CURRENT STAGE O F G U N I T E IN T U N N E L CONSTRUCTION

V. M . Mostkov UDC 627.842:693.546.3

In the Soviet Union Gunite has been used and perfected in underground construction for
about 20 years [1-5]. The widespread use of Gunite is continuing also abroad, especially
in connection of the use of new tunneling methods (new Austrian method, Bernold timbering,
etc.). Special international seminars and conferences generalizing the experience of using
GurLite in underground structures were held in the USA and England in 1973 and 1976. The
conditions for using Gunite in tunnels and chambers are expanding. There are examples of
its use during tunneling through laminated graphitic slates, clay shales, weak water-bearing
sandstones, weathered conglomerates, block formations of gneisses, gravelly fragmental soils,
and other unstable rocks.
The Gunite covering is usually applied immediately after driving the face, its required
thickness being selected in relation to the state of the rocks. A thin Gunite covering, in
principle, does not permit cracks to develop in the newly exposed rock and thereby stabilizes
the exposures for a certain period until the excavation is strengthened sufficiently, by in-
creasing the thickness of the Gunite covering, erecting arch timbering, using monolithic con-
crete or reinforced-concrete linings, etc.
The current trends in perfecting the composition of the Gunlte methods, and means of its
application, designs of tunnels and underground chambers are directed mainly at automation of
the spraying process and broadening the area of use of the material. The change in the com-
position of Gunite is occurring gradually with transition to liquid hardening accelerators
and the addition of fiber fillers. It is preferred to use liquid accelerators in connection
with automation of the application, in which case the introduction of powdered accelerators
does not provide the required quality of the dry mix and necessitates the use of an addi-
tional mixer directly on the spray machine.
The elimination of accelerators (which considerably facilitates the Gunite preparation
process) and change to special very quick-setting cements or cements with a con=rolled set-
ring time is promising. Work in this direction is being carried out in the Soviet Union
and abroad. It is interesting to note that in the case of using cements with a controlled
setting time the temperature of the mix water is maintained at 38eC.
At present, one approaches the problem of selecting the granulometric composition of
aggregates with extreme caution. Many experiments have established that, depending on that
composition, the rebound and strength of the concrete change considreably, which increases
the effectiveness of the Gunite in comparison with other forms of support. In individual
cases i= is possible to reduce rebound about the perimeter of the tunnel from 25 to 5% on the
average. It is recommended to select a composition of aggregates between the limiting grad-
ing curves presented in Table I.
An aggregate composition selected from the lower curve is preferable, since it greatly
strengthens the Gunite and decreases =he consumption of cement. The natural water content
of the aggregates should not exceed 5%. At present work is being carried out to manufacture
equipment for spraying with 30-40-mm aggregates and to increase spraying output. This will
TABLE I. Recommended Granulometric Com-
position of Gunite Aggregates (limiting
grade curves)
Con~nt of aggre-Diam. of ~g~gafion ~acflomm,mR
gat in I o.oL I I
From lower curve ~o ~ ~

Translated from Gidrotekhnicheskoe Stroitel'stvo, No. 8, pp. 11-15, August, 1977.

0018-8220/77/0008-0771507.50 9 1978 Plenum Publishing Corporation 771

772 V. M. MOSTKOV

mo%~., m_.__~l_~.///.

Fig. i. Rebound losses of Gunite. a)

Losses of steel fiber; b) losses of
Gunite. I) 60% fiber loss; 2) 40-50%
,~, c?,., . for ordinary Gunite; 3) 15-20% for
Gunite with the addition of fiber;
4) tunnel surface.

not only Seduce the consumption of concrete (which nonetheless is appreciable) but will also
increase the strength.
Fiber fillers are used in the form of nylon 6, glass, and also steel fibers with a diam-
eter of 0.2-0.4 mm and length of 20-25 mm. Strengthening of Gunite with glass and nylon
fibers was begun by the All-Union Scientific-Research Institute of Nonferrous Metallurgy
(VNllTsvetmet) nearly i0 years ago. It was established that such material has an increased
impact strength, which is needed when driving tunnels by the drilling and blasting method.
Investigations of strengthened Gunite carried out in the USA and England in 1972-1975
showed the following: steel fibers 0.4 mm in diameter and 20-25 nnn long introduced in an
amount of 2--2.5% of the total volume of the dry mix (25-28% of the mass of the cement)
changed the strength of the Gunlte in comparison with the control specimens. It increased
25-30% in tension and 50-60% in bending, and decreased 15-20% in compression. The nonuni-
formit-y of the strength change is explained by the variability of the Gunite composition re-
sulting from rebound, since steel fibers are contained in the rebound. Also significant is
the direction of boring out of the c o r e - along or across the main arrangement of the fibers.
It was established that the strength depends on the quantity of fiber added to the m/x,
the ratio o f the length of the fiber to its diameter, and adhesion of the mix with the fiber.
Under favorable conditions with a fiber content up to 4% by volume of the mix the tensile
strength of Gunlte doubles and the material continues to work after the appearance of cracks
in it under a load due to the involvement of the steel fiber in the work. This circumstance
makes it possible to eliminate rod reinforcement in reinforced-Gunite coverings. The dynamic
and fatigue strength of the material increases markedly. It was also established that the
abrasion resistance of Gunlte with fiber decreases by 20-30%. Experiments showed that cover-
ings of Gunite with steel fiber have an increased refractoriness and can work without frac-
ture to a temperature of 900-950"C.
The presence of fibers promotes a decrease in rebound of the material, since the fibers
deposit in the shape of a net, contributing to the buildup process of the Gunite layer. As
is shown in Fig. la, the losses of steel fibers from rebound depend on the angle of inclina-
tion of the nozzle to the horizontal. In the tunnel roof the losses reach 60% of the total
volume of fiber, and on the vertical walls the rebound decreases to 30%. At the same time
the rebound of the Gunite mix with the addition of steel fiber is about 2-2.5 times less than
without fibers (Fig. Ib), and if for ordinary Gunite the rebound at the limit reaches 40-50%
yyy y'y yyy v ~ y v V y "," v ~ ',~ / V ~ v ~, vvvvvv~'vvvv vvv~,,,'vvyy~(: ~'7vVv ~ / v v y ~f~/

J?~ A ~ ~ A , ~ A ~,A A A A A ,',A X,j, ~ A ~ A A A A A A ~ A ~AAh~ ~AA A AAA A A.A A A h .~"~'-~

Fig. 2. Gunite spray truck.