SAFETY OF NEW AUSTRIAN TUNNELLING METHOD (NATM) TUNNELS. A REVIEW OF SPRAYED CONCRETE LINED TUNNELS WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO LONDON CLAY

On 21 October 1994 and during the following days, three parallel tunnels collapsed at Heathrow Airport near London, which were being constructed as part of the Heathrow Express Rail Link. They were being excavated in London clay, and used a primary lining of sprayed concrete (shotcrete), which was being designed and constructed using a variant of the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM). The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was asked to carry out an investigation of: (1) whether there were any broader health and safety implications about the construction of NATM tunnels in the UK, and the safety of finished tunnels using the NATM, compared to tunnels constructed by other methods; and (2) investigate and report on the causes of the Heathrow collapse. This document is the HSE report on the first part of this investigation only, and is about how NATM tunnels may be designed and constructed safely. It has six parts: (1) definition and description of the NATM process; (2) worldwide review of NATM safety; (3) summary of UK health and safety legislation as applied to tunnel construction; (4) NATM safety principles; (5) how to design NATM tunnels for safety; and (6) appropriate management arrangements. The report displays its principal conclusions in its text, and contains a table of NATM tunnel incidents including collapses.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0717610683
• Corporate Authors:

  HEALTH AND SAFETY EXECUTIVE

  HSE INFORMATION CENTRE, BROAD LANE
  SHEFFIELD,   United Kingdom  S3 7HQ
• Publication Date: 1996

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 86 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Administration; Airports; Clay; Construction management; Design; Failure; Legislation; Railroad tracks; Shotcrete; Tunnel lining; Tunneling; Tunnels; Urban areas
• Identifier Terms: Austrian tunneling method
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 155: Administration; 1037: Airport; 3386: Austrian tunnelling method; 4177: Clay; 3666: Construction method; 9011: Design (overall design); 5520: Failure; 1556: Legislation; 4730: Shotcrete; 3374: Tunnel; 3385: Tunnel lining; 8119: United Kingdom; 313: Urban area
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Aviation; Bridges and other structures; Construction; Design; Law; Railroads; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00729796
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• ISBN: 0-7176-1068-3
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Dec 26 1996 12:00AM