Instructor

David Abbot
Mr. Abbot has a B Eng. degree from Liverpool University in England in civil engineering and is a registered professional engineer throughout Europe. He is a Principal with Jason Consultants. He has over 37 years of experience in construction and has been actively involved in the design and construction of tunneling, pipe jacking, microtunneling, and other forms of trenchless technology for many years. His expertise covers all aspects of project development from project evaluation and feasibility study through conceptual and detailed engineering to equipment selection, project construction and operation management. Since 1983 he has been involved with more than 300 tunneling, pipejacking, and microtunneling projects. Before joining Jason he was based in the USA as a senior executive with two of the leading international tunnel equipment companies. His international experience is extensive having worked in Europe, SE Asia, North, South and Latin America. David is a well-known speaker at North American and international tunneling and trenchless technology conferences and seminars and has presented more than 30 papers at various forums and conferences in many countries. He has also written numerous articles for technical journals and is a technical advisor on the recent ASCE Utility Tunneling Video.

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Course Description

Tunnels are key elements of the nations infrastructure. Mostly invisible and out of sight they play a key role in urban transportation, mining, water and sewerage transportation, and in hydro electric power and many other sectors.

The seminar will cover an introduction to all forms of tunneling in a coherent and systematic approach. A brief historical perspective will be provided followed by a review of techniques for subsurface investigation and characterization for both soft ground and hard rock tunneling. How this subsurface information is then used in both designing and specifying for tunnels and in the selection of an appropriate tunneling method and tunneling equipment will also be addressed.

A range of tunneling methods currently available in various ground conditions will be addressed including NATM, drill & blast, the various forms of mechanical excavation in rock and soft ground, and micro-tunneling. The course will also include the selection and installation of various tunnel lining methods, the selection and construction of various shafts for tunneling, and key aspects of tunnel design and management. Case histories will also be presented and discussed.

New trends in tunneling will be discussed and the seminar will include case histories and provide practical applications of the various techniques discussed together with relevant course materials to be retained by the attendees. A list of suggested reading will also be provided.

The following topics are to be covered:

• Sub Surface Site Characterization
  Techniques for investigating and characterizing subsurface conditions will be presented. Geotechnical parameters for tunnel design and construction will be reviewed as will soil classification and rock mass classification. The review will include a discussion of how the geotechnical information should be included in any contract documents.
• Methods of Tunnel Construction:
  The range of tunnel construction methods and practices available for both soft and hard ground conditions including both non shielded and shield excavation methods will be examined in some detail and in addition short videos of the various techniques will be presented.
• Pipe Jacking and Microtunneling Techniques
  Tunnel construction methods using pipe jacking and micro-tunneling techniques will be examined in some detail and in addition short videos of the various techniques will be presented.
• Methods of Tunnel Support
  The various temporary and permanent tunnel support techniques available will be presented together with a review of their appropriate use. Techniques associated with tunneling such as dewatering and grouting will be discussed.
• Shaft Construction for Tunneling
  Discussion of shaft construction techniques and their merits in various ground conditions and shaft depths.
• Potential Problems in Soft Ground and Hard Rock Formations
  Problems encountered in the design and construction of tunnels will be reviewed. The means for identifying potential problem areas and mitigation techniques will be described. Safety requirements will also be discussed.
• Tunnel Planning Risk Assessment and Minimization
  Approaches to investigation and pre planning, tunneling method and equipment selection, contractor review and screening, and tunnel construction will be reviewed with particular emphasis on both the identification of risk and its minimization.
• New Trends and Techniques in Tunneling
  New trends in tunneling and potential future developments will be described.

