STORMWATER MANAGEMENT AND ROAD TUNNEL (SMART) DESIGN CHALLENGES TO CUT-AND-COVER TUNNELS

BY Ir. Vince Tan Pik Sing & Ir. Chin Yew Thai Sepakat Setia Perunding (Sdn.) Bhd.

ABSTRACT

The SMART Project is an innovative project and first of its kind in the world. It combined the dual functions of drainage and traffic tunnels. The cut-and-cover tunnels were designed as cast in-situ box sections. They were cast underground with soil cover as deep as 16 meter. The top-down construction was designed for certain length of the tunnels where restricted by land uses at the vicinity area. Temporary drainage system was designed to divert the stream discharge into Sungai Kerayong in order to construct the cut-and-cover tunnels. Permanent cast in-situ reinforced concrete drainage channel was designed to run across the cut-and-cover tunnels.

1. INTRODUCTION

There are four major types of structures in the project namely: 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Inlet and outlet hydraulic structures. Stormwater-cum-motorway tunnels. Stormwater tunnels. Motorway tunnels.

FIGURE 1 in Page 2 shown the general layout and alignment of the tunnels and hydraulic structures at the Inlet and Outlet Systems of the SMART Project.

NORTH INGRESS-EGRESS

INLET SYSTEM

NORTH INGRESS-EGRESS

TBM TUNNEL OUTLET SYSTEM SOUTH INGRESS-EGRESS

Figure 1: General layout of tunnel alignment and hydraulic structures systems

2.0 INLET AND OUTLET HYDRAULIC STRUCTURES

As the SMART Project is mainly a hydraulic project that designed for discharging stormwater to overcome flash flood problem in the city center. Thus, there were a lot of relevant hydraulic structures were introduced at the inlet and outlet systems to cater for specific hydraulic design needs and functions. The hydraulic structures that were developed in the SMART Project are as follows:

2.1 Inlet System:

2.1.1 2.1.2 2.1.3 2.1.4

Sungai Klang Diversion Weir. Sungai Klang Offtake. Baffle Walls in Holding Pond. Tunnel Intake

2.2 Outlet System:

2.2.1 2.2.2 2.2.3 2.2.4

Tunnel Outfall Intake from Attenuation Pond Attenuation Pond Culvert to River Outfall to Sungai Kerayong

3.0 STORMWATER-CUM-MOTORWAY TUNNELS

The dual function tunnels are circular section with 11.8m internal diameter and were constructed with tunnel boring machine (TBM). The TBM construction method for this type of tunnels minimized the extent of disturbance to the existing buildings above it. The tunnels have two deck slabs to serve traffic and diversion of stormwater.

The dual function tunnels are approximately 3km long, which is joining the North and South Junction Boxes and Ventilation Shafts to holding pond at Kampung Berembang, Ampang, and attenuation pond in Taman Desa nearby Sungai Besi Old Airfield. See Figure 2 in Page 4 for typical cross section details of the stormwater and motorway tunnel.

4.0 STORMWATER TUNNELS

This stormwater tunnel was also constructed with tunnel boring machine but without provision of deck slabs for traffic. It is approximately 9.7km long and formed part of the total 12.7km long tunnel. The tunnel has a similar circular cross section as dual function tunnels and solely for discharging stormwater. It was finished with links of pre-cast concrete linings. Each link was formed by 9 numbers of 500mm thick x 1700mm wide pre-cast reinforced concrete segments.

The tunnels are joining the holding pond at Kampung Berembang, North Junction Boxes, ventilation shafts, South Junction Boxes and attenuation pond at Taman Desa nearby Sungai Besi Old Airfield. See Figure 3 in Page 5 for typical cross section details of stormwater tunnel.

Figure 2: Typical cross section details of stormwater-cum-motorway tunnel

Figure 3: Typical cross section details of stormwater tunnel

5.0 MOTORWAY TUNNELS (CUT-AND-COVER TUNNELS)

The motorway tunnels were constructed by cut-and-cover method. Thus, they are also named cut-and-cover tunnels. All South and North Ingress and Egress Tunnels are cutand-cover tunnels. Each of the cut-and-cover tunnels was designed with single/double deck slabs. Each deck slab has single/double traffic lanes. The south cut-and-cover tunnels are located nearby Sungai Besi Old Airfield along Kuala Lumpur-Seremban Highway. However, the north cut-and-cover tunnels are located at Kampung Pandan Roundabout, which is joining to Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Tun Razak.

