Modes and Causes of Collapse of Subway Tunnels

도심지 지하철 터널의 붕괴유형과 원인

The 2nd phase of Seoul Subway, Lines 5,6,7 and 8, is in progress. To reduce the surface traffic congestion during construction the greater part of the system has been engineered by bored tunnelling. The current tunnelling methodology is based on the New Austrian Tunnelling Method. Serveral collapses have been reported to date. Most of the collapses took place in the area forwed with soft ground. The modes and causes of the collapses were progressive failures in the unsupported surface and sliding failures due to the unfavourable joint direction. The major causes turned out to be the weakness of ground and the sudden influx of ground water from the surface. Some measures to prevent the failures are also presented. To ensure the safe tunnelling ghrough the soft ground the unsupported excavation area has to be minimized and closed as early as possible. Additional support measures such as supporting core, sealing shotcrete, forepoling, spread footing, face rock bolting and grouting should be employed as well depend on ground conditions.