School of the Built Environment

Setting Out Underground Works

1. Introduction

Positional control of tunnel operations is an area in Civil Engineering where accuracy is paramount a mistake of only a few minutes of arc in setting the heading of a tunnel can lead to a considerable discrepancy in position at the other end if the tunnel is long. Mistakes in position are very difficult to rectify and unlike straights and curves set out on the surface the alignment of a tunnel cannot be checked by eye or other means before it is dug. !urthermore by their nature tunnels present surveying problems that are usually deliberately avoided on the surface" initial control along a short sight #typically $ to % metres& is e'tended to a tunnel hundreds of metres in length and a theodolite traverse in a tunnel is long and very thin a poor shape by (surface) standards. *unnel design data will specify the co+ordinates of shafts or inspection chambers #i.c.&" most sewer tunnels are driven straight between each i.c. though this is less the case with large diameter main sewers and road or rail tunnels must clearly contain curves where changes of direction are re,uired. Construction methods will dictate what access is available for setting out and a ground survey on the surface will have established control points along the length of the proposed tunnel. *he problem for the setting+out engineer is the transfer of the surface control to the tunnel and it is with this that these notes are concerned. 2. Types of tunnel entry for control transfer

*here are basically two types of entry to a tunnel through which control can be transferred. -oad or rail tunnels must meet the surface at some point and if tunneling is to commence at this point then a portal entry can be utili.ed as illustrated in figure /. 0ere direct transfer of control is possible by positioning the theodolite on a control point in front of the tunnel portal sighting other control points and then turning the telescope to sight directly along the tunnel.

*unnel

*heodolite

Surface Control Points Figure 1: Control transfer via portal entry to tunnel. Problems arise however when entry to the tunnel is via a shaft the diameter of which will usually be strictly limited by considerations of space availability and cost. 1n this case the baseline for the transfer is limited to the diameter of the shaft and must be e'tended along the length of the tunnel. Surface Control Points

Shaft *unnel Control

Figure 2: Control transfer via shaft entry to tunnel. Errors in tunnel heading are far more important than imprecise positioning #co+ordinates& of the shaft#s& since an error of only /2 of arc will result in a lateral shift of the tunnel of 344mm over each kilometer driven. Such errors are difficult and e'pensive to rectify. 3. Positioning of shafts

Before tunneling work commences shafts must be driven to provide access for the e,uipment and personnel. *hese are positioned from the control survey points usually by E5M. Control points may be some distance from the actual line of the tunnel though they should obviously be sited as close as practical within the constraints put upon them #inter+visibility security accessibility etc.&. *he following e'ample shows the positioning of a shaft by offset from one of the control lines6 5ata will be available as follows6 bearings of proposed tunnels bearings of control lines co+ordinates of shaft positions co+ordinates of control points Control survey

to 5 to P

Proposed tunnels ?

to M

Figure 3: Setting out a shaft position by offset from a control line. *he following data will be used6 7ine C+5 ?+M ?+P Bearing 389 $/: ;<= ;;$9 43: /;= 3>9 /4: /%= Point C ? Co+ordinates 3//.<3 mE ;/$.<> m? 38$.@3 mE ;@4.>% m?

1n order to measure the offset point * must be located along the control line C+5. 5istance C+* can be calculated with reference to !igure $ and established using E5M set up at station C. Bearing C+? from co+ordinate differences * ?orth C %/9 3%: 48= Bearing C+* C Bearing C+5 C 389 $/: ;<= ? Angle *C? C %/9 3%: 48= + 389 $/: ;<= C //9 %3: $;= C 5istances6 C* C /43.<>< m *? C ;/.@%@ m Figure 4: Positioning of offset from control line. *he theodolite is transferred to point * a right angle set off and distance *+? measured out. A peg can now be positioned at point ? and checked carefully by another method than that used for setting out e.g. by sighting to or from other control points and using intersectionBresection. Because an e'cavation will soon take place at ? for the shaft position marks must immediately be established in safe places either side of the proposed shaft usually on the line of one of the tunnel bearings and made sufficiently robust #e.g. cast in concrete&. Accurate alignment of these marks is critical and should be done from long sights onto control points with several rounds of angles taken on both faces of the instrument and the work checked thoroughly by another engineer.

to P

Frienting sighting 7ong sight to A to M ?

