Applicability of the shield method to urban tunnelling

Abstract

Although shield tunnelling has been used for 170 years, its applications have been very limited until recently. Technical advances over the past decade have permitted this tunnelling method to be used in an ever-wider range of ground conditions. It has proven to be an effective means of constructing tunnels in urban areas, particularly because of its advantages in terms of limiting noise and vibration and surface disruption. In the future, this technology is expected to be called upon to deal with increasingly difficult environmental conditions. This report presents the findings of a questionnaire, distributed by the International Tunnelling Association, designed to determine the stste-of-the-art and needs for future development in shield tunnelling in general, and slurry shield and earth pressure balance shield technology in particular.