TUCSS Monthly Seminar No. 244

Event details

TUCSS Monthly Seminar No. 244 – Wednesday, 21 June 2023, 6.30 pm

Correlation between Safety and Type of Fastening System in Tunnels

by Ivica Duzic, Leviat GmbH

Abstract

This webinar discusses the correlation between the choice of the fastening system and its effect on safety and health in tunnelling projects. With a focus on fastenings used for tunnel equipment fixed to tunnel lining, there are two types: -

·                      Post-installed anchors (using drilling technology); and

·                      Cast-in anchors (embedded in concrete).

Post-installed anchors require drilling into the concrete, which can create hazardous dust and debris. Furthermore, the installation process can be more dangerous due to the need for manual handling and the risk of falling from heights. Health hazards such as impaired hearing and lung infections are just some of the direct effects of employing such a fixing system. Apart from that, post-installed anchors are highly dependent on construction schedules and could be severely affected when stop-work orders were issued on-site – indirectly increasing labour costs.

In contrast, cast-in fastening solutions will be able to minimize health and safety hazards on construction sites. Manufactured off-site, workers that were exposed to the risks associated with drilling, anchoring, and installing heavy structural elements on-site can be significantly reduced. This is one of the reasons why the use of cast-in fastening solutions has become increasingly popular in construction projects.

Cast-in anchors can be embedded into the lining without creating noise and dust, thus providing much more health and safety benefits to workers. The safety risk factors associated with working in a confined space were removed completely because there are no uncertain geotechnical conditions. Additionally, cast-in solutions offer improved accuracy, as they are produced in a controlled factory environment, ensuring consistent quality work and are sustainable due to their high repeatability nature. This can be observed on cast-in fastenings embedded in the segmental lining, compared to cast-in-situ linings.

This theme will be further discussed in detail via various applications i.e. rail, metro, utility and road tunnels, while referencing examples from global tunnelling projects, on how these fixing solutions helped to alleviate safety and health issues on the operators and installers.

Speaker

Ivica Duzic is the responsible Tunnel Manager in the Leviat group, with about 15 years of relevant experience in the tunnelling industry. Ivica is primarily responsible for the development and optimization of fastening solutions for the specific requirements of international tunnelling projects across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East. Some of the recent works are the Reseau Express Metropolitan, Canada; ElbX Service Tunnel, Germany; Gemernbelt Tunnel Project, Denmark/Germany, and Mountain Tunnels NEOM Project, Saudi Arabia. Before joining Leviat, (known as HALFEN at that time), Ivica served as a Technical Manager in geotechnical engineering, working for product manufacturers (geosynthetics and fastenings). He completed his studies as a Civil Engineer at the University of Wuppertal, Germany.

Time and Place

The presentation will take place electronically on Wednesday, 21 June 2023 at 18:30 hrs. The presentation will take approximately 45 minutes, follow by 15 minutes of questions/discussion.

Invitation

This is the 244^th in a series of presentations by TUCSS and is open to current TUCSS Members only. Seats are on a first-come-first-served basis and are limited to 500 persons.

Registration

Members are to sign up for the seminar via their TUCSS account on the TUCSS Website or TUCSS Mobile App. The details on how to access the seminar will be sent to the members who have successfully signed up for the seminar, at a date nearer to the seminar. The deadline for registration is on Monday, 12 June 2023 or when the total registered participants reach 500 whichever comes earlier.

Attendance Policy

For members who require a certificate of attendance, please note the attendance policy:

-        Login at the beginning of the seminar (link will be assessable at 18:15 hours)

-        Evidence of participation by video switched on throughout the seminar

-        Complete the quiz at the end of the seminar before logging out. The duration for the quiz is 15mins.

Certificate of Attendance will be uploaded to the member’s account after compliance to the Attendance Policy is verified.

PDU/STU

Points have been applied and are pending approval.

NOTE TO MEMBERS

Note 1: Members are not required to indicate their names and TUCSS registration details through the Chat function. Members shall not send messages through the Chat function during the presentation.

Note 2: Higher no-show was observed at the last TUCSS monthly seminar. As there are limited openings for the seminar, members are urged to register for the seminar only if they can attend the seminar.

Note 3: For any suggestions/feedback to improve the online seminar, members are to email the secretariat.

Thank you.

Speaker

Ivica Duzic

Leviat GmbH