The tunnels were constructed by open cut excavation. It was back filled with well compacted and selected earth to match the existing ground levels or designed finished ground levels. This construction method caused a lot of disturbance to existing services such as M&E cables, water, gas and sewer pipelines as well as surrounding buildings along or adjacent to the alignment of the tunnels. Deep open excavation may cause loss of ground water and lead to displacement and settlement at the vicinity ground if proper precaution measures are not dully taken with care and attention.

The tunnels were designed to cater for light vehicle traffic with maximum height of 2.1m and maximum driving speed limited to 60km per hour. It was not designed for diversion of stormwater purposes. The motorway tunnels were not designed for motorcyclists either. It was designed for both single/double decks with maximum two lanes carriageway at each deck.

6.0 DETAILS OF CUT-AND-COVER TUNNELS

The total overall length of the four lines of carriageway of the cut-and-cover tunnels is approximately 4.5km. The overburden of earth back filled on top of the tunnels varies from 3m to 16m. The tunnels consist of three major types geometrically i.e. single cell, double-deck single cell and double-deck twin cells.

The clear headroom of the box tunnels varies from 3.1m to 3.6m. Its clear width varies from 8m to 14m, depends on numbers of lanes of the carriageway. However, the twin cells box tunnels have constant headroom and internal clear width of 3.6m and 8m respectively. The clear headroom of double deck box tunnels is fixed at 3.6m for lower and upper decks, both with internal clear width vary from 8m to 14m.

The troughs were designed at the end of cut-and-cover tunnels, approaching ground levels. It was designed for earth back filled varies from 3m to 7.2m with internal clear width varies from 8m to 21m depending on the numbers of lanes of the carriageway. See Figures 4 to 11 in Pages 6 to 11 for typical cross section details of the cut-andcover tunnels and troughs:

Figure 4: Typical cross section details of box tunnel for single lane traffic

Figure 5: Typical cross section details of double deck box tunnel for single lane traffic

Figure 6: Typical cross section details of box tunnel for double lane traffic

Figure 7: Typical cross section details of double deck box tunnel for double lane traffic

Figure 8: Typical cross section details of double deck box tunnel at split

Figure 9: Typical cross section details for combination of two double-deck box tunnels

Figure 10: Typical cross section details of single cell box tunnel constructed with topdown construction method

Figure 11: Typical cross section details of trough or U-section

7.0 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR CUT-AND-COVER TUNNELS

In order to achieve a sound and cost-effective design, massive technical discussions and meetings were carried out regularly. Every design parameters and requirements of the codes of practice were taken into consideration during design stage. The aspects of design considerations for the cut-and-cover tunnels were as follows:

7.1 OPTIMUM DESIGN

The design of tunnels and troughs was not only to meet the code of practices and loading requirements to achieve a sound structure, optimum design was also an important aim. During detailed design stage, various sizes of cross sections of tunnels and troughs were studied and examined in order to achieve the most cost-effective tunnel section.

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The final cross section of the tunnels and troughs achieved a balance stage of utilization of concrete section capacity and strength capacity provided by steel reinforcement to produce the most economical design of the structures. The design process of the structures was tedious but it was an essential exercise to ensure that output of the design was not only to meet the requirements of code of practices, but also the most cost-effective design of the structure.

7.2 TYPES OF DESIGN LOADS

The tunnels are underground structures subjected to the following primary load cases:

7.2.1 7.2.2 7.2.3 7.2.4 7.2.5 7.2.6 7.2.7 7.2.8 7.2.9

Live load surcharge on top of finished ground level Overburden earth filled on top of finished ground level Lateral live load surcharge Long term and short term lateral earth pressure Lateral ground water pressure Uplift pressure due to ground water Superimposed dead load inside tunnel Live load inside tunnel Self-weight of structure

With the above-mentioned primary load cases, the tunnels were analyzed with all possible different load combinations to cater for temporary and long term conditions. The design of the tunnels were based on the worst case of load combinations and taken into account of service and ultimate limit states to meet durability and performance requirements of the tunnels.

7.3 FUTURE LOADING/POSSIBLE SURROUNDING LOADS

During detailed design stage, there was proposed Kuala LumpurPutrajaya Dedicated Highway interfaced with North Ingress and Egress of SMART Tunnels. Thus, the highway engineer design team, structural engineers and geotechnical engineers as well as contractor met frequently to discuss and identify possible loads that would affect the SMART Tunnels design. The contractors and design consultants of the proposed

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Dedicated Highway were advised to avoid its piled foundation encroach on the proposed alignment of the SMART Tunnels. However, certain area of the troughs has no choice to be designed to cater for additional loading surcharge induced by the new proposed reinforced earth wall of the Dedicated Highway.

