HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT

GUIDANCE NOTES
ON
DESIGN OF ROAD TUNNEL STRUCTURES
AND TUNNEL BUILDINGS
TO BE MAINTAINED
BY HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT

Bridges & Structures Division BS/GN/046

February 2018
CONTENT
1. INTRODUCTION
2. ROAD TUNNEL STRUCTURES
2.1 GENERAL DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
2.2 DESIGN WORKING LIFE
2.3 TYPICAL COMPONENTS OF A ROAD TUNNEL
2.4 TYPICAL LOADINGS TO BE CONSIDERED IN ROAD TUNNEL
STRUCTURES
2.4.1 EARTHQUAKE LOADS
2.4.2 LOADINGS DUE TO EXTREME EVENTS
2.4.3 COMBINATION OF LOADINGS
2.4.4 EFFECT OF SHRINKAGE
2.5 CONDITION OF EXPOSURES
2.6 FIRE RESISTANCE
2.6.1 FIRE RESISTANCE PERIOD
2.6.2 VENTILATION PROVISION IN FIRE RESISTANCE DESIGN
2.6.3 THERMAL BARRIER
2.7 DRAINAGE DESIGN
2.8 VENTILATION AND OTHER E&M SYSTEM
2.9 MAINTENANCE CONSIDERATIONS
2.9.1 MAINTENANCE CONSIDERATIONS IN PAVEMENT
DESIGN AND HEADROOM REQUIREMENTS
2.9.2 MAINTENANCE CONSIDERATIONS IN WATERPROOFING
DESIGN
2.9.3 ACCESS FOR MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION WORKS
2.9.4 SPARE PARTS
2.9.5 HANGING SYSTEM, HOLDING DOWN, ANCHORAGE AND
OTHER FIXING ARRANGEMENT
2.9.6 INCORPORATION OF UTILITY INSTALLATIONS IN
TUNNELS
2.9.7 TUNNEL MOVEMENTS MONITORING
2.9.8 MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIFIC
STRUCTURAL FEATURES
2.9.9 TUNNEL CLADDINGS
3. TUNNEL BUILDINGS
3.1 GENERAL STRUCTURAL DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
3.2 DESIGN WORKING LIFE
3.3 OTHER DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
3.4 DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR TUNNEL BUILDINGS DESIGNED
FOR SPECIAL USE
3.5 MAINTENANCE CONSIDERATIONS
4. INDEPENDENT CHECKING
4.1 ROAD TUNNEL STRUCTURES
4.2 TUNNEL BUILDINGS
5. ENQUIRIES
6. REFERENCES

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1. INTRODUCTION

These Guidance Notes provide general guidance and requirements on

structural design considerations and maintenance provisions for road tunnel
structures and tunnel buildings to be maintained by HyD.

A road tunnel is a subsurface structure for vehicular traffic constructed

through or under an obstacle. This obstacle may be in the form of other
infrastructure development, natural terrain, a mountain, a body of water or
the combination of the above. For the purpose of these Guidance Notes,
road tunnel structures should include all major structures of a road tunnel,
including permanent structural lining, structural compartments, portals, adits,
ventilation buildings/shafts etc. which are structurally integrated with the
road tunnel structures.

Road tunnels can be designed and constructed by different methods,

depending on a number of factors, including functional requirements,
geological and environmental considerations, construction methodologies
and technologies, plant and equipment etc.

For demarcation purpose, an underpass is a highway structure that goes

beneath another road(s), railway(s) or other highway structures and is usually
forming part of a local grade separated highway system. Reference should be
made to Structures Design Manual for Highways and Railways 2013 Edition
(SDMHR) [1] for the design of the underpass.

Tunnel buildings to be maintained by HyD are engineering structures such as

ventilation buildings, pumping station, kiosks, toll booths, satellite control
buildings/points, control kioks etc. Tunnel buildings to be maintained by
ArchSD include administration buildings which is basically for office
accommodation with human activities in support of tunnel operation,
building elements such as internal finishes and architectural features,
workshops and garages. A maintenance matrix should be devised and agreed
at the design stage.

