Rock Tunnels & Caverns

Rock tunnels and caverns are an integral part of many major infrastructure projects. Dr. Bedi holds a PhD in rock mechanics from Imperial College, London, with numerous peer reviewed publications in this field

Members of our team have been involved in the design and construction of large span tunnels and caverns in varying rock conditions and have significant experience in the use of roadheaders, and conventional drill and blast techniques. We pride ourselves as experts in the use of the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM ) in weak rock.

When it comes to hard rock tunnels, we believe firmly that the design must follow established principles of rock mechanics and must draw on the combined expertise of geologists, geotechnical and tunnel engineers. This allows us to understand critical areas and address them early on in the project.

Please contact us to discuss your tunnelling project on +44 (0)7912 201891 or email us.

Soft Ground Tunnels

Dr. Bedi has extensive experience in applying the SCL or NATM technique for mined tunnels in soft ground with a proven track record in delivering SCL tunnels designs and construction support for highly complex, urban infrastructure projects.

Dr Bedi has published many peer reviewed journals on this subject and presents the SCL design modules for the British Tunnelling Society’s annual course. Our team members complement this experience and we at Bedi Consulting pride ourselves at being experts in this field, delivering state-of-the-art solutions for any ground condition.

Our team members are regarded as experts in SCL tunnelling and can provide:

• Excavation and support sequence designs
• Design of contingency or toolbox measures
• Assessment of ground and face stability
• Design of ground treatment measures, if required by ground conditions
• Specification of SCL performance requirements
• Site support through experienced RESS Engineers

This approach provides a high degree of flexibility during construction and makes it possible to construct large tunnels in relatively poor ground conditions. Therefore, it is ideally suited for the construction of complex tunnel arrangements. It does require a representative of the designer during construction to ensure the adequate application of the various measures.

Secondary Lining Design

Dr. Bedi has been integral in past projects on providing optimal design solutions for secondary linings including replacing conventional bar reinforcement with steel fibre reinforcement, and providing expert advice in the design and development of composite primary/secondary lining solutions.

Through a designed specification and testing regime, we have been able to provide more efficient solutions than are traditional practice, whilst still maintaining a high quality finished product for the end client.

We have a holistic approach to tunnel design and our engineers have extensive experience in the design of secondary in-situ concrete tunnel linings for all types of tunnels. Since our team understands both the structural and geotechnical design aspects, we are able to provide our clients with optimised design solutions.

Advanced numerical modelling is carried out to provide an accurate assessment of the load sharing contribution of the primary lining. We have successfully adopted this design approach resulting in a more economical secondary lining thickness that does not compromise the overall safety.

We also provide advice and detailing of waterproofing requirements, taking into account its impact on the load sharing assessment between the primary and secondary tunnel linings.