Characterization and control of tunnel FRC segmented lining

• Grant number: 14/03978-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: July 01, 2014
• End date: April 18, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Civil Engineering - Construction Industry
• Principal Investigator: Antonio Domingues de Figueiredo
• Grantee: Isaac Galobardes Reyes
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

At the beginning of the new millennium approximately 70% of the population is living in urban areas. This run for space, forces people to use space multidimensionality, which therefore includes the underground: traffic and rail tunnels. Furthermore, public transportation has a special role in avoiding congestion and negative environmental impacts and therefore, the construction of underground lines has a big importance in overpopulated cities such as São Paulo. In that sense, the tunnel boring machine (TBM) method for tunnel construction is a method that allows an increase in the speed of construction. The TBM uses different segments, typically produced with conventional reinforced concrete, which composes the tunnel linings. Regarding new technological advances, steel fibres are added to the concrete mixes in order to create a ductile material. This entails a reduction of the segment damages and also the time consumed in the segment production and thus the construction cost. However, the use of these fibres creates a special type of segments that must be studied in depth. This project general aim is to characterize tunnel FRC segmented linings and to propose methods for their control. The objective is treated considering three different research lines: the control of the segment production process, the characterization of FRC segments and the modelling of the forecasting segment behaviour. Then, a wide experimental program regarding the mechanical and the physical properties of the segmented linings and the constituent materials will be performed. The experimental results obtained will be analysed in order to give answers to the considered objectives.