Design of a Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete Segmental Tunnel Lining -- City West Cable Tunnel Project, Sydney, Australia

摘要

Segmental tunnel linings are becoming more common in Australia. One current project employing a segmental lining is the City West Cable Tunnel (CWCT) in Sydney. The project has been commissioned by Energy Australia and is currently being constructed by Thiess Pty Ltd. The project includes 1.6 km of tunnel boring machine (TBM) driven, segmentally lined tunnel. The majority of the CWCT will be excavated through Hawkesbury Sandstone. The tunnel is required to carry a 132 kV electrical circuit under Sydney's central business district (CBD), between Haymarket and Energy Australia's City North Substation on Sussex Street. The segmental lining has been designed as a 3.2 m internal diameter, 200 mm thick universal ring with six trapezoidal segments. The design and detailing of this segmental lining presents some noteworthy challenges, including exposure to saline groundwater, and the exclusive use of steel fibres for flexural and tensile concrete reinforcement. This paper describes some of the key elements of the segmental lining design. These include: the case for choosing segmental linings over other forms of tunnel construction; the major design checks required of a segmental lining including ground loading, hydrostatic loading, joint bearing, joint rotation, ram loading and the early strength lifting case; the benefits of using steel fibres over conventional steel reinforcement; the design approach used for steel fibre reinforced concrete; the application of 3D computer modelling in the design; the provision for components including connector dowels and gaskets; the design for passive fire resistance; and the design for durability of steel fibre reinforced concrete in a saline environment. Segmental lining design requires the application of specialist design approaches. Input is required by the construction team, as the methods of demoulding, handling, transportation and installation impact on the lining design. As the segmental lining is functioning as immediate ground support and also a permanent lining, high standards of manufacture and construction quality control are required to ensure that the 100-year design life is met. The requirement for a watertight tunnel means that detailing and installation of the EPDM gaskets is of importance.