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    1.3 Some Technical Features of NATM: Health and Safety Executive

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    Senthil Nath
    This document discusses technical features of the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) related to face stability during tunnel excavation. It notes that clay has a short "stand-up time" of 18-24 hours in London clay after excavation before collapsing. It also discusses the risk of large chunks called "greasy-backs" falling from inclined joints in the clay face, which can cause major injury or death without proper support. Support methods to reduce this risk include battering the face, leaving unexcavated areas as "dumplings", reducing excavation size, applying shotcrete, and using ground anchors and forepoling.

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    1.3 Some Technical Features of NATM: Health and Safety Executive

    Uploaded by

    Senthil Nath
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    This document discusses technical features of the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) related to face stability during tunnel excavation. It notes that clay has a short "stand-up time" of 18-24 hours in London clay after excavation before collapsing. It also discusses the risk of large chunks called "greasy-backs" falling from inclined joints in the clay face, which can cause major injury or death without proper support. Support methods to reduce this risk include battering the face, leaving unexcavated areas as "dumplings", reducing excavation size, applying shotcrete, and using ground anchors and forepoling.

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    Pages From Natm

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    Pages From Natm

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    This document discusses technical features of the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) related to face stability during tunnel excavation. It notes that clay has a short "stand-up time" of 18-24 hours in London clay after excavation before collapsing. It also discusses the risk of large chunks called "greasy-backs" falling from inclined joints in the clay face, which can cause major injury or death without proper support. Support methods to reduce this risk include battering the face, leaving unexcavated areas as "dumplings", reducing excavation size, applying shotcrete, and using ground anchors and forepoling.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    79 views1 page

    1.3 Some Technical Features of NATM: Health and Safety Executive

    Uploaded by

    Senthil Nath
    This document discusses technical features of the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) related to face stability during tunnel excavation. It notes that clay has a short "stand-up time" of 18-24 hours in London clay after excavation before collapsing. It also discusses the risk of large chunks called "greasy-backs" falling from inclined joints in the clay face, which can cause major injury or death without proper support. Support methods to reduce this risk include battering the face, leaving unexcavated areas as "dumplings", reducing excavation size, applying shotcrete, and using ground anchors and forepoling.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 1

    Health and Safety

    Executive

    Figure 1 Example of NATM 1.3 Some technical features of NATM


    tunnel excavated in 3 partial
    cross-sections Face stability
    24 A fundamental technical requirement of a NATM tunnel is the potential for the
    ground in the excavation face to remain stable for sufficient time for the lining or
    ground support system to be constructed and the tunnel advanced. Clay (like many
    soils) has a property commonly referred to as its stand-up time. It is a term that, for
    a clay, relates to the ability of the face to be self-supporting, due to the development
    of a reduced pore water pressure, following excavation. It is a relatively short-lived
    effect (typically between 18-24 hours in London clay) after which time the ground will
    collapse. In some materials other than London clay, it may be possible to increase
    the stand up time by ground treatment, such as grouting or ground freezing, prior to
    excavation. More importantly, it is a concept that cannot always be relied upon in
    practice due to factors including variability in the geology, such as naturally occurring
    planes of weakness, and changes in water content.

    25 In particular, naturally occurring inclined joints in the clay can cause large lumps,
    known as greasy-backs to fall from the face. Their size is dependent on the size of
    the face and the orientation of the planes of weakness. Although it is unlikely that a
    progressive collapse affecting those at the surface will occur, a falling greasy-back
    may cause major injury and, potentially, a fatality to a worker. The risk of injury is
    greater where the greasy-back falls from higher up the face and may be reduced by:

    battering or doming the face;


    leaving unexcavated ground as a dumpling against the face;
    reducing the size of the advance;
    placing a sealing coat of shotcrete on the face and,
    more comprehensive ground support measures such as ground anchors and
    forepoling (spiling).

    26 Forepoling involves the insertion of rods or tubes into the extremities of the
    crown face so that the rods are supported from within the tunnel and project above
    and beyond the area to be excavated (see also glossary).

    Safety of New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) Tunnels Page 19 of 137

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