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  TBM Sub-sea Tunnelling in the Arabian Gulf

  Musaimeer outfall tunnel is one of the longest storm water tunnels in the world with a total length of 10.2 km. The tunnel will accommodate surface and storm water received from the drainage networks from 270 km² of urban areas in southern Doha. The tunnel was excavated by Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) and encountered three distinct rock masses Rus formation, Midra-Shale and Simsima Limestone along with water inflows at high pressure, complex mixed ground, and weaker ground strata prone to cavities with the presence of vertical and lateral fractures connected to the sea bed. The geotechnical parameters in sub-sea tunnelling were assessed through all main project stages; a) Evaluation b) Verification and c) Application. The TBM required periodic atmospheric or hyperbaric interventions at the cutter head for cutter tool maintenance. During this process, the face was mapped and compared to off-shore borehole logs. Geophysical seismic reflection/refraction and resistivity surveys were also carried out. A non-intrusive radar system facility, installed on the TBM cutterhead, able to probe ahead in real time the ground conditions was used continuously. By monitoring TBM excavation parameters such as, thrust force, torque, penetration, cutter head rotation speed correlation with encountered ground conditions were made.

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