PICE 43rd National Convention

Tunnels in Japan -State of the Art-

Tunnel Engineering Committee, JSCE

Toshihiro Asakura, Professor Emeritus
of Kyoto University

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 PICE 43rd National Convention

Contents

1. History and Present State of Tunnels

in Japan
2. Study Groups of Tunnels in Japan
3. Standardization of Tunnel Design and
Construction Work in Japan
4. Major Tunnel Projects
5. Conclusion

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 PICE 43rd National Convention

1. History and Present State of Tunnels in Japan

(1) Old Age・・・Excavation by Human Power
Small Tunnels
Ex. The Blue Tunnel
(1750～1763, ℓ=144m）

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 PICE 43rd National Convention

(2) Age of Modernization

(National Isolation → Opening Japan to the World)

Ishiyagawa Tunnel (1871, ℓ=61m)

・First tunnel constructed by

modern tunneling method with
assist of foreign engineers

・Cut and cover method used

under riverbed

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 PICE 43rd National Convention

Osakayama Tunnel (1880, ℓ=665m)

・First tunnel constructed by

Japanese only (without any
assist of foreign engineers)

・Mountain tunneling method

used

・Disused and moved due to

construction of expressway
over the tunnel

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Construction in Old Time

・Wooden support and brick work lining

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Shimizuyato Tunnel(1887, ℓ=214m）

1887(130 years old!) 1898

・The oldest serving tunnel in Japan

・Reconstructed from brick work lining to concrete lining
⇒Tunnel can be used semipermanently by appropriate
construction and maintenance 7
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(3)Development of tunnel technology afterwards

50km
20km
10km

30km

40km

60km
0km

61m (Ishiyagawa T.)

1880 665m (Osakayama T.)

1900
4.7km (Sasago T.)
1920
Year

9.7km (Shimizu T.)

1940

1960 13.9km (Hokuriku T.)

18.7km (Shin-Kanmon T.)
1980 53.9m
22.2km (Dai-Shimizu T.) (Seikan T.)
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Development for Safer, Faster, Lower cost
 PICE 43rd National Convention
Historical change and present state
of railway tunnel construction
2,400 600
NATM工法
NATM
➂
2,000 ｼ-ﾙﾄﾞ工法
Shield 500
コンクリ－ト（場所打ち）
Concrete lining

(km/decade)
煉瓦・Ｃブロック・石・素掘り
length (km)

1,600 Brick work lining 400

累計延長（km)

Length 延長（km)
総延長（累計）
Total length
1,200 300
Total

800 200
➀
400
➁ 100

0 0

1994.1～
1884～1893

1894～1903

1904～1913

1914～1923

1924～1933

1934～1943

1944～1953

1954～1963

1964～1973

1974～1983

1984～1993
Construction(year) as of 2002
建設年（年）
※2002.4 現在
➀Increase of construction by modernization
➁Decrease of construction due to WWⅡ
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➂Postwar recovery and rapid economic growth
 PICE 43rd National Convention

Historical change and present state of

road tunnel construction
3,000 300
※ 1952年は，それ以前の供用本数を含む，1958
市町村道
Municipal road 年の市町村道にもそれ以前の供用本数を含む。
都道府県道
Prefectural road また，各年度には，移管等による増減を含む。
2,500 250
一般国道
National road
(Km)

(Km)
高速自動車国道
Express way
道路トンネル累計供用延長

道路トンネル累計供用延長
2,000 トンネル累計延長
Total tunnel length 200
累計延長(km)
length (km)

延長(km)
Length (km/year)
1,500 150
Total

1,000 100

500 50

0 0
53
55
57
59
61
63
65
67
69
71
73
75
77
79
81
83
85
87
89
91
93
95
97
99
01
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
20
供用年度

図-2.2.1 道路トンネルの延長の推移3) 10
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Historical change and present state of

electric power tunnel construction (TEPCO)