The recommendations in these Guidance Notes will take immediate effect,

and are applicable to projects which are new or under planning involving
road tunnels or tunnel buildings to be maintained by HyD. In addition,
designers and project offices should consult maintenance authorities to
specify Tunnel Protection Zone for road tunnels to prevent adverse impact
due to future developments.
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 These Guidance Notes should not be considered as exhaustive. Designers
and project offices should also observe and comply with relevant up-to-date
standards and statutory requirements relating to safety, structural integrity,
durability, maintenance and operational need, and ensure that provisions and
recommendations given in these Guidance Notes are applicable to their
designs.

Designs of road tunnel structures and tunnel buildings to be maintained by

HyD should be circulated to B&S Division for comments on structural
design aspects and respective Regional Offices on maintenance aspects.
Designs on geotechnical aspects, geometry, traffic control and surveillance,
E&M provisions, fire safety provisions, etc. are outside the scope of these
Guidance Notes. Designers and project office should seek advice from
relevant authorities and departments accordingly.

2. ROAD TUNNEL STRUCTURES

Road tunnels in Hong Kong are commonly constructed by the following

methods/ combination of methods: (i) Boring by Tunnel Boring Machine
(TBM), (ii) Drill-and-blast, (iii) Cut–and-cover and (iv) Prefabricated tubes
immersion. Designers and the project office should decide on the options to
be adopted in the design with due regard to functional need, constructability,
safety, geological and environmental consideration, economy as well as
long-term durability and maintenance requirement, etc.

2.1 GENERAL DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

The structural design of road tunnels should take into consideration the
requirements for tunnel operation, inspection and maintenance. The needs
for the provision of maintenance access, lighting, communication, utility
troughs, electrical and mechanical installations, drainage, provision of fire
service installations, ventilation and traffic surveillance equipment etc.
should be well addressed in advance of the structural design stage so as to
assess their loading effects on road tunnels. Adequate maintenance access
and opening should be provided for the delivery of plant and materials for
maintenance. Designers should seek comments and advice from relevant
authorities and parties.

According to Code of Practice for Minimum Fire Service Installations and

Equipment and Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Installations and
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 Equipment [3] by Fire Services Department (FSD), systems for fire service
installations and ventilation shall be provided when tunnel exceeds 230 m in
length.

In practice, length of road tunnels in Hong Kong is usually longer than 230m.
There are however exceptional cases that shorter road tunnels of length less
than 230m exist in Hong Kong.

2.2 DESIGN WORKING LIFE

Unless otherwise agreed, the design working life of road tunnels and
associated structures structurally integrated with tunnels should be taken as 120
years. For the avoidance of doubt, any tunnel buildings which are structurally
integrated with a tunnel or essential for tunnel operations, such as ventilation
buildings, ventilation shafts, etc., should be designed as tunnel structures with
120 years of design working life.

2.3 TYPICAL COMPONENTS OF A ROAD TUNNEL

A road tunnel should be able to accommodate the designed envelope for

traffic movement as well as other functional and maintenance requirements,
including ventilation, drainage, lighting, utilities and power, traffic
surveillance equipment, maintenance walkway and emergency cross passage
etc. A typical road tunnel should contain the following structural elements:

(i) Tunnel lining

(ii) Internal wall
(iii) Suspended ceiling slab for overhead ventilation ducts (OHVD) or
other utility installation
(iv) Suspension systems (e.g. hangers) for ceiling slab
(v) Road slab and pavement
(vi) Road plinth and safety walkway
(vii) Cross passage
(viii) Ventilation shaft / adits
(ix) Portal structure
(x) Approach ramp and retaining side walls

Provision of other non-structural components including road drainage, utility

trough, non-structural cladding/ finishing, ventilation ducts, lighting, fire-
fighting and traffic surveillance equipment etc. should also be considered in
the design.
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2.4 TYPICAL LOADINGS TO BE CONSIDERED IN ROAD TUNNEL
STRUCTURES

