Rational Tunneling Summerschool

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Tunnelling has evolved from an empirical art to a scientifically grounded engineering discipline, enabling methods to be explained, verified, and taught effectively. The Summerschool "Rational Tunnelling" brought together an international group of specialists to share insights with an audience from 14 nations. This volume compiles notes from their lectures, covering various tunnelling aspects, including principles for lining design, constitutive models for numerical simulations, and insights into soft-ground tunnel design through monitoring and modelling. It addresses challenges faced by TBMs in water-bearing ground, methods for estimating groundwater inflow in hard rock tunnels, and performance monitoring for design verification. Additional topics include instrumentation for construction control, integrated seismic imaging for geological prediction, common tunnelling pitfalls, and the application of design-build contracts. The book also discusses cost and schedule management in major projects, referencing the Vereina and Gotthard base tunnels, as well as technical features for quality procedures, hard rock TBM advance rates, tunnel refurbishment, and fire protection measures.