250 700

600
200
500

length (km/year)
Total 累積延長（km）
山岳（RC)
RC
150
(km/year)
Length 延長（km）

400
山岳（NATM）
NATM
山岳（矢板工法）
Conventional 300
100 累計
Total
200
50
100

0 0
1952

1955

1958

1961

1964

1967

1970

1973

1976

1979

1982

1985

1988

1991

1994

1997

2000
～1910

～1940

供用開始年
Year
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New technology

Seikan Tunnel

Kuki Tunnel ( Yamanashi Shield machine used to

MAGLEV test line ) construct Tokyo bay aqua 12line
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Sapporo

Hakodate
Seikan Tunnel
Total: 53.9km
Aomori Undersea: 23.3km
Tsugaru straits
140m
100m
For Aomori For Hakodate

Seikan Tunnel
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Constructing methods of tunnels

Area Mountain Urban Bottom of water

Method Mountain Cut and cover Shield driving Immersed

Shape

Horse-shoe
shape Box type Circle type Box type

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Machinery excavation for soft rock(Mountain tunneling)

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Shotcreting (Mountain tunneling)

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Rock bolting (Mountain tunneling)

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Historical change of construction method

(Mountain tunneling)

1900 ’10 ’20 ’30 ’40 ’50 ’60 ’70 ’80 ’90 2000
Exca-
vation Conventional method NATM

Wood Steel
Support
Shotcrete & rockbolt

Brick

Material Concrete block

Lining
Cast in place concrete

Form Wood Steel 18

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Tube in London (Cut and cover Method)

around 1870?
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TGV surrounding Paris (Cut and cover method)

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around 1980?
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Shield driving method

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Various cutter faces (Shield driving method)

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Immersed tunneling method

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2. Japanese organizations for tunnel engineering

(1) Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE)
・Tunnel Engineering Committee
・Cooperation with Industry, Government and Academia
・Specifications subcommittee revising standards every
10years
・Technical subcommittee working on new technical problem
・Steering managing the committee

(2)Japan Tunneling Association (JTA)

・Cooperation with Industry, Government and Academia
・Mainly committees for individual tunnel
・Cooperate with ITA (International Tunneling Associating
74 countries)
・WTC (World Tunneling Congress by ITA every year) 24
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(3) Institutes

・Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

・Public Works Research Institute, Tunnel Laboratory
・Railway Technical Research Institute, Tunnel Labatory
・Japan construction Method and Machinery Research
Institute

(4) NPO Research Group for Tunnel Engineering

・Information, Education, Support of Maintenance
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3. Standardization of tunnel Design and

Construction Work
(1) JSCE

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(2) Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

➀ Road Tunnels
Design Standard for Road Structures (Tunnel)
➁ Railway Tunnels
Design Standard for Railway Structures (Tunnel)

(3) For Maintenance Work

➀ Road Tunnels
Maintenance Standard for Road Structures (Tunnel)
➁ Railway Tunnels
Maintenance Standard for Railway Structures (Tunnel)
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4. Major Projects
(1) New Tomei Express Way, New Meishin Express Way

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Shinkansen double track New Tomei Expressway three lanes

180.0 ㎡

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4. Major Projects
(2) New Shinkansen Lines

In service

Under construction

Maglev

Plan

合計 約６,８２０㎞
Total Plan
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4. Major Projects
(3) Linear Chuo Shinkansen Line

・Magnetic Levitation Train (Linear Motor Car)

・Max Speed is 500km/h. 31
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5. Conclusion

➀ Japan has constructed a lot of tunnels as important

infrastructure.

➁ The age of construction hereafter will change to the

age of maintenance in Japan.

➂ Japanese tunnel engineers strongly hope to apply

their technology piled up so far to foreign countries.

➃ Finally, honestly speaking, we wish Japanese tunnel

technology will contribute to the development of
Philippine. 32
Thank you for your kind attention

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