Various loadings typical to road tunnel structures are listed below. The list
of loadings shown below is not exhaustive. Designers should carefully
assess types, magnitudes and directions of loadings that would occur in road
tunnel and combine them in such a way with due consideration to produce
critical structural effect:

(i) Self-weight of all tunnel elements, supported carriageway, footpath,

supported tunnel buildings, supported bridges and landscaped decks;
(ii) Soil loads on tunnel structures;
(iii) Groundwater, seepage forces and earth pressure loads as well as
floatation under various water tables;
(iv) Loads arising from differential settlement of structures and structural
elements;
(v) Traffic loads;
(vi) Accidental loads due to vehicle collision, vehicle explosion, fire load,
impact of vessel anchors etc.;
(vii) Dead loads and maintenance loads of E&M installations and vibration
loadings due to E&M equipment’s operations;
(viii) Wind loads such as wind loads on tunnel portals and shafts;
(ix) Loads due to temperature effects, creep and shrinkage;
(x) Earthquake loads;
(xi) Loads during construction;
(xii) All other existing loads on the top of the tunnel;
(xiii) Loads due to extreme weather, tidal impact and climate change effects;
and
(xiv) Loads due to other planned development on top or in the vicinity of
road tunnels, including future roads, buildings and infrastructure
development

2.4.1 EARTHQUAKE LOADS

For earthquake loads, road tunnels should be designed to withstand seismic

forces and distortions imposed on them by lateral ground movements
resulted from the earthquake ground motion as well as dynamic loads arisen
from the inertia response of structural elements under seismic actions. The
following three types of deformations imposed by the surrounding ground,
namely, (a) compression and extension in the longitudinal direction, (b)
bending in the longitudinal direction, and (c) ovalling/ racking in the
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 transverse direction should be considered. Dynamic approaches as stated in
Eurocodes should be adopted in the structural analysis. For the purpose of
the design of road tunnels, the Importance Factor as stated in SDMHR [1] for
earthquake resistance should be 2.3 which corresponds to a return period of
2500 years.

2.4.2 LOADINGS DUE TO EXTREME EVENTS

For other effects arising from extreme weather, including the rise in sea level,
abnormal rainfall intensities, temperature changes etc., precautionary
measures such as raised road profile at entrances, tunnel sumps, entrance
barriers and floodgates etc. should be considered in the design. Comments
from relevant authorities including HKO, DSD and CEDD should be sought
where appropriate.

2.4.3 COMBINATION OF LOADINGS

As regards the various combination of loadings acting on road tunnels

arising from surrounding interfaces, including soil, rock, aqueous bodies and
other imposed loads due to other structures and geotechnical features etc.,
designers should consult and agree with the relevant authorities on
geotechnical aspects with regard to the geotechnical design parameters,
assumptions and designed loads to be adopted for assessing and designing
road tunnels.

2.4.4 EFFECT OF SHRINKAGE

Effect of shrinkage due to different humidity across the depth of the

pavement/lining should be duly considered in particular when the back of
pavement/lining is close to the source of subsurface run-off or seepage.

2.5 CONDITION OF EXPOSURES

The design condition of exposures, nominal cover to reinforcement and

design crack width to be adopted for reinforced concrete elements would
have significant influence on the durability of road tunnels. Exposure class
XC4 in Table 5.2 of SDMHR [1] with limiting crack width of 0.25mm shall
be adopted for assuming the durability of road tunnel elements under the
aggressive environment of road tunnel.

Notwithstanding the above, designers should carry out reviews and

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 assessments in order to specify exposure class which commensurate with the
tunnel’s specific situations and other controlling factors such as humidity,
carbon dioxide concentration, design assumptions and concrete protective
measures, etc. Designers should provide full substantiations if lower
exposure class is adopted to ensure the adequacy of concrete cover in
protection against carbonation.