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Seminar Benefits

The seminar will introduce you to the latest tunneling techniques and will develop your skills in being able to:

• Select suitable investigation techniques for tunneling
• Analyze ground conditions for tunneling
• Assist in making informed decisions regarding tunnel and tunnel shaft construction methods and tunnel lining selection
• Select and specify the most suitable equipment for tunneling
• Develop a better understanding of the application and use of micro-tunneling techniques
• Develop techniques to mitigate anticipated and unanticipated tunneling problems
• Develop tunnel construction schedules more accurately
• Manage tunnel construction projects more successfully and safely
• Develop an awareness for the latest tunneling techniques and future trends in the industry

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Who Should Attend

Construction and project managers, engineers (both field and design office), construction supervisory personnel, construction cost estimators, graduate geotechnical engineers, and individuals in the construction industry wanting a better grounding in modern tunneling techniques and practices.

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Summary Outline

Day One

• Introduction, Seminar Overview, Participant Background
• Seminar Overview
• Participants background
• Review of tunnel sizes and principal uses
• Sub Surface Characterization for Soft Ground
• Geotechnical investigation for soft ground tunneling
• Classification of soils for tunneling
• Tunnel Construction in Soft Ground
• A brief historical overview of soft ground tunneling
• Hand excavation and simple tunnel machines
• Excavator shields in competent ground
• NATM (New Austrian Tunneling Method)
• Soft Ground Slurry Tunneling
• Soft Ground Tunneling using EPB systems
• Other shield types for soft ground
• Compressed air tunneling
• Tunnel Lining Selection and Design for Soft Ground
• Support system selection
• Two pass linings (Rib & Lag linings)
• One pass linings
• Segmental linings
• Jacked pipe linings

Day Two

• Sub Surface Characterization for Rock
• Geotechnical site investigation for rock tunneling
• Classification of rock mass for tunneling
• Tunnel Construction in Rock
• A brief historical overview of rock tunneling
• Drill & Blast tunnels
• Road headers in competent ground
• Hard Rock Tunneling with TBM's
• Other techniques for hard rock tunneling
• Tunnel excavation performance evaluation
• Tunnel Lining Selection and Design for Rock Tunnels
• Support system selection
• Supports to hard rock tunnels (rock bolting, etc.)
• Shaft Construction for Tunneling
• Review of available techniques and their suitability
• Rib, lag & steel supports
• Sheet piles
• Jet grouting
• Caissons
• Slurry walls
• Ground freezing

Day Three

• Pipe Jacking and Micro-tunneling
• Pipe jacking capabilities, equipment, and techniques
• Micro-tunneling capabilities, equipment, and techniques
• Jacking pipe for pipe jacking / micro-tunneling
• Specialist techniques for micro-tunneling
• Case histories
• Potential Problems in Tunneling & Shaft Construction for Tunneling
• Ground improvement (grouting methods for ground improvement)
• Groundwater control
• Obstructions and mixed face tunneling
• Case histories
• Tunnel Planning and Minimization of Risk
• Investigation and pre planning
• Method and equipment selection
• Construction
• Tunnel Management and Safety
• Tunnel Design & Management
• Operation Safety and QA / QC
• Suggested reading
• New Developments, Trends and Techniques
• Investigation techniques (prior to and during tunneling)
• Hard rock tunneling
• Soft ground tunneling
• Pipe jacking and Micro-tunneling
• Jacked Boxes
• Brief Review of Course and Questions and Answers

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Attendees’ Comments

“Good overview of mechanized tunneling methods with interesting case histories. Excellent introduction to various tunnel machines, lining systems and areas of concern.”
Alberto Solana,
Northeast Construction, Lakewood, NJ

“Before this course, I knew very little about bored tunnels. The material covered here was right on target, I now feel I have a reasonable working knowledge of the subject.”
John R. Davie,
Bechtel Corporation, Gaithersburg, MD

“Three days of intensive lectures, case studies and instructor’s real life experience, linking design and construction of soft and hard ground tunneling was well worth the time.”
William H. Walton, PE., S.E., Principal,
STS Consultants, Ltd., Vernon Hills, IL

“A thorough introduction to underground construction. The use of videos was critical to understanding the information presented. Good bibliography included.”
James R Van de Voorde, Senior Engineer,
UTD, Inc., Springfield, VA

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