Application of Wing Segments to Construct the Kuwana Cable Tunnel

摘要

Wing segments, which have a specially-shaped, comparatively lightweight structure consisting of a bending transmission mechanism, were used for the first time to construct a new cable tunnel in the Kuwana District of Japan. This tunnel is 1.2 km long, and has an external diameter of 5,150 mm and a panel thickness of 275 mm. The ground is soft clay and an Earth Pressure Balance(EPB) shield tunneling method was used to construct the tunnel. A 180 m (150 rings) section of this cable tunnel utilized wing segments. This report explains the basic concept of wing segments followed by a look at the implementation of the project.