2.6 FIRE RESISTANCE

(1) Road tunnels should be designed to prevent catastrophic collapse and

spalling of concrete in the case of a fire incident so as not to endanger tunnel
users during evacuation and firefighters in fire-fighting or rescue. Designers
should adopt the latest fire design codes and comply with the latest
requirements of FSD in the design of tunnel structures.

(2) Designers should assess fire risks of road tunnels and their consequences and
adopt risk mitigation measures for various elements of road tunnels
according to relevant fire design codes. The fire curves to be used, elements
to be protected, forms and extents of protection required should be assessed
with due considerations of fire exposure by the designers. Time for
repairing and re-opening the tunnel to traffic due to various fire conditions
and the associated long-term performance, inspection and maintenance
requirements after respective fire conditions should also be addressed in the
design.

(3) To reduce the risk of concrete spalling under fire for all structural concrete,
monofilament propylene fibres not less than 1.5kg/m3 shall be included in
the concrete mix regardless of any thermal barrier to be installed. The fibres
shall be 6 – 12mm long and 18 – 32 μm in diameter, and shall have a melting
point less than 180℃. Wire mesh should not be adopted in the prevention of
concrete spalling under fire.

2.6.1 FIRE RESISTANCE PERIOD

As a general rule, the Fire Resistance Period should be taken as 4 hours

unless agreed otherwise. Designers should document all considerations for
deriving the adopted Fire Resistance Period in the design of road tunnel
structures. Designers should also check with relevant authorities including
FSD and TD with regard to any specific fire resistance requirements,
prohibition of dangerous goods vehicles from using road tunnels, etc. in
determining the Fire Resistance Period.
Page 7 of 19
2.6.2 VENTILATION PROVISION IN FIRE RESISTANCE DESIGN

Reference should be made to the Code of Practice for Minimum Fire Service
Installations and Equipment and Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of
Installations and Equipment [3] by FSD when carrying out fire resistance
design and risk assessment for road tunnels. According to Clause 4.41 of the
subject Code of Practice, systems for fire service installations and ventilation
shall be provided according to the Code when tunnel exceeds 230 m in
length. Comments from FSD and EMSD and appropriate maintenance
authorities should be sought.

2.6.3 THERMAL BARRIER

Thermal barriers should be installed to protect the tunnel lining in case of

fire when the road tunnel is submerged in the sea or located in “unstable
ground”(“unstable ground” is defined as “ground that will collapse if
unsupported” with reference to Guidelines for Structural Fire Resistance for
Road Tunnel [15] published by the International Tunneling Association (ITA))
where the consequence of tunnel lining collapse could be considered as
catastrophic. The system of thermal barriers should be capable to withstand
the Rijkswaterstaat (RWS) time/temperature fire curve for 120 minutes [4].

The system of thermal barriers should be a board type and pass the jet fire
test in accordance with ISO 22899-1:2007 [5]. It should not be made of
Magnesium Oxide (MgO) or materials affecting the durability of any tunnel
elements/facilities.

The anchor used for fixing the thermal barrier on the tunnel lining should be
made of High Corrosion Resistance (HCR) steel capable to withstand the
Rijkswaterstaat (RWS) time/temperature fire curve for 120 minutes. The
anchor should also be designed to hold the thermal barrier in case of
earthquake. Non-destructive test should be carried out on at least 5% of total
number of anchors to verify the anchor strength after installation. At least
2% of the thermal barriers should be fixed by anchors which allow removal
and reinstatement of barrier panels without replacement of anchors.

