TBM Design And Tunnelling Experiences With A Large Diameter TBM Operation For The Waterview Connection Tunnels In Auckland

The Waterview Connection Project is one of the largest infrastructure developments in New Zealand that was put in place. Twin tube road tunnels of 2.4 km in length were built using a very large diameter TBM. The tunnels impact a large number of existing buildings and utilities as they pass beneath residential property and public reserve. They also cross beneath the North Auckland Railway branch. Accordingly, exercising ground control to minimize settlements and adverse impacts to the community were of paramount importance. The tunnel project was built under high safety standards in urban area with shallow cover. The paper focuses on the TBM design and tunnelling aspects with experiences in large diameter TBM operation for the twin tube bores from the perspective of the machine manufacturer.