Yellow River Diversion Project

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Yellow River Diversion Project

• Use of Tunnel Boring Machines to Divert the
  Yellow River, China
• John Train Philippa Reed

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Huang He Yellow River 5464 km Average
Discharge 2,500 m³/s 37 kg/m3 sediment
120million People 12 Hydroelectric Dams
Shanxi Province
Loess Plateau
Sediment in the Water of the Yellow River
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Routes

• Grand Main
• 44km 48m3/s
• South Main
• 100km, 20.5m3/s
• North Main
• 167km 22.2m3/s

• US 1.93 billion
• Total of 5 TBM Tunnels

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Tunnel Details
Tunnel Length (km) Boring Diameter (m) Typical Rock Type Additional Information UCS (MPa)
1 6.6 4.92 Dipping Cambrian and Ordovician Limestone Dolomite rock Small flexures Occasional Faults Abundant Karsts in Ordovician Strata (often in-filled with Red Plastic Clay) 39-137
2 25.5 4.92 Dipping Cambrian and Ordovician Limestone Dolomite rock Small flexures Occasional Faults Abundant Karsts in Ordovician Strata (often in-filled with Red Plastic Clay) 39-137
3 14 4.9 Dipping Cambrian and Ordovician Limestone Dolomite rock Small flexures Occasional Faults Abundant Karsts in Ordovician Strata (often in-filled with Red Plastic Clay) 39-137
4 22 4.8 North Dipping folded Palaeozoic Dolomite limestone South Triassic sandstone mudstone. Abundant and high-angled Faults Occasional Karsts Coal Seams Widespread water inflow (50l/s) 39-137
5 13.5 4.8 Limestone Sandstone and Siltstone Faults Occasional 25-206
TBM
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Geology of Tunnel 4

• Frequent variation rock strength
• Cavities in filled with wet clay
• Groundwater inflow

Location of Jammed TBM Boreholes
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TBM Jam

• Ground Stress
• Inter-layer shear zone
• Folding
• TBM Excavation

Inter-layer shear Zone
Local Scratches implying secondary compressive
shearing
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Other Problems

• Huge energy requirements
• 3000KW for thrust
• Support trailer

• Difficult to transport
• Designed/made in the USA
• New infrastructure needed

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Tunnelling Methods

• TBM and one pass lining
• Good for long tunnels
• Saves time

• New Austrian Tunnelling Method
• Good for short tunnels
• Varying cross-sections

• Drilling and Blasting
• Good for short tunnels
• Unsafe

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Conclusions

• Project success
• Economically
• use of TBM
• TBMs are good in
• Massive geology
• Long distances
• TBMs can be very economical
• Good quality geological information required
• Monitor conditions at the cutting face