2.7 DRAINAGE DESIGN

(1) Road tunnels should be provided with drainage systems designed to cope
with water from all sources such as underground seepage, surface runoff,
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 water leakage from broken pipes, tunnel cleansing water, etc. Entrances of
approach ramps, all openings into road tunnels and associated elements such
as adits, ventilation shafts etc. should be located above the 1 in 200-year
return period flood level of the adjacent area with adequate provision for
storm surge and freeboard wherever possible. Prior approval from
authorities, including Drainage Services Department and the tunnel
maintenance authorities, should be sought on any non-compliance with the
aforementioned requirements with full justification provided and
documented. The impact of burst water mains and blocked surface water
drains causing the change of the design flood level should be assessed. The
design of waterproofing system for road tunnels should follow BS 8102:
2009 – Code of Practice for Protection of Below Ground Structures against
water from the ground [6].

(2) Drains located underneath the carriageway would be blocked after years of
accumulation of debris and mineral precipitation from tunnel seepage in
view of high mineral content of groundwater in rock tunnel. Cleansing of
these blocked drains is extremely difficult and their in-situ replacement is in
general not feasible due to the operation of the road tunnel. As such, the
sub-soil drain should be specifically designed with due consideration on the
adequacy of drainage capacity especially due to blockage. Specific drainage
product of sufficient strength, adequate size and durability should be adopted
to minimize the chance of blockage. Adequate space should be allowed for
personnel to carry out inspection and cleansing of the drainage components
subject to the requirements of the maintenance parties. Covered U-channel
instead of drains located underneath the carriageway should be adopted
along the carriageway to facilitate inspection and maintenance work
whenever possible. U-channels should be properly designed and they should
be robust, durable and free from rocking.

(3) Cross-fall and longitudinal fall should be provided on carriageway

throughout the tunnel. Pump stations, sumps and separators should be
provided at suitable locations in the tunnel where possible impacts on tunnel
operation would be minimized. Flameproof drainage system with reference
to requirements stipulated in BD78/99 [7] should be adopted considering
accidental spillage of fuel from vehicles.

To avoid stormwater and other surface runoff flowing into the tunnel, road
levels at tunnel entrances, both longitudinal and transverse, should be
properly designed and associated drainage system including cut off drain etc.
with adequate discharge capacity should be provided.
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2.8 VENTILATION AND OTHER E&M SYSTEM

(1) The structural design of road tunnels, including the lining, OHVD slab,
suspended ceiling and hanging system for E&M equipment etc., should take
into account the loading and vibration effects arising from the operations of
the ventilation systems.

(2) The internal dimension and layout of the road tunnel should be designed to
accommodate ventilation ducts and other E&M equipment. Either natural
ventilation, longitudinal ventilation, transverse ventilation or any variations
or combinations of them are commonly adopted to suit the actual operational
circumstances. The primary objectives of a tunnel ventilation system are (a)
to monitor the air quality inside the tunnel continuously and take necessary
action to limit the concentration of air pollutants from vehicles emissions to
allowable levels and (b) to control the spread of smoke in case of a tunnel
fire.

2.9 MAINTENANCE CONSIDERATIONS

(1) A comprehensive maintenance strategy should be developed for the

maintenance of road tunnels in good conditions. Different types of tunnels,
locations, ground and surroundings would require different maintenance
strategies. In this regard, individual tunnel should have its own maintenance
strategy which should be reflected in an inspection and maintenance manual
for future inspection and maintenance. The inspection and maintenance
manual should include, but not limited to the following:

(i) Maintenance scope, objectives and strategy

(ii) Maintenance parties, roles and responsibilities
(iii) Service life of various elements of road tunnels.
(iv) Types of defects that may occur
(v) Types and frequency of inspection for various elements of road
tunnels as well as their monitoring requirements, if any
(vi) Inspection equipment and monitoring device
(vii) Criteria of maintenance actions
(viii) Maintenance schedule and programme for various types of structural
and non-structural elements
(ix) Recommended maintenance works and procedures
(x) Inspection procedure and sequence for special features, such as tunnel
lining, hanging system for E&M equipment, drainage system, fire
service installation etc.
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 (xi) Design information relevant to maintenance planning and
implementation, e.g. loadings, drawings, schedule of movement joints
along the tunnel with information regarding their locations and
movement ranges, etc.
(xii) Maintenance records or reports, certification or service reports
(xiii) Details and requirements of cyclic lane closure for inspection and
maintenance
(xiv) Any other items as required by the designers and the maintenance
parties.