7.4 TUNNEL SECTIONS

Prior to proceed with detailed structural design of the tunnels and troughs, a lot of efforts were made to determine types of cross sections for the tunnels and troughs. Exchange of design information and requirements between structural engineers, highway engineers, mechanical and electrical engineers were regularly carried out in order to produce a practical and cost-effective design output.

The major design issues govern the sections of tunnel/trough included soil profile, overburden back filled on top of the tunnels, lateral earth pressure on the wall of the troughs, underground water table, openings and recesses for mechanical and electrical services. The highway engineers will design the alignment and gradients of the tunnel to incorporate the design information and requirements provided by structural engineers, mechanical and electrical engineers to avoid any abortive works. However, the structural engineers will incorporate the required openings and recesses for mechanical and electrical services into the design of tunnels and trough.

7.5 CONCRETE DESIGN MIX

It is one of the important aspects needs to be taken into consideration in order to produce durable end products that could meet design and performance requirements. As most of the dimensions of the tunnel cross section were thicker than 1m, the heat generated during hydration process of concrete after casting would pose a potential risk to thermal cracks. Thus, design mix of concrete with pulverised-fuel ash (PFA) was introduced to prevent possible cracks caused by excessive heat generated during hydration process of concrete. However, instruments such as thermometers were installed in different points and orientations throughout the casting area of tunnel to ensure the generated heat during hydration of concrete was closely monitored and under control.

7.6 SERVICEABILITY ASPECTS

Since cut-and-cover tunnels are underground structures, thus water tightness requirement is a very important issue to be tackled for the structures. The tunnels and troughs were designed with maximum 0.25mm crack width by taking into consideration of exposure conditions.

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All the construction joints of tunnel located at base slabs, walls and roof slabs were provided with re-injectable type of water proofing system to cater for any possible leakage of ground water getting into the tunnel. Any leakage at construction joints caused by ground water will be injected with epoxy grout to stop the ground water.

Waterstop was not provided at the construction joints because the thickness of tunnel cross section was too thick to used. Installation of waterstop such as out of alignment, detached during construction, etc caused the construction joint becomes weak point for leakage.

7.7 GEOTECHNICAL DESIGN ASPECTS

The geotechnical design information playing a crucial and important role in determination of a project cost as well as the safety of a structure. This is especially important for SMART Project that involved works mainly deep underground excavation and tunneling such as the cut-and-cover tunnels and tunnels constructed with TBM as well as hydraulic structures.

The ground water tables as advised by the geotechnical engineers for North and South Ingress and Egress Tunnels were estimated at 0.5m and 1.5m respectively below finished ground level. Based on this design information, all the design of tunnels and troughs were required to counterbalance uplift force caused by the ground water. Earth filled and self-weight of the structure are normally used to provide the counterbalance force. However, in certain cases toes were introduced to the tunnels and troughs so that more weight of earth could be imposed onto the toes to increase the counterbalance weight against uplift force. This method was more cost-effective as compared with thickening walls and slabs of the tunnel.

Due to constraints of the site and limited working space, toes were unable to be introduced for some stretches of tunnels and troughs located at the North Ingress and Egress. In order to overcome the floatation problem, after tedious cost-effective studies, soil nails/rock bolts were eventually provided underneath base slab of the tunnels and troughs depending on types of ground conditions. Each of the soil nails or rock bolts were designed with 100KN working tensile force based on the geotechnical engineers advice and recommendation. See Figures 12 and 13 in Page 14 for typical cross section details of the tunnel and trough with integrity of rock bolts:

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Figure 12: Typical cross section details of tunnel integrated with rock bolts

Figure 13: Typical cross section details of trough integrated with rock bolts

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Extensive instrumentation was used for monitoring of possible ground displacement and settlement. Thus, any early discovery of ground movement could prevent unnecessary damages and remedial cost to adjacent buildings or structures.

The cut-and-cover tunnels in SMART Project were majority directly supported on rock except a small stretch of tunnels that located nearby Sungai Kerayong at South Ingress and Egress were supported on piled foundation. Transition zone between rock and piled foundations had been carefully taken care for. Soil treatment was also carried out to localized area, which was limited to maximum 2m deep. Temporary retaining walls were introduced when deep soil replacement was necessary.

7.8 TOP-DOWN CONSTRUCTION METHOD

Apart from Open Cut Excavation Method for construction of the tunnels, Top-down Construction Method was used in part of the South Ingress and Egress Tunnels close to Sungai Besi Old Airfield. The construction method was adopted due to constraints of existing site conditions and tight construction schedule. Also, the traffic flow at the stretch of Sungai Besi Old Airfield along Kuala Lumpur-Seremban Highway was very heavy and difficult to be diverted for other construction methods.

