iesl/pub/guide/01

Ramboda Pass Tunnel

M.C.D.V. Aponso and A.K.D.N. Atukorala
Abstract : Under the Road Network Improvement Project (RNIP) the construction of a 225 m long tunnel having approximately 7.5 m equivalent diameter is nearing completion to replace the very narrow section of the existing road called Ramboda Pass on the Gampola - Nuwara-Eliya (A005) road. After considering several alternatives, this road tunnel was found to be the best solution. This tunnel provides two 3.0 m wide lanes with a minimum head clearance of 4.2 m. Construction commenced on 1 March 2006 and is expected to complete by the end of June 2007. This will be the first tunnel constructed on a major highway in this country. Keywords: Tunnelling, Excavation, Supports, Concrete Lining

1.

Introduction

2.

Alternative Proposals

The construction of the present road from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya was done in the 19th century by the British rulers. Due to the very steep slope and the instability of the rock face near Divituru Oya at the 45th kilometre the excavation was limited to a width of 3 m and the height was restricted to 3.8 m. This location is named as the Ramboda Pass and is the most restricted place when travelling from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya. In 1936 cracks appeared in the overhanging rock above the road and hence two concrete props were built to support the overhanging rock. Thereafter the carriageway width was reduced to approximately to 2.2 m severely restricting the traffic flow. Also several telltales were formed across the joints in the rock mass using cement/sand mortar strips to monitor the movement of blocks of rock. These telltales are still visible with the date of installation on them. Rehabilitation and widening of the Gampola Nuwara Eliya road was undertaken by the Road Development Authority under the Road Network Improvement Project funded by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). During the design stage of the road improvement works, it was realised that this particular section of the road widening would be a difficult task and hence the necessity for detailed studies thus selecting the most appropriate alternative was left to be analysed as a separate section of the civil works road improvement contract.

Three options were specified in the civil works contract under alternative proposals and the contractor was required to price those options. The three options specified in the contract are: 1. 2. 3. Widening according to the consultants conceptual design. Widening by precision blasting. Widening according to the contractors alternative proposal

Option 1: Consultants Conceptual Design The consultants conceptual design proposed widening the road to a 2 x 3.0 m carriageway with 0.5 m wide paved shoulders by means of a parallel carriageway structure. The design proposed on founding the new structure on caisson footings. The proposed deck comprised standard RDA pre-cast prestressed concrete beams with a concrete screed topping and asphalt riding surface. Option 2: Precision Blasting

This envisaged widening the roadway by removing the rock intruding on the hill side of the road by precision blasting, which was done
Eng. M.C.D.V.Aponso, M.Sc.(Eng) (Newcastle, UK) C.Eng. MICE, FIE(SL) Senior Resident Engineer Road Network Improvement Project (JBIC Component) Eng. A.K.D.N. Atukorala, B.sc. Eng. (Hons.) DHE (Delft) C.Eng. MICE, MIE(SL) Tunnel Engineer.

by mechanical means. Alternatively, it was suggested that it may be possible to tunnel a new single lane carriageway on the inside of the curve here combined with a reduced widening requirement for the existing carriageway. Option 3: Proposal Contractors Alternative

primary lining with permanent lining only in areas of fair and weak rock strata was found. However later it was decided to provide a permanent lining for the entire tunnel length, mainly because further lining work on the tunnel in the future would cause severe traffic problems.

4.

Geology

The contractor was invited to submit alternative proposals if he was of the view that there were better solutions to the problem of widening the road through the Ramboda Pass. Under the contractors alternative proposals the following alternatives were studied by him : Alternative 1: Spandrel Arch Bridge

A 62 m long fixed-ended concrete spandrel arch bridge was considered across the valley over the Devithuru Oya. Alternative 2: Curved Bridge

A curved bridge of six spans with an average pier height of 30m was considered through the valley, bypassing the rock overhang. Alternative 3: Tunnelling Through Rock

A tunnel of length 250 m was proposed to be constructed through the rock providing two lanes and a carriageway width of 6.0 m.

