Mountain Tunneling Construction in

Difficult Ground Condition in Japan

NATIONAL SEMINAR ON TUNNEL
September 17th, 2018
Institute of Road Engineering (IRE), Bandung

Atsushi KUSAKA
Leader of Tunnel Team
Public Works Research Institute, JAPAN

1
 Today’s agenda

1. Introduction

2. Tunneling technologies in Difficult Ground Condition

3. Dynamic behavior of mountain tunnel

4. Countermeasures against earthquake for road tunnels in

Japan

2
Reasons Why the NATM is Popular in Japan
 Location of the tunnels
 Most of road tunnels are constructed in mountain area ( = rock
tunnels).
 Complicated geology
 Japan is located on the edge of tectonic plate.
 NATM is adaptable to drastic change of geology
 NATM is flexible to tunnel shape and support system
 Lower cost than other methods in most cases etc….

NATM TBM

3
 Today’s agenda

1. Introduction

2. Tunneling technologies in Difficult Ground Condition

3. Dynamic behavior of mountain tunnel

4. Countermeasures against earthquake for road tunnels in

Japan

4
Kan-etsu Tunnel, The longest mountain road tunnel in JP

Maximum overburden 1190m

11 km long

5
The Alignment of Kan-etsu Tunnel

Main Tunnel Dust Collection Bypass

Ventilation Station
Shaft

Evacuation Tunnel

6
Large Section Tunnel

Excavating Area

 Extra large cross section (27m-wide excavation)

 Soft soil ground in an urban area
(deposits of volcanic ash, called Shirasu)
7
Immediate Ring Closure in Poor Ground

Face Reinforcement
Support ring closure
Extremely poor near the face
ground

 Poor ground can be excavated using a state-of-the-

art technology.
 Face stabilization technique
 Large construction machines
 Auxiliary methods
8
Closely Spaced Twin Tunnels

Center drift for

making pillar
(Conventional)

No drift
(= no pillar)

(Source taken from JICE report)

 Simple excavation of twin tunnels using

immediate ring closure technique.

9
 Penetrate through Tough Aquifer

Horizontal Boring

Cited from MLIT website

Water pressure : 2.65 MPa

Water inflow : 20 t/min Grouting

 Tough aquifer ground can be excavated using

drainage and grouting techniques.

10
Tunneling in a Landslide-Prone Area

Cited from Google map

 Countermeasures against landslide

 Counterweight filling
 Landslide prevention piles
 Water drainage
 Tunnel face stabilizing

11
Water-Tight NATM Tunnel

Recovery of water level

Water-tightened

Normal tunnel
= drained structure

 Increased needs of recovery of the water level

due to environmental concerns

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Key Technology for Difficult Tunnels
 Tunnel support ...Structural stability
 Sprayed concrete
 Steel arched support
 Rockbolt

 Auxiliary method ...Safety during construction

 Pre-support
 Face reinforcement
 Foot reinforcement
 Water inflow control
 Ground reinforcement , etc.

 Observation and measurement

...Assessment of stability/safety/economic adequacy

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 Today’s agenda

1. Introduction

2. Tunneling technologies in Difficult Ground Condition

3. Dynamic behavior of mountain tunnel

4. Countermeasures against earthquake for road tunnels in

Japan

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Measurement in a Normal Tunnel
 Acceleration
Strain Meter  1 point
 Servo-type
 3 directions

 Strain
 5 points
 Circumferential
Acceleration direction
Meter  10 cm average

 Recording
 1,000 Hz sampling

Acceleration Meter Strain Meter

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Outline of the Earthquake
 Earthquake
 Date and time April 7th, 2011 23:32 JST
 Magnitude 7.1 (JMA, Japan Meteorological Agency)
 Depth 66 km
 JMA Seismic Intensity 6+ (Max), 6- (at Ishinomaki)
 Distance to the tunnel ca. 60 km (from the epicenter)
Seismic
Intensity
60 km

Epicenter

Cited from JMA website San Juan Tunnel

Cited from JMA website
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 Acceleration on Sidewall of the Tunnel
300
Acceleration (gal)

200
100
Longitudinal
 Maximum of ca. 200 gal
0
-100
-200
-300
0 5 10 15
time (s)
20 25 30  Little difference between
three directions
300
Acceleration (gal)

200 Horizontal
100
0
-100
 Smaller than Ishinomaki
-200
-300 ground surface (300- 400
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
time (s) gal, obtained by K-net)
300
Acceleration (gal)

200 Vertical
100
0
-100
-200
-300
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
time (s)

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Strain on the Lining
20
15 Right SL
10
Strain (μ)

 Points of largest strain

5
0
-5
-10

 Crown (-16μ to +19μ)

-15
-20
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Time (s)
20
15  Right shoulder (-11μ to +15μ)
10
Strain (μ)

5
0
-5
-10 Right shoulder
-15
-20
0 5 10 15
Time (s)
20 25 30  Only in the elastic range
20
15
10
Crown
of the concrete
Strain (μ)

5
0
-5
-10
-15
-20
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Time (s)
20
15 Left shoulder
10
Strain (μ)

5
0
-5
-10
-15
-20
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Time (s)
20
15 Left SL
10
Strain (μ)

5
0
-5
-10
-15
-20
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Time (s)

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Conclusions from the Measurement

 Mountain tunnel is generally a strong structure

in an ordinary ground condition against
earthquake, also according to the actual
measurement.

(Similar dynamic measurement in another tunnel

supports the conclusion.)

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 Today’s agenda

1. Introduction

2. Tunneling technologies in Difficult Ground Condition

3. Dynamic behavior of mountain tunnel

4. Countermeasures against earthquake for road tunnels in

Japan

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 Tunnel Damage by Earthquake

Examples of damage of road tunnel lining during Kumamoto Earthquake, 2016

.... Tunnel lining could not follow the ground movement.

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Countermeasures against Active Faults
 Grasp the location of active faults
 Secure a distance from the active faults, as far as
possible
 Make an adequate tunnel structure if there is an
extremely poor ground conditions

... However, many difficulties to make a decision:

 An active fault is NOT the sufficient condition to cause
tunnel damage
--- Many examples of no-damage span which is very close
to the active fault causing earthquake.
 Who knows when the active fault moves?
 How to avoid the active fault?
--- a line (tunnel) vs a plane (active fault)

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Ground Conditions prone to Earthquake Damage
① Extreme water inflow
② Large collapse of cutting face
③ Need massive auxiliary method due to unstable
ground
④ Sudden change of geology
⑤ Sudden change of ground stiffness
⑥ Extreme deviated pressure
⑦ Extreme shallow overburden
⑧ Poor ground (DII or worse in Japanese
category), including fault/fracture zone

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Countermeasures against Earthquake
In the ground prone to earthquake damage;
① Build more mechanically-stable structure
by installing invert concrete
② Adequate support structure
--- do not hesitate to adopt stronger support pattern
③ Use single steel bar in the permanent lining
--- avoid collapse of large block of lining concrete, even
though the lining should be fractured

Steel bar

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