Estimation of Ground Surface Settlement in Pipe Box Tunneling

Pipe box tunnel (PBT) is a trenchless construction technique trending in a situationwhere the conventional open-cut-and-covermethod is not feasible due to the presence of critical above-ground structures or the necessity to maintain the functionality of themain roads. Limited studies or methods exists for estimating the maximum ground surface settlement in the construction of pipe box tunnels, especially when compared to conventional bored tunnelling. This study utilises finite element analyses to investigate the impact of volume loss and cover depth on ground surface settlement in pipe box tunnelling. A chart was developed for the initial estimation of maximum ground surface settlement in pipe box tunnelling projects.