The project area belongs to the Highland Series and is within the Ramboda antifoam which is one of the limbs of a very large recumbent fold. The dominant rock types in the area are crystalline basement rock mainly charnokitic and garnetiferous gneiss. Bed rock is covered with residual and colluvial types of weathered material of varying thicknesses. Solid rock outcrops are visible along the embankment slope of the existing road. The hill side of the road exhibits an almost vertical rock cliff extending approximately 30 m above the road level whereas the downhill side is a steep downward slope leading to the stream. The bed rock has a general strike trend of NNE SSW with a very general varying dip less than 70 towards the East. The noteworthy feature of these rocks is that there is a rectangular joint system along which loosening of some blocks of solid rock was evident during tunnel excavation (dogs ear effect). All exposed rock surfaces and the slopes above the road level are dry. Exploratory core drilling along the valley side of the existing road shows deep weathering up to 11 m below ground level, including accumulation of talus which makes it difficult for foundation conditions, for a parallel bridge. Seismic prospecting and an electrical resistivity survey were done along the tunnel trace, and according to the information derived, the thickness of the weathered overburden was found to be highly variable and the proposed tunnel does not run through hard rock in all places especially in the Southern end. From the boreholes drilled along the proposed tunnel trace, it is clear that the residual soil and weathered rock is, on average, more than 8 m deep with a maximum of 19 m at the middle of the trace. There is evidence that alternate layers are fresh and weathered and in some boreholes thin bands of highly fractured pervious zones were encountered and drilling water was lost at these locations.

3.

Best Option

In selecting the best option, while taking into consideration the expenditure involved, more important were other issues such as construction difficulties, environmental impact etc. Also there was the need to preserve the existing Ramboda Pass as a place of an archaeological significance. When considering the above aspects it was found that the two-lane tunnel was financially viable, environmentally friendly and offered greater construction convenience compared to the other alternatives. The selected tunnel route, which has a length of 225 m including the permanent portal works, is presented in Fig. 1. Owing to the financial constraints of the civil work contract, initially it was decided to complete only the tunnel excavation including 2

The subsurface condition along the tunnel route is shown in Fig. 2.

with wire mesh. Drain holes were provided in the shotcrete lining to avoid water pressure building behind the shotcrete layer. When the open cut excavation reached the level of the tunnel crown, the first set of forepoling with 6.0 m long perforated steel tubes, 50 mm diameter and 3 mm thick, were driven in the upper half of the tunnel face. A three-legged lattice arch fabricated from 20 mm diameter high yield steel was incorporated in to the shotcrete lining to achieve the a smooth profile in the tunnel excavation. The Northern tunnel portal consists of an almost vertical rock cliff rising over 30 m above the road level. Since the tunnel portal is very close to the existing road, additional safety precautions were taken while the excavation operations were in progress. Due to the steep slope and the presence of loose rock masses above the portal, the portal area was stabilised with 6.0 m long 20 mm diameter high yield steel grouted dowels and shotcrete reinforced with wire mesh. 6.0 m long grouted spile bars were driven along the tunnel perimeter from the portal face to control the shape of the tunnel.

5.

Construction Programme

According to the original construction programme, the tunnel excavation would start from the Southern (Nuwara Eliya) end after making the open cut section with slope protection works including drainage improvements in the excavated area. After the tunnel excavation commenced, the tunnelling work will be carried out on two shifts. While the tunnelling work continued at the southern end, the north portal near the bridge across Divithuru Oya would be opened and protection works on the rock slope will be carried out. As indicated in the detailed geological report, the first 40 m from the southern end would be in fair and weak ground and hence the heading and benching tunnelling method would continue until favourable rock conditions were achieved. The tunnelling was performed based on the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM). The initial supports were made with forepoling using perforated steel tubes and grouting through them. Lattice arches and shotcrete reinforced with steel mesh were used as primary supports during construction. After the excavation of the tunnel was completed, concrete lining using static pours was done in 6.0 m average lengths in two stages, namely the wall and the crown. After the concrete reached 28-day strength the cavities left in the crown after concreting were filled with cement/sand grout mix via steel pipes placed in the crown lining. Repairs to any defective concrete work and correction of surface blemishes were carried out according to standard procedures simultaneously with the grouting work.

7.

Tunnel excavation

Setting out points and bench marks for the tunnel excavation were established outside the tunnel portals and the centre line and the level were marked for tunnel face using a theodolite and a level instrument for each blast. As the excavation progresses the tunnel face positions were checked by a precise survey using a total station. The service lines used during the tunnel construction are: 100 mm diameter steel pipes for compressed air 75 mm diameter water supply line, and 230 V power cable.

