CUT AND COVER

CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE OF
Cut-and-cover construction of
CUT AND COVER .
theParis MtroinFrance
Cut-and-coveris a simple method of construction for shallow tunnels where a
trenchis excavated androofedover with an overhead support system strong
enough to carry the load of what is to be built above the tunnel. Two basic forms of
cut-and-cover tunnelling are available:constructed in it. The tunnel may be of in situ
concrete, precast concrete, precast arches, or corrugated steel arches; in early days
brickwork was used. The trench is then carefully back-filled and the surface is
reinstated.

TYPE

Conventional Method
In the conventional method, excavating a trench in the ground and then backfilling and
restoring the original roadway or ground is the process used to construct a tunnel. [2]A
support system of some sort is also necessary to carry the load of the material used to
cover over the tunnel such asshotcrete.

Bottom-up Method
In the cut-and-cover bottom-up orcaissonwall method, a drilling rig is used to install
caisson walls down to the existing bedrock. Once the caisson walls are in place, soil
between the walls is excavated to a depth below the tunnel floor. The tunnel floor, a slab, is
poured, followed by the sidewalls of the tunnel from the bottom-up. After the walls of the
tunnel are completed, the roof is constructed and the roadway or ground on top of the
tunnel restored. Materials used to provide the structure and support in the construction of
the tunnel may includeconcrete, pre-cast concrete, pre-cast arches, or corrugated steel
arches.
Top-down Method
In the cut-and-cover top-downor diaphragm wall method, the opposite process takes place
in constructing the tunnel. Atrencheror trench cutter is typically used to dig a trench out
of the the ground first before concrete walls are built. This processes consists of using a
slurry mixture to build aslurry wall. The slurry wall provides temporary support to the sides
of the trench before concrete is poured for a permanent wall structure. Once the concrete
walls of the tunnel are completed, the roof of the tunnel is constructed and the surface
roadway restored.Excavationof the tunnel is then carried out through openings in the
tunnel roof top-down to the tunnel floor. The tunnel floor slab is the last part of construction
to be completed.[4]
Cast-in-place Method
Another type of cut-and-cover tunneling is called cast-in-place. In this method, a trench is
excavated with forms being built directly inside the trench. Concrete is then poured or cast

BOTTOM UP CONSTRUCTION

Under this method, after the construction of pile and diaphragm wall, slurry pile or sheet pile surrounding the
construction works, the contractor will conduct open-cut excavation to certain depth and then proceed
installation of the strutting system (Bracsing System) to support the basement walls during excavation and
construction of the basement. Depending on the depth of foundation mat, structure design may require one or
more different layers of struts to ensure sufficient resistance against pressure of soil + ground water outside the
project impact on the basement walls.
After installation of strutting system is completed and ground is excavated to bottom level of foundation, the
contractor will construct foundation,basement, superstructure of the building upward from the bottom in
accordance with normal procedures.
Strutting system can be used as hard core for structural beams / floor of the basement or will be removed after
the basement floor shall afford all the pressure exerted on the basement walls.
Conventionally buildings with underground basements are built by bottom-up method where sub-structure and
super-structure floors are constructed sequentially from the bottom of the sub-structure or lowest level of
basement to the top of the super-structure . Though this conventional method is simple in both design and
construction , it is not feasible for the gigantic projects with limited construction time and or with site
constraints.

Construction of basement using traditional

bottom-up arrangement

TOP DOWN TECHNIQUE

Top-down method: Side support walls and capping beams are constructed from ground level by such
methods asslurry wallingor contiguous bored piling. Then a shallow excavation allows making the
tunnel roof of precast beams or in situ concrete. The surface is then reinstated except for access
openings. This allows early reinstatement of roadways, services and other surface features. Excavation
then takes place under the permanent tunnel roof, and the base slab is constructed.

Top-down construction method as the name implies is a construction method which builds the
permanent structure members of the basement along with the excavation from the top to the bottom .
Top-down method is mainly used for two types of urban structures , tall buildings with deep basements
and underground structures such as car parks , underpasses and subway stations . In this case the
basement floors are constructed as the excavation progresses. The top-down method has been used for
deep excavation projects where tieback installation was not feasible and soil movements had to be
minimized. Top-down construction method which provides the significant saving of the overall
construction time has been adopted for some major projects where time factor is of primary importance
. The sequence construction begins with retaining wall installation and then load-bearing elements that
will carry the future super structure . The basement columns (typically steel beams ) are constructed
before any excavation takes place and rest on the load bearing elements . These load bearing
elements are typically concrete barrettes constructed under slurry .

PROCEDURE
The typical construction procedure of top down construction is as follows
Construct the retaining wall.
Construct piles. Place the steel columns or stanchions where the
piles are constructed.
Proceed to the first stage of excavation.
Cast the floor slab of first basement level
Begin to construct the superstructure
Proceed to the second stage of excavation; cast the floor slab of
the second basement level.
Repeat the same procedure till the desired depth is reached
Construct the foundation slab and ground beams, etc. Complete
the basement
Keep constructing the superstructure till it gets finished.

Excavation and installation of steel strut

The soil is excavated just below roof slab level of the

underground structure. Struts are installed to support the
retaining walls, which in turn support the soil at the sides

Construction of underground struc

TALLATION OF RETAINING WALL

The underground retaining wall which is

usually a diaphragm wall, is installed
before excavation commences.

The roof slab is constructed, with access

openings provided on the slab for works to
proceed downwards.

Construction of underground structure

The next level of slab is constructed, and this

process progresses downwards till the base slab
is completed

struction of underground structure

The side walls are constructed upwards,

followed by removal of the intermediate struts.
The access openings on the roof slab are then
sealed.

Backfilling and reinstatement

After the underground structure is completed, the soil is

backfilled to the top strut level before the strut is removed.
This is followed by completely backfilling the top of the
underground structure and finally reinstating the surface areas.

BORE AND DRILL