Noise and Vibration Controls for the TBM and Temporary Construction Railway
Summary
This case study presents a summary of the work that was undertaken to control ground-borne noise and vibration from the temporary construction railway that was used to deliver tunnel segments and other materials to the tunnel boring machines.
It describes the requirements to control noise and vibration and meet specified noise levels inside different types of buildings located above the tunnels (residential, schools, offices, places of worship, recording studios, concert halls and theatres), and how the requirements were met. In particular, it describes the design process and final design solutions that were adopted, which included targeted mitigation resulting from groundborne noise modelling calculations, which was the first time such an approach had been used in the UK for a temporary railway.
This case study presents the results of noise and vibration monitoring data obtained during the tunnelling works and successfully demonstrates how tunnels can be constructed in sensitive city locations whilst reducing adverse impacts on the occupants of people living and working above the tunnels.
It should be of interest to future tunnelling projects as well as anyone with an interest in track engineering or the control of ground-borne noise and vibration from underground railways.
Two of the authors of the paper provide a synopsis of Crossrail’s approach in the webinar available in the related documents.