Drilling tunnels

Drilling in the Dutch subsurface is complex and presents challenges. There is therefore constant research into improving drilling techniques.

Boring tunnel RijnlandRoute (2017)

The RijnlandRoute is a new road link from Katwijk to Leiden. A key part of the route is a 2.5km drilled tunnel that will be located at a maximum depth of 20m. Initial construction work started in September 2017 and will run until the end of 2022. More information can be found on an interactive website of the Province of South Holland. An article on the project appeared in Land+Water in July 2017.

TU Delft research (2003 - 2016)

• Reducing the cover-to-diameter ratio for shallow tunnels in soft soils (2016)
• Ten years of bored tunnels in NL: Part I: Geotechnical issues (2008)
• Ten years of bored tunnels in NL: Part II: Structural issues (2008)
• Acoustic Monitoring for Tunnel Boring in Soft Soils (2003)

North-South Line knowledge website (2015)

On the North South Line knowledge website, the knowledge gained from the construction process is shared and discussed online. It is a website for and by experts, with articles on facts and figures, research and practical cases.

Safer tunnel drilling with sound waves (2013)

Geophysicist Guy Drijkoningen, together with Eindhoven-based company MI-Partners, developed a kind of vibrating plate that is placed on the front of the tunnel boring machine. Sound waves are used to create an image of the subsurface.

Delft Cluster: Controlled drilling (2010)

Results of research into the effects on the environment caused by tunnel drilling. The potential of ground improvement techniques in controlling environmental impact was also investigated. The Delft Cluster research programme (2003-2011) was designed to promote the development and dissemination of knowledge for the ground, road and hydraulic engineering sector.

Joint Practical Research Boring Tunnels (2005)

In 2000, CDE and Delft Cluster started this project to develop knowledge on drilling technology efficiently. All information and reports on this project can be found on the CDE website.

Failure test of drilling tunnels

In a huge steel frame, three superimposed rings of the Botlekspoort Tunnel were squeezed into an oval using over eighty jacks. The experiment is part of a collaboration between Delft Cluster and the Centre for Underground Construction (CDE). It has been studied at what load the tunnel rings start to collapse. The results of the experiment are important for validating existing calculation models and thus for knowledge of the structural safety of bored tunnels. TU Delft, Rijkswaterstaat Bouwdienst and TNO Bouw en Ondergrond are jointly carrying out the project.