TECHNICAL | SPOIL
ITA GUIDE ON SPOIL HANDLING
Key points on working with spoil from all types of tunnelling was issued as further guidance last year from ITA’s Working Group 14 (Mechanized Tunnelling – Task Group 4), building on earlier work. A summary review is presented
With concern that good, solid, conciliated guidance was missing on how best to manage tunnel spoil in environmentally and socially responsible ways, a study was launched by the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA/ AITES) and last year a report was issued. The guidance report – ‘Tunnel Spoil
Handling, Treatment and Disposal Options from a Global Perspective’ – was the work of ITA’s Working Group 14 (focused on mechanised tunnelling), and in particular the Task Group 4. It weighs in at 96 pages, is highly- and well-illustrated, and is structured in 12 chapters over its first 77 pages – and in addition has Conclusions & Recommendations, References & Resources, and is backstopped with Appendices. Generous use of tables, graphics, and
with information from tunnel projects – Italy’s Santa Lucia and Sparvo projects; and, in the US, the Arrowhead, Second Ave Subway and Oars Tunnel projects – helps to inform with detail as the report develops its discussion and guidance on planning for and managing tunnel spoil. While the report was developed
through WG14, which is focused on mechanised tunnelling, in their Conclusions & Recommendations the authors note that their guidance is for “all forms of tunnel and underground excavation spoil materials”. Their first note is that spoil is
not only rock and soil – it often includes water, gases (e.g., methane, hydrogen sulphide, etc), odours, dust, contaminants (petroleum products, dry cleaning fluids, etc), and may have chemically acidic or base characteristics. There can be other materials, too, such as bentonite or asbestos.
Of course, where the spoil is generated is then Above: ITA guide on handling spoil in tunnelling PHOTO CREDIT: ITA 40 | July 2023
under the control of authorities in a local area, and ways of measuring, documenting and regulating for
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53
