Changes in Railway Tunnel Technology and its Overview
Toshihiro ASAKURA
Dr.Eng. Chief Engineer, Tunnel Engineering Group,
Structural Technology Development Div.,
Technological Development Dept.
In this report, the history of railway tunnel technology is traced and its technological developments are followed up to the present. Historical changes in tunneling methods including the mountain tunnel, shield tunnel, cut-and-cover tunnel and immersed tunnel are described, together with their respective features. In addition, the guidelines and manuals established by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers and the defunct Japanese National Railways are chronologically arranged and introduced. Finally an overview from the present trends to future problems is given.