DYNA JOURNAL ENGINEERING

Key words:

Túnel submarino, Tratamiento del terreno, Nivel freático, Inyecciones, Hidroescudos, Subsea tunnel, Ground treatment, Water table, Injections, TBM, Hydroshields.

Article type:

ARTICULO DE INVESTIGACION / RESEARCH ARTICLE

Section:

RESEARCH ARTICLES

The world of construction, and especially the area of underground works, is immersed in a constant state of innovation and development. In this area, numerous and innovative variables are handled, both in improvements to material properties and construction technology and in new user requirements and demands. Throughout history, civil engineering has had to offer support for the needs of comfort, aesthetics, sustainability and worker safety, among others. Of these, the latter is the most important and it has achieved increasing relevance in recent years. This research is intended to offer a comprehensive solution to the tunnelling process, beneath phreatic surfaces and in geological conditions with low cohesive strength and subject to high pressures. The intention of this technology is to treat the soil via injections applied from inside a tunnelling machine to review and replace worn tooling on its cutting wheel. The proposed solution consists in the installation of a high-frequency perforation unit on a hydroshield tunneller. This new device is analysed to determine whether it offers a solution for the proposed requirements. The results obtained confirm a 15% improvement compared to existing solutions, greater efficiency and execution speed while proving to be a safer technique in terms of preventing labour-related risks and offering respect for the environment.

Keywords: Subsea tunnel, Ground treatment, Water table, Injections, TBM, Hydroshields.