The top-down construction works began from upper portion toward lower portion of the box tunnel. It was very different and reversed from conventional construction method in the sequence of construction. The construction sequences were to cast the roof slab of the tunnel first. Then proceed with the base slab and wall construction.

Openings of 4.5m x 8.0m, 4.8m x 8.0m and 6.0m x 8.0m sizes were cast in the roof slab of the tunnel. The openings were required to provide accesses for excavation underneath the roof slab and casting of r. c. base slab and walls. Upon completion of the base slabs and walls, the openings were cast back with concrete.

Based on the top-down construction method, temporary structural strut system for the tunnels was not required. The tunnels were no longer directly supported on shallow foundation conventionally but supported by reinforced concrete contiguous bored piles (CBP) at both sides. The CBP walls were acting as temporary retaining wall as well as part permanent wall of the tunnels. The reinforced concrete contiguous bored piles were 800mm diameter. See Figures 14 to 16 in Pages 16 and 17 for part layout and typical details of openings for top-down construction:

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Figure 15: Typical 4.8m x 8m opening details in tunnel roof slab for top-down construction

Figure 16: Typical 6m x 8m opening details in tunnel roof slab for top-down construction

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7.9 EXISTING SERVICES OF CABLES AND PIPES

This aspect was always occurred during construction at developed area. Cautious attention and careful verification of the location, alignment and orientation of the existing services were carried out to prevent any damages and interruptions to the services. Thus, all the existing services such as water pipes, sewer pipes, gas pipes, M&E ducts or cables, etc were made available during design stage to avoid unnecessary disturbance during construction.

At South Ingress and Egress, there was no choice to reduce the base slab thickness of a tunnel to isolate the existing 1.2m diameter concrete sewer pipe touching tunnel. The sewer pipe was running across underneath the box tunnels.

7.10 INTERFACES WITH TEMPORARY WORKS

As the tunnels were built with open cut excavation method, a lot of temporary work systems were introduced into this project. These included temporary retaining sheet pile wall propped by a few layers of horizontal struts, which restrained by the king posts vertically. Due to the support system of the temporary retaining walls, king posts were installed at certain area to provide restraint for the temporary struts. Thus, the king posts were cast with the base slab of trough and tunnels. The reinforcement details of the base slab were modified to suit the construction works.

7.11 INTERFACES WITH EXISTING RIVER

Besides dealing with existing services in the SMART Project, at the South Ingress and Egress, the double-deck box tunnels were running across an existing branch river of Sungai Kerayong. The river was approximately 14m wide and 4.5m deep from finished ground level. The invert level of the riverbed is about 2.5m above roof slab of the box tunnels. The cross section of the tunnels is 11.8m wide x 10.2m high underneath the river.

In order to carry out construction works of the tunnels, a temporary drainage system was introduced to divert the flow of the river. After completion of the tunnel construction works, the river was reinstated to match the original alignment and sizes of the existing Sungai Kerayong. Soil treatment was also carried out underneath of the river.

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8.0 CONCLUSION

The design and construction of the cut-and-cover tunnels in the developed downtown of Kuala Lumpur, indeed was a great challenging task to the design engineers as well as contractors. This is especially difficult for the works carried out nearby Kampung Pandan Roundabout and Sungai Besi Old Airfield along Kuala Lumpur-Seremban Highway, which involved heavy traffic flow and existing services, highway flyovers and high rise buildings.

The construction of SMART Project was challenging. However, the effective management during detailed design and construction stages made it successfully implemented on the site. The good lines of communication and coordination between consultants, contractors and authorities played an important role for achieving the smooth and successful implementation of the ever first type of tunnels in the world that not only function for discharging stormwater but also for traffic purpose.

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REFERENCES
British Standards: BS 5400 - Steel, concrete and composite bridges Part 1 - General statement Part 2 - Specification for loads Part 4 - Code of practice for design of composite bridges BS 6031 - Earthworks BS 8002 - Earth retaining structures BS 8004 - Foundations BS 8081 - Code of practice for ground and anchorage recommendation for soil and rock anchorage system of grout or mechanical pipe BS 8110 - Structural use of concrete: Part 1 - Code of practice for design and construction Part 2 - Code of practice for special circumstances BS 8007 - Design of concrete structures for retaining aqueous liquids Departmental standards: BD 14/82 - Design manual for roads and bridges BD 15/92 - Design manual for roads and bridges BD 24/92 - Design manual for roads and bridges BD 28/87 - Design manual for roads and bridges BA 24/87 - Design manual for roads and bridges BD 30/87 - Design manual for roads and bridges BD 31/01 - Design manual for roads and bridges BD 37/01 - Design manual for roads and bridges

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