Tunnel lining

Sept. 24, 1935.

D. C. DOIG

2,015,102

TUNNEL LINING

Filed Feb. 5, 1934

<img file="US2015102A_D0001.tif" />

Patented Sept. 24, 1935

2,015,102

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,015,102

TUNNEL LINING

David Cuff Doig, Whetstone, London, England, assignor to Sika-Francois Limited, London, England

Application February 5, 1934, Serial No. 709,833 In Great Britain February 11, 1933

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in connection with the joints between sections of iron or other tunnelling elements as used for escalators, shaft sinking, tube railways and other 5 tunnels, The elements may be tubular, part tubular or flat or angle plates.

The object of this invention is to provide means for collecting and draining away any leakage which may pass between the joints of the tunnel 10 sections in such a manner as to avoid leakage of moisture into the interior of the tunnel or tunnel lining. This enables the interior of the tunnel or tunnel lining to be maintained in a clean condition and avoids damage to the lining material 15 or surface decoration.

According to the present invention a cavity Is provided adjacent to the joint between the tunnel sections and so arranged that any moisture leaking past the joint will enter the cavity and be 20 conducted away to a suitably placed draining channel. An expansion joint of relatively soft resilient waterproofed material is located in the inner lining material of the tunnel substantially parallel to the joints between the tunnel sections 25 so as to avoid cracking or damage to the inner tunnel lining due to movement between the sections. The cavities and expansion joints are arranged substantially parallel to the circumfer. ential and longitudinal joints between the tunnel 30 sections, and the various circumferential and longitudinal channels interconnect with one another and with a draining channel preferably located at the lowest point of the tunnel so· that any . moisture leaking through the joints between the 35 ' tunnel sections will be effectively drained away and cannot disfigure or damage the interior lining of the tunnel.

In order that this invention may be clearly ... understood and readily carried into effect I have ⁴⁰ appended hereto a sheet of drawings illustrating embodiments thereof and in which six figures are shown all in broken sectional plan taken through abutting flanges of tube or wall elements and ... showing six different modifications.

⁴⁵ . Referring to the drawing the tube or wall sections i and 2 have abutting flanges 3 and 4 respectively coupled by bolts 5 in known manner to provide the joint. Packing material as indicated at Ea is placed between the flanges 3 and 4. The ⁵⁰ flanges 3 and 4 may be the internal flanges by which tube sections of underground passages or railways are secured together and in such an arrangement I apply to the interior of the tunnel a layer Ί of concrete or other suitable material 55 in the usual manner, but extend this concrete flll(Cl. 61—45) ing as at 8 to a convenient distance beyond the flanges of the tunnel sections so as to leave a recess or channel 6 therein parallel to and preferably of a width substantially equal to the thickness of the flanges. This may be effected by 5 placing wooden or other strips along the edges of the flanges and then filling in the concrete flush with their surface the strips being subsequently removed when the concrete has set. Into the recesses or channels thus formed a shaped chan- io nel member S of perforated zinc or other suitable material is inserted. The perforated zinc channel member is placed in position with its open side toward the flanges of the tunnel sections so as to leave a clear space or channel 6 between the edges 15 of the flanges and the base of the perforated zinc or other channel. The interior lining 10 of the tunnel is next applied and may consist of any suitable waterproof rendering or composition applied over the concrete filling and the perfo- 20 rated zinc channels. This inner lining or rendering is preferably divided into sections by means of interposed strips of bituminous packing material 18α or other suitable waterproofed material of a slightly resilient character. These strips 25 serve as expansion joints between the rendering so as to permit a small amount of relative movement between the sections without damaging the interior lining.

The space between the edges of the flanges of 30 the tunnel sections and the interior of the perforated zinc or other channel strips forms a series of cavities δ extending parallel to the joints between the tunnel sections and in which any moisture leaking through the joints will collect. 35 The circumferential cavities can be interconnected with longitudinal cavities and with a draining channel in the lower part of the tunnel so that all moisture will be collected and drained away thus preventing it from leaking through to 40 the interior of the tunnel or damaging or disfiguring the interior lining 10 thereof. The channel strips 9 of perforated zinc or other suitable material can as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 be formed with a wide V shaped or concave base and with 45 edges IS inturned towards each other so as to leave spaces 12 between the outer face of the edges and the recess in which the channel strips are fitted. This enables moisture which may leak, past the bolts or other means by which the 50 flanges are secured together, into the concrete filling to pass from the filling into the cavity formed by the channel strips, the inturned parts 11 having perforations for this purpose.

