Tunnel Construction with Pressed-In Sheet Pile Walls Next to High-Rise Residential Buildings-PPT Presentation

PPT Presentation

Pdf Summary

The presentation describes the use of pressed-in sheet pile walls for the cut-and-cover Kenilworth Tunnel, part of the METRO Green Line Southwest Extension in Minneapolis. The tunnel was built near high-rise residences and an operating freight railroad, requiring construction methods with minimal noise and vibration. Dense and hard ground also posed challenges.<br /><br />Press-in piling installs sheet piles using hydraulic force, with equipment that can clamp onto previously installed piles and move along the wall. For difficult ground, water jetting can assist in dense sand or silt, while a crush-auger attachment can address stiff clay, gravel, cobbles, boulders, and soft rock. At the project, crush augering was used where soil resistance exceeded an N-value of 50. Laser guidance supported accurate installation, including beside homes and near live freight traffic.<br /><br />The project demonstrated that, with appropriate pile sections and installation methods, press-in piling can install long sheet piles accurately, including piles exceeding 30 m (100 ft). The presentation discusses factors affecting practical pile length and allowable installation forces, as well as straightness tolerances.<br /><br />Overall, pressed-in sheet piles successfully provided temporary earth retention for tunnel construction. The method’s low-noise, low-vibration performance suited the sensitive urban setting, while the use of suitable equipment and support systems enabled accurate installation in hard ground.

Keywords

press-in piling

sheet pile walls

Kenilworth Tunnel

METRO Green Line Southwest Extension

cut-and-cover tunnel

low-noise construction

low-vibration installation

crush-auger

water jetting

laser guidance