The lectures will provide the fundamental information on the design and technical aspects related to tunnel construction taking into account: the excavation process conventional an mechanized, the stability of voids, the installation, choice and design of linings (both firth phase and final) and the job site managements.
The lessons will deal in detail with the design of tunnel with the final goal to construct the works in safety conditions both of the job site, the tunnel surrounding and the surface.
Based on the principles of rock mechanics and rock engineering the stability aspects of the underground are analysed and the calculation procedures are presented.
The specific ground reinforcing techniques and the structural design procedures of tunnel lining are presented.
The excavation methods both for conventional and mechanized tunnelling are analysed and discussed.
Due to the natural heterogeneity both lithological and structural of the rock masses and their variable behaviour with reference under different overburden, the tools and methods for monitoring are presented and discussed to clarify their use in the design flow procedure and to explain how to use them for a correct check of the design hypothesis.
The program is developed both with class lectures and exercises, discussion of case histories, and with technical visits to tunnel job sites if available during the lesson period.

The main goal of the program is to provide to the students the skill to identify the best procedures and tool for the correct design of a tunnel, to set up a correct risk analysis, to make the choices for the job site management and to be able to develop the design of the first phase lining
The knowledge of the technological aspects of most used full face tunnel machines and their working procedures are another skill that will be provided with the course.
The student should become able to:
- analyse multidisciplinary problems that requires the skills and abilities developed in the disciplines of applied geology, rock mechanics, structural design and to become to apply these abilities to the specific sector of tunnel construction;
- to follow and understand a technical speech in English and know the international terminology of the tunnel sector;
- to develop and write a technical report;
- to take design decision by motivating them;
- to evaluate quickly the order of magnitude of the variables and parameters that the engineer should have do deal with when designing a tunnelling or managing a tunnel job site.
These skills and abilities will be provided with the class lessons but also with the technical visits and with the analysis of some relevant case histories.

The student should know the base concepts of engineering geology, of the behaviour of rock masses and soils and of the structural design

CONTENTS
Module 1 – Design aspects (2 credits)
Design of tunnels analysis of the key points. Tunnel layouts.
Management of the "geo" data. Surveying for deep tunnels: data collection and management. Geological problems and investigations. Risk analysis.
Convergence-confinement method. Basic concepts and its use for the design of linings.
Subsidence in urban area: forecast and management by design.
Stabilization of the tunnel face with shields and calculation of the counter-pressure.
Properties and design of the first phase supports: steel ribs, shotcrete, rock bolts.
Use and application of the most common analytical and numerical design tools. The bedded-beam method for the evaluation of the actions inside the structural elements used for tunnel lining.
Problems related with the construction of the final lining. Formworks.
Technical properties of segmental lining.
Water control
Design procedure for segmental lining (basic concepts).

Module 2 – Ground reinforcing (1 credit)
The ground reinforcing used in tunnelling: construction aspects and actions. Permeation grouting, rock bolts, VTR face reinforcement, steel pipe umbrella.
Design ground reinforcing techniques.

Module 3 – Excavation techniques (2 credits)
Drill and blast design. Types of blast rounds and to job site organization.
Roadheader, High energy impact hammers.
Rock full face machines (TBM – Tunnel Boring Machines).
Shield tunnelling (SS, Mixed Shield, EPBS).
Soil conditioning for EPB tunnelling

The lectures are organized with class lesson face to face, with the development of five different design works, developed in team, and one technical visit. A written text developed as a design work is to be developed.
The design is based on the topics discussed in the three lesson modules. The text of the problems, needed technical data are provided by the professor or will be researched in the Politecnico di Torino libraries.
One or two technical visits will be organized to job sites. This organization will depend on the availability and job sites and of financial support. The students will be requested to prepare a short report of the visit
Some seminary can be organized with lessons of specialists coming from industry.

The lessons ppt will be made available on Politecnico di Torino web site.

The exam is oral with three questions that will be developed with a discussion and/or base calculations.
One week before the exam the development of the exercises should be presented, the evaluation and discussion of this document is part of the exam evaluation and has a weight of 5/30 points