In a modified arrangement as shown in Fig. 2 55

2,015,102 more particularly intended for use in connection with new tunnelling or tunnel sections constructed especially for use with my invention, the draining cavity may be formed directly in or between the flanges of the tunnel sections by means of recesses i 3 in the meeting faces of the flanges which may be cast or otherwise formed therein. These are so arranged that the recesses in the two meeting .flanges are opposite to each other and thus form a channel between them. A perforated zinc or other strip 9 may also be arranged at the edges of the meeting flanges and these may be so shaped as to provide a channel or space through which moisture from the concrete filling may be conducted to the draining channels. Alternatively the edges of the flanges of the tunnel sections may be so shaped that when placed together they will form a recess. This recess may be suitably covered by means of a perforated zinc or other strip thus forming a cavity in which moisture may collect.

It is preferred to supplement the above described moisture collecting means with means for absorbing the compression set up by the expansion of the tube sections and/οι- lining and for automatically compensating for contraction of the tube sections and/or lining. One method of effecting this is shown in Fig. 3 which consists in providing a perforated zinc or other suitable channel section strip 9 having a maximum cross sectional dimension approximately equal to the normal space between the inner or more remotely situated faces 3α and 4α of the flanges or webs of the opposed metal tube sections. The cross section of the strip can be such as to contain an outwardly directed V i 4 at its centre, preferably a small angle V for example about twenty degrees. This V will provide sufficient resiliency in the sheet metal channel section strip 9 to compensate for· compression and expansion of the rendering which encloses the said strip. The extremities of the said cross section can be bent acutely inwards at an angle so that the free ends ί 5 of the limbs 15α thereby provided and which constitute the longitudinal free edges of the strip are urged resiliently against the inner peripheries of the said flanges or webs 3 and 4 between the edges of such flanges or webs. An outer covering 16 of waterproofed material, for example a plastic, bitumastic composition which retains its elasticity indefinitely is laid against the outer face of the metal strip, that is between the said strip and the said rendering, this covering being shaped to conform with the configuration of the strip between its outermost corners.

In a modification of the foregoing embodiment as shown in Fig. 4 the said central V shaped part is at its inner ends with substantially semi-circular cross section parts 17 merged into two symmetrical straight section parts 18 of the strip which lie parallel with the transverse edges of the said flanges or webs. The outer ends of these straight cross section parts are bent towards said flanges or webs into substantially half elliptical bends 19 which contact at their median parts with the inner peripheries of the said flanges or webs. The outer ends of these half-elliptical cross section parts are bent acutely into two symmetrical outer limbs 20 the free ends of which constitute the longitudinal edges of the said strip and overhang the inner edges of the said flanges or webs. These outer limbs can be secured by wires 2 ί under tension to the bolts 5 which are passed through the said flanges or webs. This modification provides four longitudinally (viz. circumferentially relatively to the said flanges or webs) disposed arcuate section channels 17 and 19 in the said strip into which can be extended part of the waterproof coating material 16 laid against the outer face of the said strip. 5

In a still further modification as shown in Fig. 5 a wide U section zinc or other suitable strip 9 can be split along its longitudinal centre to provide a narrow gap 22 to compensate for the said expansion and contraction and a filling 23 10 of waterproof material is extruded rivet fashion through such gap and into a channel 24 provided in the said lining i 0 opposite such gap. The outer part of this channel can be filled in with cement. The ends 9α of the cross section of this strip can 15 be carried over the outer faces of the flanges or webs of the tube sections and secured under the heads and nuts of the bolts 5 passed through such flanges or webs 3 and 4. The waterproof material 16 is also laid against the outer face of the 20 strip at the parts beyond the inner peripheries of the said flanges or webs.

Instead of a channel section metal strip extending completely across the peripheries of the flanges or webs a zinc or other suitable trough 25 or substantially semi-circular strip 25 as shown in Fig. 6 can engage the flanges or webs at its edges so as only to slightly overlap the opposed edges of the flanges or webs. This trough can be formed in cross section with a pair of outwardly 30 directed legs 26 (or in side elevation annular flanges). The space 27 between these legs is rectilinear and filled with a hard wood ring 28 of a section corresponding to said space but extending beyond the free edges of said legs or 35 annular flanges so as to be in continuity with the inner surface of the said rendering. A cement filling can be introduced into the narrow annular channels 29 between the outer parts of said block and the rendering. 40