(2) During the design stage, comments from relevant maintenance parties should
be sought and reference should be made to HyD Guidelines No. HQ/GN/26
Guidelines on Maintenance of Road Tunnels [9].

2.9.1 MAINTENANCE CONSIDERATIONS IN PAVEMENT DESIGN AND

HEADROOM REQUIREMENTS

(1) Both flexible and rigid pavements are commonly adopted in road tunnels. If
rigid road pavement is to be adopted, the design should be such that it could
facilitate efficient reconstruction of the pavement using precast rigid
pavement panel. In that connection, the sizes of the pavement panel should
be standardized as far as practicable and precise as-built construction record
should be provided.

(2) Structural slabs inside the road tunnels should not be used as the running
surface. Concrete wearing slab or bituminous surfacing should be provided
on top of the structural slabs of the tunnel.

(3) When designing the approach carriageway to road tunnel including the toll
plaza, the heavy traffic load due to frequent acceleration and deceleration of
vehicles should be properly addressed in the pavement design of the
carriageway.

(4) Where concrete pavement is to be adopted in a road tunnel, an additional

clearance of 0.1m should be provided on top of the designed minimum
vehicular vertical clearance of 5.1m as specified in Transport Planning &
Design Manual (TPDM) [14] to cater for future overlaying of bituminous
surfacing.

(5) The ceiling of carriageways should be painted in black with inorganic paint.

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2.9.2 MAINTENANCE CONSIDERATIONS IN WATERPROOFING
DESIGN

(1) Tunnel can be designed to be either undrained or drained, according to the

groundwater/seepage control methodology. The lining of undrained tunnels
should be designed to withstand full hydrostatic pressures as well as the
pressures generated by the ground. In the drained tunnel design, seepage
forces should be taken into account in the design of lining.

(2) Undrained tunnel design with complete waterproofing layer is the preferable
tunnel design option for drill-and-blast rock tunnels. If drained tunnel design
is to be adopted for drill-and-blast rock tunnels, waterproofing layer should
be provided at tunnel crown and behind tunnel walls of tunnel lining.

(3) Waterproofing details of the joints between tunnel units and segments should
be duly designed in ensuring the water tightness. Provision should be
allowed for any monitoring and collection of seepage in the joints in the
future.

2.9.3 ACCESS FOR MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION WORKS

(1) Adequate and safe maintenance access to all locations and components of the
tunnel for inspection and maintenance should be provided. Side access
(designated shaft or incorporated in cross-passage) to overhead ventilation
duct should be provided wherever possible, instead of opening at ceiling
slab. Similar side access should also be provided to the tunnel chamber and
ventilation duct below carriageway wherever possible, instead of a manhole
at road slab. The access should be provided at intervals of not exceeding
200m. Provision of safe and effective inspection and maintenance access
should be considered in the design stage with reference to Guidelines on
Inspection of Road Tunnels, HyD Guidelines No. HQ/GN/04 [8]. Provisions
should be made for future installation of access facilities inside ventilation
shafts without affecting their operation so as to allow close inspection of
shaft faces.

(2) Heat resistant lighting luminance with minimum 6500 lumen output shall be
installed along the centre of the ceiling of OHVD at 25mm interval, such that
no additional lighting would be required during inspection and maintenance
works. Lighting switches and electricity sockets shall be provided near the
access openings and power supply socket-outlets should be provided at
ventilation ducts and underground chambers. Sufficient clearance between
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 tunnel elements and E&M equipment should be provided for maintenance
works subject to manufacturer's recommendations and requirements of
tunnel maintenance authorities.