Surface Control Points

Figure 5: stablishment of alignment points across shaft position. 1t can be seen that it is considerably easier to establish surface alignment points before work on the shaft commences since the theodolite can be set up directly over point ?. 4. Transfer of ori!ontal "ontrol #$earing%

*here are two methods of control transfer down a shaft" it may be performed either optically or mechanically. 1n addition to these methods an independent means of orientation underground is by means of the (Dyro+theodolite) an instrument which as the name suggests combines a theodolite alidade with a gyroscope which oscillates about an a'is parallel to the a'is of rotation of the earth i.e. it can be made to point to *rue ?orth. *hese are highly sophisticated and very e'pensive instruments used in mining engineering but rarely in civil engineering an e'ample of their use in the latter was in the construction of the Channel *unnel during which two gyro+theodolites were used to check the alignment control performed by conventional theodolites. 4.1. Optical control transfer 5irect transfer of control by sighting through a theodolite can be performed if the shaft is wide and relatively shallow. Permanent control points are sited some distance from the shaft and used to transfer marks on the same alignment to stations immediately adEacent to the shaft. A theodolite is set up on one of the marks near the shaft aligned onto the distant control point and the telescope pointed down into the shaft allowing a new mark to be made on the base of the e'cavation as shown in the diagram below6 shaft A Plan view6 Control Point B tunnel theodolite position B:

Section6 *ransfer of control from B to B:

Figure !: "ptical transfer of control via a shallo# shaft.

*he process is then repeated with the theodolite on the other side of the shaft to transfer A down to A:. Fnce this has been repeated several times on both faces of the theodolite and checked carefully then line A:+B: will be on the same bearing as line A+B and can be e'tended along the tunnel as re,uired. Dreat care is re,uired in the accurate control of steep sightings such as these which are very susceptible to errors in level of the theodolite base. !or further advice on how to minimi.e this problem see Schofield/ chapter $. 4.2. &echanical transfer of control *he principal method of transfer of control down shafts is by suspension of wires usually from brackets attached to the top of the shaft lining. *he diagram below shows the general arrangement6 Pulley 5rum Coloured wires *unnel base FilBwater damping Section through shaft Figure $: %ransfer of control via suspen&e& #ires. All mechanical methods of control transfer share this basic arrangement. *here are different suspension methods depending upon the mechanism and method chosen but in general the following guidelines should be used6 Gires should be as fine as possible and handled with e'treme care to avoid kinking. Geights hung on the wires should load them to about %4H of ultimate strength. *he weights should be suspended in drums of water or preferably light oil to minimi.e oscillation. 1t is useful to have the wires colour coded either by using coloured wires or by tying coloured paper to them. Surface base Coloured wires Surface base

*unnel base

Shaft

Plan vie#

4.2.1. "o'planing

G. Schofield (Engineering Surveying) %th Ed Butterworth ;44/

Co+planing is the most straightforward method in terms of theory though it is fiddly to perform in practice and is not suited to all wire hanging systems. 1t derives its name from the fact that the two wires form a perfectly vertical flat plane whose bearing is the same at the top and the bottom. Alignment marks are made at the surface and wires hung to these marks. !or this method it is therefore essential that safe access can be obtained to the top of the shaft lining and that appropriate fittings #e.g. metal plates or dogs& can be fitted to it. *he method proceeds as follows6 On the surface( A station #C/ in the diagram below& is positioned on the desired alignment and the theodolite set up over it. Angles are transferred from the surface control stations #i.e. baseline& so that the theodolite telescope is aligned along the desired bearing. Marks are made on metal plates attached to the shaft lining at either side or metal dogs driven directly into it precisely on the alignment. Several rounds of angles are taken on both faces of the theodolite. Gires are suspended from the marked platesBdogs down the shaft into damping drums. A Control B base C/ w/ w; )ngles transferre& as for a Shaft Figure ': Surface alignment of #ires for co(planing Underground( *he theodolite is set up at C; usually outside the baseline along the initial drive of the tunnel as close as possible to the line marked by the two wires paying particular attention to the careful leveling of the tripod head. *he theodolite is moved sideways across the theodolite head until both wires are in e'act alignment when viewed trough the telescope. *he distance through which the theodolite must be moved sideways can be estimated by sighting onto the distant wire and reading the measurement on a ruler or tape with its end held to the near wire as in the following diagram6

*heodolite at C;
-e,uired position

?ear wire #w;& e/ d/ d;

!ar wire #w/&

e;
1nitial position

Figure *: +n&ergroun& alignment of the theo&olite &uring co(planing. !rom similar triangles the distance e; through which the theodolite has to be moved sideways can be calculated6 e/ d/ C e; d; i.e. e2 ) e 1 d2 d1

*he position of the theodolite is checked by focusing on one of the wires aligning the cross+hairs with the wire and then re+focusing onto the other wire at which point the second wire must also be e'actly coincident with the cross+hairs.

