Field measurements in two tunnels in Edmonton, Alberta
Observations of the deformation of the temporary lining of two tunnels are presented. The Whitemud Creek tunnel was 6.05 m in diameter and was bored through Upper Cretaceous clay shale. The 170 Street tunnel was bored through till and had a diameter of 2.56 m.In the Whitemud Creek tunnel, the vertical diameter decreased by 10–15 mm and the horizontal diameter decreased by 6 mm. Movement was essentially complete in about 3 months. There was a rigid body movement upward of the lining system probably due to unloading of the soil in the invert area. Deformation moduli indicate a softening of the soil around the tunnel, which is consistent with the deformation observations. A finite-element analysis suggests that this softened zone is as important with regard to lining deformation as increasing K0 from 0.67 to 1.0In the 170 Street tunnel, the ground surface showed significant movement despite the small diameter and considerable overburden thickness. The vertical and horizontal diameter decreases were about one half of those of the Whitemud Creek tunnel and were essentially complete in 4–5 weeks. Soil pressures calculated from the observations showed a wide variation. Values derived from lagging deflection yielded a maximum of 63% of overburden pressure whereas pressure cell readings were 3.3% of overburden.It appears that the space between the lagging and the moled surface of the soil is an important factor affecting the magnitude of stresses in the temporary lining. Diameter changes are considered to be the easiest and most reliable observation of tunnel linings. The deflection of the lagging is also simple to observe but may not satisfy simple beam theory. Pressure cell results were disappointing and their use is debatable.