CUT-AND-COVER TUNNELING

The state of the art and future research in cut and cover tunneling is described. The operations described in this paper are usually performed sequentially on a cut and cover construction project; these include: relocating utilities; underpinning adjacent structures; dewatering where required; temporary street decking; installing ground support systems; and, excavating below street level. Future research in cut and cover tunneling will include ways to minimize environmental, social and economic impacts. Delays to commuters, interruption of normal business activities and loss of local business income and tenants are all affected by the construction methods employed. A new type of ground support developed in Europe and now being studied in the U.S., allows for precast panels to be placed in a slurry trench to form a continuous ground-support wall that can also be used as a part of the permanent structure. Development of a precast panel street decking is also needed for a permanent deck installation. There are two possible methods for handling maintenance of utilities which deserve further research. The first is to provide, before main excavation, twin utility tunnels on either side of the street. This would leave the center of the street clear and permit the precast structural roof to serve as a street deck. The second method is to support utilities below a permanent street deck and to place a second structural slab below the utilities. Other areas of future research include ground consolidation methods to reduce dewatering and ground support requirements. Transportation of excavated soil by hydraulic or pneumatic pipelines could possibly serve as an alternate to lifting by clamshell or conveyors.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/sr/sr171/171-016.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/0360859X
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This article appeared in TRB Special Report No. 171, Tunnel Construction: State of the Art and Research Needs. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Tiedemann, Henry R
• Publication Date: 1977

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: pp 29-30
• Monograph Title: TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION: STATE OF THE ART AND RESEARCH NEEDS
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Board Special Report
  • Issue Number: 171
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0360-859X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Construction; Construction sites; Dewatering; Environmental impacts; Excavation and tunneling; Excavations; Ground handling; Public utilities; Slurry trenches; Socioeconomic factors; Structural supports; Tunneling
• Uncontrolled Terms: Temporary; Underpinning; Utilities
• Old TRIS Terms: Ground support; Slurry trench construction
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Bridges and other structures; Construction; Economics; Environment; Highways; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00156045
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Oct 13 1977 12:00AM