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Geological and geotechnical observations from the Niagara Tunnel Project

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Abstract

The Niagara Tunnel Project is a water diversion tunnel that was constructed in Niagara Falls, ON, Canada. The tunnel was excavated by a 14.4-m-diameter tunnel boring machine that passed through 11 geological formations. The rock types included limestone, sandstone, siltstone, shale, and mudstone. The overbreak was divided into four zones, evaluated by observations as the tunnel excavation progressed. Overbreak within the Rochester, Neagha, and Grimsby Formations was <0.6 m deep typically, measured perpendicular to the designed excavation perimeter. The Power Glen Formation had overbreak as deep as 2.7 m. The deepest overbreak was measured in the Queenston Formation, where 3–4 m was typical and associated with the tunnel alignment. Maximum overbreak occurred when the tunnel was aligned perpendicular to the maximum horizontal stress. The overbreak was focused in the crown and inverted, with only minor volumes of sidewall overbreak occurring. The deep overbreak within the Queenston was overcome by utilizing spiles and adjusting the tunnel alignment to minimize the duration of excavation in the Queenston Formation. The tunnel went into operation in March, 2013.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Ontario Power Generation, Hatch Mott McDonald/Hatch Acres, and Strabag for their cooperation in this work. The opportunity to assess and document the horizontally laminated ground behaviour, by the authors, provided the backdrop for a larger study of the behaviour of circular tunnels in horizontally laminated ground, which was then applied to underground storage of nuclear waste.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering, Queen’s University, Miller Hall, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada

    Matthew A. Perras & Mark S. Diederichs

  2. Hatch Ltd., 4342 Queen Street, Suite 500, Niagara Falls, ON, L2E 7J7, Canada

    David Besaw

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  1. Matthew A. Perras
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  2. Mark S. Diederichs
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  3. David Besaw
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Correspondence to Matthew A. Perras.

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Perras, M.A., Diederichs, M.S. & Besaw, D. Geological and geotechnical observations from the Niagara Tunnel Project. Bull Eng Geol Environ 73, 1303–1323 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-014-0633-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-014-0633-5

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