Professional Documents
Culture Documents
MAIPU
Alexandre R.A. Gomes1, C. Mercado2, M. Houska1 & K. Maia1
1
Geoconsult Latinoamerica Ltda., Santiago, Av. Andres Bello, 2777, of. 502, Las Condes, Chile
2
Metro S.A., Av. Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins,1414, Santiago, Chile
KEYWORDS
NATM, Shallow tunnels and caverns, Subway.
INTRODUCTION
The construction works of the new line 5 extension to Maipu started in March 2007 and were sub-
divided in 4 construction lots. The first two lots shall be ready for operation in December 2009,
whereas the rest of the new extension shall be finished at the end of 2010. This new line extension
shall connect the existing Metro network of the Santiago central area with the south-western city
region, improving commuting services for over 1 million people.
The present article describes the main challenges and the experience obtained during the
construction of the NATM tunnels and caverns of the project, which were excavated in novel
ground conditions and crossed underneath lakes, houses, buildings, canals and expressways with
very low overburden.
Underground tunnels and caverns are excavated following the principles of the NATM (New
Austrian Tunnelling Method), with the use of the conventional cyclic and sequential excavation
method. After each excavation step, a primary shotcrete lining (reinforced with lattice girders, wire
mesh, steel bars or fibers) is immediately installed. The secondary lining - also of shotcrete - is
installed at a later stage to provide the final support and long-term stability to the tunnel section.
These double-layer reinforced shotcrete linings are of permanent character.
Hydrological conditions are also favourable and the ground water level is far below the planned
tunnel alignment at a depth of 70-80m below ground surface. The occurrence of water infiltration is
associated to existing water bearing layers, leaking tubes and surface water percolating through the
permeable gravel layers.
The underground excavation of the new line 5 extension has been carried out in different ground
conditions, where there had been no previous tunnelling experience in Santiago. The tunnels cross
through zones with deposits of ravelling gravel, fine silt-sands of volcanic origin with well to
medium cementation, the so-called Pumicita and alluvium deposits of clayey silt and sand, which
are encountered in layers or intercalated with gravel horizons with varying granulometry and fines
content.
(a) Gravel deposit, clayey-silt and sand (b) Clayey-silt (top heading) and pumicite
lenses in bench (Running tunnel) (bench) (Access Tunnel)
The volcanic origin soil (Pumicite) corresponds to a fine sand with approximately 35% of fines
without any plasticity. This soil presents at tunnel springline the following properties: = 15 kN/m3;
c = 65 kPa; = 35; E = 70-120 MPa (Gomes et al., 2008). During construction, the Pumicite
presented an excellent behaviour due to its stiffness and well cemented particles with excellent face
stability (up to 8 m high faces) and no tendency to overbreak. The installation of the shotcrete
support had to be carried out carefully with moistening of the perimeter surface and application of a
thin, initial shotcrete sealing of 1 to 2 cm thickness, as to provide the required bond for the
application of the following shotcrete layers.
(a) Pumicite with excellent face stability (b) Gravel and clay layer
(Station Tunnel) (Station Tunnel)
In many sectors, the tunnel face presented mixed ground conditions composed by horizons of
gravel, clayey silts, pumicite or sand lenses. In the contact between these strata, mainly when the
gravel was located in the top heading zone, there has been some local instability which generated
overbreak. For these sectors, excavation had to be carried out carefully, with short round length and
a rapid installation of shotcrete.
RUNNING TUNNELS
The running tunnels present a cross-section of about 60 m2 with a diameter of about 10 m and a
typical horse-shoe shape with flat invert, which bears the secondary lining. A structural ring closure
(arched invert) was applied only at some sections which presented special characteristics, such as,
tunnel intersections, crossing of foundations from bridges and multi story condominiums or sectors
where the soil showed unfavourable conditions or major deformation behaviour during top heading
excavation.
The running tunnels excavation sequence was carried out either in stages (top heading, bench and
eventually invert) or full face with the use of a massive supporting core (Figure 3). The round
lengths were typically 1.0 to 1.2 m depending on the ground conditions. The ground support was
guaranteed by a primary lining constituted by shotcrete reinforced with wire mesh. At a later stage,
a secondary lining was installed, consisting of a shotcrete arch reinforced with fibers or wire mesh
and supported by a bottom slab with longitudinal beams or an invert. In general, the double lining
has an overall thickness of 35 cm and is designed as a support of permanent character.
