A SYSTEMS STUDY OF SOFT GROUND TUNNELING

A FUNDAMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF SOFT-GROUND TUNNELING OPERATIONS WAS MADE TO IDENTIFY AND ASSESS THE POTENTIAL TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF NEW TUNNELING SYSTEM CONCEPTS. QUANTITATIVE ESTIMATES WERE MADE OF COSTS AND RATE OF ADVANCE OF DIFFERENT CANDIDATE SYSTEM CONCEPTS RELATIVE TO AN ASSUMED SET OF TUNNELING CONDITIONS. THE MAGNITUDE OF R AND D EFFORT REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE COST REDUCTIONS AND PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS OVER THE 1970 TO 1985 TIME PERIOD WAS ESTIMATED. THE STUDY CONCLUDES THAT THE MAJOR RESTRAINTS TO REDUCING COSTS AND INCREASING PERFORMANCE IN SOFT GROUND TUNNELING OVER THE 1970 TO 1985 TIME PERIOD WILL RESULT FROM THE LACK OF ANY EFFECTIVE METHOD FOR HANDLING BOULDERY GROUND AND FROM THE LACK OF A METHOD FOR RAPID INSTALLATION OF THE PERMANENT TUNNEL LINER CONTINUOUSLY AND CONCURRENTLY WITH THE ADVANCE OF THE FACE. WITH A 15-YEAR R AND D EFFORT OF $35 TO $70 MILLION, THESE PROBLEMS COULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY OVERCOME AND CURRENT TUNNELING COSTS COULD BE EXPECTED TO DECREASE BY 40-65% AND ADVANCED RATES COULD BE EXPECTED TO INCREASE BY A FACTOR OF FROM 4 TO 8. COST DIFFERENCES AMONG THE MORE PROMISING ALTERNATIVE SYSTEM CONCEPTS WERE FOUND TO BE SMALL RELATIVE TO THE RANGE OF UNCERTAINTY ASSOCIATED WITH THE COST FORECASTS. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • PROJ NO TRD-53
• Corporate Authors:

  Little (Arthur D), Incorporated

  Acorn Park
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02140

  Fexix & Scisson Inc

  ,    
• Publication Date: 1970-5

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Costs; Development; Innovation; Research; Soft rock; Soft soils; Technology; Tunneling
• Uncontrolled Terms: Research and development
• Old TRIS Terms: Future concepts
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Finance; Highways; Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00215573
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Urban Mass Transportation Administration
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Nov 7 1972 12:00AM