunnels

Soft Ground (Earth) Workers dig soft-ground tunnels through clay, silt,
sand, gravel or mud. ...

Hard Rock. Tunneling through hard rock almost always involves blasting.
Geological Investigations for Tunnels:
• These determine to a large extent solutions to
following engineering problems connected with
tunneling:
(a) Selection of Tunnel Route (Alignment):
There might be available many alternate alignments
that could connect two points through a tunnel.
However, the final choice would be greatly
dependent on the geological constitution along and
around different alternatives: the alignment having
least geologically negative factors would be the
obvious choice.
Geological Investigations for Tunnels:
(b) Selection of Excavation Method:
Tunneling is a complicated process in any situation
and involves huge costs which would multiply
manifolds if proper planning is not exercised before
starting the actual excavation. And the excavation
methods are intimately linked with the type of rocks
to be excavated. Choice of the right method will,
therefore, be possible only when the nature of the
rocks and the ground all along the alignment is fully
known. This is one of the most important aim and
object of geological investigations.
Geological Investigations for Tunnels:
(c) Selection of Design for the Tunnel:
The ultimate dimensions and design parameters of a proposed tunnel are
controlled, besides other factors, by geological constitution of the area along
the alignment. Whether the tunnel is to be circular, D-Shaped, horse-shoe
shaped or rectangular or combination of one or more of these outlines, is more
often dictated by the geology of the alignment than by any other single factor.
D-shape or horse-shoe shape may be conveniently adopted but these shapes
would be practically unsuitable in soft ground or even in weak rocks with
unequal lateral pressure. In those cases circular outline may be the first choice.
Geological Investigations for Tunnels:

(d) Assessment of Cost and Stability:


These aspects of the tunneling projects are also
closely interlinked with the first three considerations.
Since geological investigations will determine the line
of actual excavation, the method of excavation and
the dimensions of excavation as also the supporting
system (lining) of the excavation, all estimates about
the cost of the project would depend on the
geological details.
Geological Investigations for Tunnels:

(e) Assessment of Environmental Hazards:


The process of tunneling, whether through rocks or
through soft ground, and for whatsoever purpose,
involves disturbing the environment of an area in
more than one way. The tunneling methods might
involve vibrations induced through blasting or ground
cutting and drilling, producing abnormal quantities
of dust and last but not the least, interference with
water supply system of the nearby areas.
Preliminary Surveys
The general topography of the area marking the highest and the lowest points,
occurrence of valleys, depressions, bare and covered slopes, slide areas, and in hilly
regions and cold climates, the snow-line.

The litho-logy of the area, meaning thereby, the composition, attitude and thickness of
rock formations which constitute the area.

The hydrological conditions in the area, such as depth of water table, possibility of
occurrence of major and minor aquifers of simple type and of artesian type and the
likely hydrostatic heads along different possible routes or alignments.

The structural condition of the rock, that is, extent and attitude of major structural
features such as folding, faulting, unconformities, jointing and shearing planes, if
developed. Existence of buried valleys is also established during the preliminary
surveys.
In addition, such surveys would also reveal
occurrence of reserves of rocks that could be
beneficially used for construction programmes (lining
etc.) in the tunnel project.

It is obvious that with the help of above information,


the engineers could propose a number of alternative
tunnel routes to connect the two places, and in most
cases, even decide about the general run of the
tunnel.
ASSIGNMENT

Geological Detail survey of the


tunnels.

Note:
• What is meant by Geological Detail survey?
• What are the parameters/points to be considered in Geological
Detail survey of tunnels?
• Detail of each parameter?
END OF THE LECTURE

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