Portal Formation

The southern tunnel portal is located in the overburden material consisting of top soil and completely weathered material and, as such, approximately 25 m length was excavated by open cut to form sufficient ground cover for the tunnel portal. The open cut excavation was carried out from the top to bottom using a backhoe excavator. Localised blasting was done whenever large boulders were encountered. As excavation progressed, the permanent slopes were stabilised with 6.0 m long soil nails at 2.0 m centres and 20 cm thick shotcrete reinforced 3

No special ventilation was provided for the first 50 m length of tunnel from the portal. As the excavation progresses a 600 mm diameter ventilation fan blew fresh air into the tunnel face using flexible canvas ducts of same diameter. The seepage water and drilling water at the descending face was pumped out from the tunnel using an electrical pump. In ascending face water flows out under gravity.

As safety precautions all those who enter the tunnel should wear safety gears such as gum boots, helmets and ear muff. After each blast the tunnel roof, walls and the tunnel face are scaled under the supervision of shift boss and confirmed that all loose rocks were removed before commencement of other activities. In the weak ground areas, tunnel roof is shotcreted immediately after the blast to avoid progressive failure of the tunnel roof. Apart from the very poor progress of excavation in the weak ground section no unexpected problem was encountered as the excavation, temporary supports and monitoring were done very carefully in accordance with the requirements of NATM. The first 12 m of the tunnel driven from the portal at the southern end is in weak rock consisting of completely weathered rock exhibiting seepage and dampness, and hence the excavation was done with a JCB excavator by first making the heading excavation followed by the bench excavation. The extreme weathering of the material at the tunnel face resulted in the use of a combination of grouted forepoles, lattice arches and wire mesh reinforced shotcrete. The forepoles were driven leaving a minimum overlap of 2.0 m. The face advance per round was 0.75 m which is the spacing of the lattice arches. In addition the tunnel invert was provided with reinforced concrete slab to prevent the lateral movement of the tunnel side walls. Within the next 25 m from the southern end the rock condition improved from weak to fair and the excavation continued by the heading and benching method. The heterogeneity of the material present resulted in changing the excavation method from using an excavator to blasting. In this section, as the ground condition improved, the tubular forepoles were changed to grouted spile bars and the face advance per blasting round increased to 1.0 m. Lattice arches were placed where the ground conditions were found unfavourable. Full-face blasting with a 1.5 m advance commenced at 40 m from the southern portal. Since the dip angle of the rock is nearly horizontal the spile bars were continued in the crown part to minimise overbreak. Conventional drilling and blasting was used for the rock excavation. The drilling pattern for the full face blasting was generally based upon 110 holes, though this number varied with the joint pattern of the rock. The V cut or the plough 4

cut method was used throughout the tunnel excavation as the maximum advance per round was limited to 2.5 m in order to control the quantity of explosives per round and thereby ground vibration. The explosives used were the emulsion type and Nonel (non-electric) detonators with varying delays were used to detonate the holes in different rounds. A minimum of 25 mm thick shotcrete was applied to the excavated surface, including the hard rock area, to protect against the falling of small pieces of rock as the face advanced. With the height of the tunnel more than 7.0 m, such rock falls could injure the workmen. After establishing full-face blasting at the southern drive, the portal excavation commenced at the Northern (Gampola) end. The first 10 m from the northern end was also excavated by the heading and benching method mainly as a safety precaution since the main road lies very close to the tunnel. As the rock condition at northern end is favourable, fullface blasting with a 2.5 m advance continued until tunnel breakthrough. While full face-blasting, special attention was taken to control both air and ground vibration as this site is located within 200 m of the populated Ramboda town. Continuous observation of the historic telltales installed in the rock joints along the existing road was done to check any movements of these rocks during blasting operations. All these telltales remain intact suggesting that no damage occurred to the rock cliff from the tunnel excavations. Geological mapping of tunnel face and rock surfaces of entire tunnel, including geological and rock mass behaviour records to determine the choice of the support category, was done by two geologists and drawings were prepared for future use. This information was used to decide on the type of primary supports to be deployed and the type of permanent lining. Typical tunnel cross sections for hard rock section and non-hard rock section are given in Fig, 3.

8.

Ground Supports

The support system adopted during tunnel excavation is based on one or more of the following elements : a. Shotcrete with or without wire mesh. b. Rock bolts. c. Forepoles or spile bars. d. Lattice arches.