*he final alignment underground and any transfer of bearing necessary to reach the underground base should look like the following6 I Knderground base J C/

Shaft Figure 1,: +n&ergroun& transfer of bearing using co(planing. !or accurate transfer of alignment using this method it is vital to use a carefully adEusted instrument" sideways movement of the theodolite across the flat head of the tripod must be done without upsetting the leveling of the base+plate #special attachments are available to make this easier& and the sighting #i.e. cross+hair& and focusing lenses must be in precise alignment. 4.2.2. Weis*ach Triangle A more common method of control transfer which does not re,uire such precise alignment of the theodolite is based upon the Geisbach triangle. Another advantage of this method is than precise alignment of the wires is not essential so that they can be suspended from cantilever brackets or pulleys without having to ensure their precise positioning.

*he Geisbach triangle consists of two very small angles and one angle close to /@4L. 1n order to form such a triangle the theodolite is positioned slightly off the line formed by the two wires as below6 wire w; Figure 11. %he -eisbach %riangle. *heodolite position #S& wire w/

1f the distances between the theodolite and the nearest wire Sw/ and between the wires w/w; are known then the sine rule can be applied using the angles and 6 Sw/ sin i.e. sin C w/w; sin Sw/ sin w/w;

Because and are small angles #i.e. sin in radians& we may write Sw/ w/w; where and are in radians

and because both and can be converted to seconds by multiplying by the same constant #/@4B ' >4 ' >4& we can also write # % S+1 # % +1+2

*his is applied to a typical problem as follows6 A w; w/

S Angle ASw;

Shaft Figure 12: +se of the -eisbach triangle to calculate the bearing of the #ires.

*he work proceeds as follows6 On the surface( *he theodolite is set up close to the line of the two wires. Angle readings are taken to the control station and the two wires so that angles and ASw; can be measured. Several rounds are taken on both faces of the theodolite. 5istances between the wires and between the theodolite station and the nearest wire are measured accurately. !or highest accuracy a steel tape is stretched in catenary. *o ma'imi.e accuracy the following criteria should be met6 o !or <+figure accuracy must be less than /<. o !or >+figure accuracy must be less than $%. o *he distance Sw/ should be less than distance w/w;. *he whole+circle bearing of the line is calculated from the orienting sighting to the control base and the Geisbach triangle6 # & GCBSw; i.e. and GCBw;S GCBw;w/ C C C Sw/ #& w/w; GCBSA M angle ASw; GCBSw; M /@4 GCBw;S M

Underground( *he theodolite is set up close to the wire alignment using the same criteria as above and the same procedure repeated the aim this time being to find the bearing of the sight line from the theodolite #line *w/ in the diagram below&6 J * angle w/*J Shaft Figure 13: -eisbach triangle use& to transfer bearing from #ires to un&ergroun& base. Angle is calculated from the Geisbach triangle6 #& Sw/ #& w/w; w; w/

*he whole+circle bearing of the sight line *w/ and hence the line *J is calculated6 GCBw/* i.e. and GCB*w/ GCB*J C C C GCB w/w; + GCBw/* M /@4 GCB *w/ M angle w/*J

,ote( E'treme care should be taken when calculating angles to ensure that the correct signs for the angles and are used. Always draw a diagram. 4.2.3. Transfer of centreline *he methods above allow the transfer of bearing from the surface down a shaft to a tunnel. 1t should be clear that the process of co+planing does this directly on the centreline of the tunnel and its position is therefore transferred directly. *he Geisbach triangle however positions the theodolite slightly off the centreline and the offset can be calculated simply as #Sw/ M w/w;& ' where is e'pressed in radians #see figure //& -. Transfer of .ertical "ontrol #/e0els%

A *BM must be established in the tunnel and vertical distance measurements must be taken down the shaft from a *BM at the surface. *his is most easily accomplished using a suspended steel tape though it is also possible to use E5M to sight down the shaft using a mirror mounted at the top of the shaft. *aping proceeds as follows with intermediate measuring marks being made if the shaft depth is greater than the length of the tape.

Surface datum

Steel tape6
csa C A modulus C E Std. *ension C *s

Measuring markBdatum

Geight M Dravity g

Figure 14: %aping &o#n a shaft to transfer vertical control.

*he properties of the tape #cross+sectional area elastic modulus and standard tension& will be known from the manufacturer2s data. *he elongation of the tape over the measuring length l can be calculated6 Elongation s C g l M M 4.%M#;7 l& *s AE g

Since the effect of elongation is to make the reading on the tape smaller than the true distance between the marks the elongation is therefore added to the measured value6 True distance ) l 1 s

*aping continues down the shaft until the tunnel *BM is reached.