Ground conditions had a major influence on excavation sequence and hence, deformation. In
general, sectors where the soil type was mainly gravel and pumicite, the range of surface
deformations was between 5 and 7.5 mm and 2 and 5 mm, respectively. In some sectors, where the
presence of ravelling gravel in the top heading generated overbreaks and the bench was of clayey-
silt, the deformations reached a range of 9 to 12 mm.
TURN-OUT SECTION
The construction of a new turn-out section required the demolition of an existing depot tunnel
simultaneously to the excavation of the new enlarged tunnel with spans of approximately 19 m. Due
to this enlargement, the final bifurcation presents a very low overburden (only 5 m). Part of this
section is located below an artificial lake, which was dewatered prior to tunnel construction for
safety reasons.
The access tunnel presents a typical cross section up to 154 m2 with a diameter of about 12 m and a
length of more than 30 m. Due to the low overburden and as to reduce surface settlement at the
access tunnel and station tunnel crossing area, the access tunnel top heading was excavated below a
pipe roof umbrella with the provision of a temporary invert. In a second stage, the access tunnel
heading was completed with bench and invert excavation with short ring closure.
The station platform tunnel presents 140 m length and a cross section of 160 m2 with about 15 m
diameter. As the rail level is usually at a depth of 17 to 18 m, the tunnel crown presents only 6-7 m
overburden. Its excavation followed the access tunnel with the subdivision of the tunnel face in
three separated headings (sidewall-drift-excavation) as to reduce deformations and control
overbreaks. A forepoling umbrella protected the first excavation meters at the access and the station
tunnel intersection. The temporary sidewalls were demolished by hydraulic crushers, as the central
heading advanced.
The running tunnels also passed below expressway viaducts (General Velzquez and Teniente
Cruz), Americo Vespucio and Autopista del Sol Expressways the Canal Zanjon de la Aguada
CONCLUSIONS
The excavations of the first 2 lots of the new line extension was carried out successfully and
finished in the end of February 2009 in accordance with the construction schedule and without
major cost overruns. The clients efforts to pursue low disturbance, cost-effective and pragmatic
technical solutions, together with a continuous engineering site supervision during construction has
proved to be effective to guaranty a safe and rapid construction. The excavation works of remaining
sections shall be finished until the end of 2009.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to express their gratitude to Metro S.A. for the permission to publish this
article.
REFERENCES
Gomes, A.R.A.; Pimentel, K.C.A. and Houska, M. (2008), Metro Santiago: Design and Construction of Shallow
Tunnels, GEOMECHANIK UND TUNNELBAU, Vol. 1, No3, pp. 182188.
Gomes, A.R.A., Bfer M. and Muoz, P (2007), Metro Santiago Building an Urban Tunneling Industry from the
Ground Up, Proceedings of the ITA-AITES WORLD TUNNEL CONGRESS 2007 the 4th Dimension of Metropolises,
Prague, Vol. 1, pp. 7580.
Gomes, A. & Bfer, M. (2005), Proyecto y Construccion de las Obras de Tuneleado de la Estacion Puente Alto, Linea
4 Metro de Santiago, Proceedings of the 1st International Symposium of Engineering Geology, Geotechnics,
Geomechanics and Environment, CIP APIG, Lima.
Gomes, A. & Bfer, M. (2004), Metro de Santiago: Tunnelling under the Fray Andresito Bridge, Proceedings of the
30th ITA-AITES WORLD TUNNEL CONGRESS 2004 - Underground Space for Sustainable Urban Development,
Singapore.
Mercado, C.; Chamorro, G. and Egger, K. (2004), Santiagos Metro Expands, Proceedings of the North American
Tunneling (NAT 2004) Conference, Atlanta.
Gomes, A. and Bfer, M. (2002), Aspectos de Diseno y Construccion de las Obras de Tuneleado del Metro de
Santiago, Proceedings of the 12th COBRAMSEG / 1st CLBG / 3rd SBMR, ABMS; So Paulo, pp. 199211.