Ground support was constructed immediately following the excavation and the NATM was used where appropriate, consisting of a combination of the above support elements. The Q system of rock classification developed in Norway in 1974 by Barton, Lien and Lunde at the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute was used to decide on the type of supports required during construction. The Q system is based on a numerical assessment of the rock mass quality using six parameters. These parameters are grouped into three quotients to give the overall rock mass quality Q. Table 1 gives the combination of supports required for different ranges of the rock mass quality. The combination of ground supports deployed for different ranges of Q values in the project is described in Fig. 4.

the entire road improvement project. However, after completing a substantial part of the road project it was found that there would be sufficient funds to allow the lining of the balance section of the tunnel. The additional work involved was negotiated with the contractor and the decision was made to line the entire tunnel, with some revisions to the hard rock section lining design to minimise costs. The concreting was done in static pours of approximately 6.0 m length with the walls and crown being poured in separate stages. The formwork used for tunnel lining was custommade to the specific shape of the tunnel. It consists of steel frames placed at 1.2 m spacing with the space between frames covered with 1.2 m x 0.3 m steel shutter pans fabricated to suit the frames. The total length of the custom-made formwork was 18.0 m but later additional segments were fabricated locally when the decision was taken to line the entire tunnel. Contraction joints with PVC water stops were provided at places where the lining reinforcement pattern changed or at an approximate interval of 25 m along the tunnel. A waterproofing membrane was provided behind the tunnel lining in areas where the rock was either weak or fair. Waterproofing membrane was not generally installed in the hard rock section to curtail the cost, as the rock surface was generally dry. Two side drains were cast at road level along either side of the carriageway and lead drains are provided behind the lining to bring water collecting behind the waterproof membrane to the side drains. Grade 30/20 concrete was used for the tunnel lining, and was batched at the site using two rotating drum mixers of 0.3 m3 capacity. Concrete was transported to the pour areas, less than 250 m from the mixer, with baby dumpers. Concrete was placed behind the shutter using a static concrete pump with a steel slick line. After the tunnel breakthrough, concrete lining commenced at the southern end and continued for 122 m towards the northern end, keeping the concrete pump at the southern portal. Thereafter the concrete pump was shifted inside the tunnel and concrete lining started from the northern end and progressed towards southern end.

9.

Convergence Monitoring

The basic principle of the NATM is that the rock mass surrounding the tunnel is considered plastic and deformations within certain limits are accepted while the in situ ground stresses adjust to the new equilibrium position. This principle results in considerable economy of required ground support but necessitates constant monitoring of the deformations during the initial period after excavation until the rock mass around the tunnel void has ceased changing to the new load pattern. To confirm the adequacy of the initial support, the shotcrete shell was regularly observed for the appearance of cracks. Several convergence arrays were installed within the first 40 m from the southern end and two ground settlement markers were also installed on the surface above the tunnel where the ground conditions were weak. The readings of the convergence arrays, tunnel roof levels and the ground settlement markers were taken on a daily basis in the initial stages, later increased to weekly then bi-weekly as the readings remained constant.

10.

Concrete Lining

In the original design it was envisaged that concrete lining would be constructed only in weak and fair rock areas, a length of 50 m out of the overall 225 m of tunnel length. Provision was made in the design for future lining of the remaining length by providing additional excavation clearance. This decision was mainly governed by the limited budget available for 5

While the shuttering was being prepared, 50 mm diameter steel pipes were incorporated at the crown to allow future filling with cement sand grout of the cavities left between the concrete lining and the rock surface. The grout mix used had cement: sand: water ratio of 1: 0.5: 0.5 and the 28-day cube strength of this grout mix was over 35 N/mm2.

11. Other Accessories

The tunnel portal structures were constructed in reinforced concrete dressed an architectural and structural concrete block cladding on the outer face. A security fence was installed on the top of the portals as a safety measure as the portal structures project from the rock face leaving a gap behind. The security fence accommodates small rocks that may fall from the top. Sub-surface drains of perforated PVC pipe 100 mm diameter are provided below the road pavement structure along both edges of carriageway to collect the ground water, which is discharged to drains outside the tunnel. After completing all other works, 90 W low pressure sodium vapour lamps were installed to illuminate the tunnel at 15 m intervals along the tunnel roof staggered 1.0 m to either side of the centre line.

build subways in the Colombo city. Although the construction of subways is a different phenomenon from the conventional drilling and blasting of tunnels, the experience gained of the NATM would be very helpful for understanding the support mechanism of such structures. In Sri Lanka although the construction of tunnels for new hydropower stations is gradually decreasing tunnels will be constructed for highways in the future. The majority of people are afraid of constructing tunnels in populated areas because they fear damage to existing structures or environmental impacts from blasting. This tunnel was constructed about 200 m away from the Ramboda town and the popular Ramboda Falls Hotel is situated close to the south portal. However, it was proved possible to complete this work without any damage to public property or justifiable complaints from the public. Once the tunnel is commissioned it will be one of the best environmentally friendly structures. This will give an opportunity to the public travelling through this tunnel to consider its merits before opposing such projects in the future. One of the important benefits of this tunnel construction was that it was able to preserve for future generations the old Ramboda Pass which is a unique feature in our country similar to the Kadugannawa Pass.

