Tunnel construction impacts on utility pipelines.

A review, based on experience accumulated from works carried out in London, UK over the last 20 y, of strategies and methods including risk-based methods applicable to the assessment of utility pipelines and sewers subjected to impacts from sub-surface construction is presented. The following topics are discussed: legislation governing impact of construction works; common types of failure and their causes, pipe failure by burst or leakage, and masonry failure; impact strain arising from ground movements caused by construction works (calculation of movements due to tunnelling, shafts, deep basements and boxes, and assessment of impacts of longitudinal, transverse or axial strain and joint rotation); assessment for planning and design (developer and utility perspectives, preliminary considerations, components of pipeline risk assessment, and assessment guidance and criteria); and the three-stage impact-assessment process (assessment scope and information retrieval, more detailed analysis, and evaluation of risk), mitigation of risks, and development of current assessment process to achieve a more risk-based approach.
A review, based on experience accumulated from works carried out in London, UK over the last 20 y, of strategies and methods including risk-based methods applicable to the assessment of utility pipelines and sewers subjected to impacts from sub-surface construction is presented. The following topics are discussed: legislation governing impact of construction works; common types of failure and their causes, pipe failure by burst or leakage, and masonry failure; impact strain arising from ground movements caused by construction works (calculation of movements due to tunnelling, shafts, deep basements and boxes, and assessment of impacts of longitudinal, transverse or axial strain and joint rotation); assessment for planning and design (developer and utility perspectives, preliminary considerations, components of pipeline risk assessment, and assessment guidance and criteria); and the three-stage impact-assessment process (assessment scope and information retrieval, more detailed analysis, and evaluation of risk), mitigation of risks, and development of current assessment process to achieve a more risk-based approach.