HYDRAULIC TRANSPORTATION AND SOLIDS SEPARATION OF EXCAVATED MATERIALS IN TUNNELS

Hydraulic transportation of tunnel muck can be safe and economical; however, it is not in wide use except in Twin Cities area of Minnesota. There, it was developed along with hydraulic cutting for tunneling in the weak St. Peter sandstone. This combination has produced some of the lowest cost urban civil works tunnels in the United States. Most of the system used in the St. Peter sandstone could be used in soils and various soft rocks of other areas. It is the objective of this research project to increase the use of hydraulic transportation for tunnel muck by documenting the system which is now in use and by developing solids-water separation methods which will make the system compatible with the urban environment. Systems for solids-water separation have been designed based on tests at the laboratory scale. Three basic systems are proposed: discharge into public waters, disposal into sanitary sewers or re-use in the tunneling operation. These systems would added about thirty dollars per lineal foot of tunnel (8 ft ID) for a total cost of about $630. The system for re-use of the water will be tested in the field at full scale. /Author/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by DOT, Office of the Secretary. See also report dated Jul 75, PB-254 096.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

  Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, 200 Union Street, SE
  Minneapolis, MN  United States  55455

  Department of Transportation

  Office of University Research, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Miller, S M
  • Nelson, C R
  • Christensen, G L
  • Yardley, D H
• Publication Date: 1977-1

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 199 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Costs; Excavation and tunneling; Hydraulics; Mucking; Recycling; Rivers; Sewers; Solid waste disposal; Transportation; Tunneling; Tunneling machines; Tunnels; Urban areas
• Old TRIS Terms: Muck tunneling; Tunnel excavation
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Geotechnology; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00167847
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT-TST-77-75 Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DOT-OS-40087
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jan 13 1978 12:00AM