National safety week

04-10 march 2017

Safety in Tunnels : Lessons learnt

(Tunnel eye preparation for launching or retrieval of TBM.)
Tunnels (General )

Need of Bored tunnels

Deep confined excavations.
Lowering of tunnel boring machine.
Preparation for launching of TBM machine
Driving the machine (segments erection, soil disposal)
Breakthrough
TBM retrieval
Tunnel eye
TBM has to brace
through this wall to
mine further.
TMT bars in the
wall will make it
impossible for
cutter head to cut
through.
Hence, most
common and the
safest : Use fibre
reinforcements.

What if above not followed ?

 You have to Cut it whole

The displayed face of

tunnel eye has an
approximately 100 mm
thick shortcrete layer
withholding the soil behind
from falling in.
Its not advised to cut the
whole RCC wall in full and
then spray this shortcrete.
Free soil can collapse at
any point leaving you in
trouble.

What if above not followed ?

 Soil in the face may
collapse and can be
very dangerous for the
persons working in the
near premise.
As there are much
chances of the collapse
of the surface soil, it is
advisable to build either
curtain wall or soft piles
(without steel) just
behind the RCC face
wall (To be completed
well before the eye
works commence.)
But at sites, you may or may not get all
these precautions ready to start the work,
and you may still end up thinking of a way
of finishing the task with utter safety.

Here is one of the procedures you may adopt

To start with, remove the thin
concrete cover to expose the
steel there-in.
Now, chip off the
concrete with
breaker to reach
up to the farthest
layer of steel.
Dont disturb this
layer as of now.
(it is advisable to
go from top to
bottom.
 Start removing the last
steel mesh in layers not
exceeding 1.5 m, starting
from the bottom.
Moving from bottom to
top, gets you an
advantage that you are
never underneath an
exposed soil face.
Remaining steel mesh
above you head will
prevent soil falling.
Cover it up with
shortcrete.
Conclusion

Use of fibre reinforcement in the d wall is the safest method for the
tunnel eye preparation
Critical construction processes are always necessary to be
deliberated in the method statements, and of course, it is always
better to involve the designer consultants.
Workers and staff should be imparted training with visual aids so that
safety is not jeopardised at site.
Thank you all ..