13.

Acknowledgements

12.

Conclusion

The excavation and concrete lining of the 225 m long tunnel through both hard rock and demanding ground conditions were performed satisfactorily. The high heterogeneity of the material at the southern end demanded immediate support measures. To cope with this, only limited excavation was done sufficient to place a lattice arch, accelerators were incorporated in the shotcrete, and forepoles were employed. Although the tunnel length is short the equivalent tunnel diameter is approximately 7.5 m which is larger than the hydropower tunnels in this country. This tunnel provides clear head room of 4.2 m with 3.0 m carriageway width and is the first of this nature in Sri Lanka. In the near future there will be opportunities to construct similar tunnels in the hill country particularly on the proposed Colombo Kandy Expressway. The performance of this tunnel will be very useful in designing those tunnels. In addition, there will be an opportunity to 6

The author would like to thank the Client for the project, the Road Development Authority, in particular Mr M. Thuraisamy, Director (Japan Aided Project Management Unit), for permission to publish this paper in the IESL Sessions. Also Mr S. Samarasinghe (Deputy Director, JAPMU) and Mrs D. Mudannayake (Deputy Director, RNIP). In addition, thanks are due to : China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd, the RNIP contractor responsible for the tunnel construction, in particular Mr Deng Bo, Contractors Representative, Mr Yi Guohua (Tunnel Manager) and Mr Ma Zhong Lin (Tunnel Engineer). Pacific Consultants International in association with Resources Development Consultants, the Engineer for RNIP, in particular Mr J. Cusack, Engineers Representative.

References
1. Design Report of Proposed Ramboda Pass Tunnel China Harbour Engineering Company (Group) August 2005.` Johansen S. & Mathiesen C.F.. Modern Trends in Tunnelling and Blast Design, A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, 2000. ORourke T.D. Guidelines for Tunnel Lining Design, Underground Technology Research Council, Technical Committee. American Society of Civil Engineers, New York, 1984. Japanese Standard for Mountain Tunnelling. Japan Society of Civil Engineers, 5th ed., 1996.

5.

Bieniawski Z.T Rock Mechanics Design in Mining and Tunneling, A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam 1984.

2.

6.

3.

Manual for Design and Construction Monitoring of Soil Nail Walls. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Publication No. FHWA-SA-96-069R, 1998. Soil Nailing Field Inspection Manual. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Publication No. FHWA-SA-93-068, 1994.

7.

4.

Table 1- Design of Temporary Support System

Q Value > 20 6 - 20

Minimum Initial Support Feature dowels as necessary Min. 25mm shotcrete to local fracture zones Feature dowels as necessary Systematic dowels 4m long on 2m grid in crown Min. 25mm shotcrete to local fracture zones Feature dowels as necessary Systematic dowels 4m long on 1.8m grid in crown and wall Min. 70mm shotcrete in crown Feature dowels as necessary Systematic dowels 4m long on 1.6m grid in crown and wall Min. 100mm shotcrete with wire mesh in crown and 50mm shotcrete in walls Feature dowels as necessary Systematic dowels 4.5m long on 1.4m grid in crown and wall Lattice arches as necessary Min. 150mm shotcrete with two layers of wire mesh in crown and walls Feature dowels as necessary Systematic dowels 4.5m long on 1.4m grid in crown and wall Lattice arches at o.75m spacing Min. 200mm shotcrete with two layers of wire mesh in crown and walls Min. 200mm shotcrete Invert strut

Minimum Monitoring Not required unless instructed by the Engineer Not required unless instructed by the Engineer Not required unless instructed by the Engineer

2-6

0.8 - 2

Convergence monitoring

0.1 0.8

Convergence monitoring Checking of roof levels

< 0.1

Convergence monitoring Checking of roof levels Ground markers

Fig.1 - Ramboda Pass Tunnel Route

Fig.2 Longitudinal Ground Profile Along Tunnel Route

Fig. 3 Typical Tunnel Sections

Q =

RQD Jn

Jr Ja

Jw SRF

Fig. 4 Guidance to Primary Support System