Shoring and development of collectors in urban areas. Application of Tunnel liner. An efficient solution with no impact on the surface

Abstract

The construction of the future Metro Line 7 defines the location of the Isidora Goyenechea station in the eastern sector of Santiago, located in the triangle formed by Andrés Bello, Vitacura, and Isidora Goyenechea avenues, opposite the US Embassy and the Titanium building. Given that the depth of the Isidora Goyenechea station will reach 33 meters, this requires Aguas Andinas to reposition a small sewage collector and the important San Cristobal drinking water collector to a new route that allows for the construction of the Metro station and that also does not impact the community, both for pedestrians and for the significant vehicular traffic in the sector. As the San Cristobal collector is approximately 8 meters deep from the road surface to the collector floor, it was concluded that the best solution was to build a tunnel bypass under Isidora Goyenechea Avenue in front of the Titanium building, starting from Bosque Norte and going down westward under Andrés Bello to finally exit next to the U.S. Embassy, using the tunnel culvert method. A careful study was conducted of the geometry and location of the work pits with the aim of fulfilling two functions: first, to meet the project's material handling needs and, second, to avoid affecting the surrounding area so as not to cause traffic jams and congestion.