(3) Where access is provided for carrying out inspection and maintenance to any
tunnel components including but not limited to ventilation ducts, ventilation
buildings, ventilation shafts and E&M equipment, minimum headroom of
not less than 1.9m and clear width of not less than 1m should be provided for
the passage of personnel and equipment. If any maintenance access (whole
or part) cannot achieve the required dimensions, the designer should
consider using very durable materials, such as stainless steel reinforcement,
for those components of the tunnel in lack of proper maintenance access. In
case of doubt, advice on adequacy of accessibility from maintenance
authorities should be sought.

(4) Inspection and maintenance of tunnel elements will normally be carried out
under restricted working hours. Due considerations and sufficient clearance,
including the provision of adequate openings and cross passages, should be
given during the design stage to facilitate maintenance and repair in the tight
schedule. Wall panels should be designed with built-in inspection doors at 30m
intervals to facilitate future inspection of the tunnel lining covered by wall
panels. Comments from maintenance authorities should be sought.

(5) Apart from the provision of chainage markers at carriageway level, the
chainage markers should be provided along ventilation ducts and
underground chambers for reference of inspection and record of defects.

2.9.4 SPARE PARTS

Spare parts and storage accommodation should be provided for those

components which are susceptible to damage or wear during the service life
of a road tunnel. Reference should be made to Section 16.1.3 of SDMHR [1].
The maintenance authorities should be consulted at an early stage in the
design of the structures, including tunnel buildings, for advice on the
requirements for spare parts for maintenance. The designers should prepare
and agree with the maintenance authorities on the list of inventory and items
which would require routine maintenance, such as wall panels, E&M
equipment, drainage cover etc. The list should include details of their
location, number, materials and available suppliers.

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2.9.5 HANGING SYSTEM, HOLDING DOWN, ANCHORAGE AND OTHER
FIXING ARRANGEMENT

In the circumstance that hanging system or hangers, including holding down

bolts, dowel bars and anchorage are provided to support E&M equipment,
including jet fans, lighting etc., the design of the hanging system should take
into account the following requirements:

(1) The hanging system, including holding down bolts, anchorage, connecting
dowel bars etc. should be designed to be permanently fixed or cast in the
structural elements of the tunnel without inducing crack or opening in the
structural element concerned. Subsequent drilling into the permanent
concrete lining to create holes for inserting and fixing the anchorage bolts
(by expansion bolts or chemical grouting etc.) should be avoided as far as
possible.

The proposed hanging, and anchorage system, with all material testing
certificates, design calculations, check certificates, maintenance/inspection and
repairing manual should be submitted to the responsible maintenance parties for
comment.

(2) If subsequent drilling into any reinforced concrete elements is necessary for
the installation of anchor bolts, proprietary hollow drill bit with vacuum
cleaning function should be used. Anchor bolts should be made of A4 grade
stainless steel or equivalent. All gaps inside a bolt hole should be sealed
with proprietary grout or alternatively treated to maintain the original
durability of the concrete elements. Designers should substantiate that the
anchor bolts are suitable for structural fixing taking into consideration the
stress conditions of the concrete elements.

The potential risk of post-drilled anchor bolt fallen off of overhead slabs,
especially due to fatigue, vibration and in the case of fire, should also be duly
considered and mitigated. In this regards, undercut bolts should be considered.

(3) For tunnels in oval or horseshoes shape, ceiling slabs for overhead
ventilation ducts should be in arch form or other form without using hangers.
For tunnels in rectangular shape, the use of hanging system or hangers for
tunnel suspended ceiling should be avoided.

(4) The hanging system should be designed to be anchored and cast permanently
into the structural element with sufficient anchorage length and strength so
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 that no part of the system will become loosened by mechanical
vibration/movement due to the operation of the E&M equipment or cracks
that might appear in the concrete element supporting the hanging system
during the service life.

(5) Designers should adopt very durable materials to construct metal frames for
supporting heavy elements. Tunnel claddings should be supported by Grade
316 stainless steel frames. Other heavy parts including lighting fittings
should be supported by galvanized mild steel frames with painting suitable
for long-term protection of structural steel works in aggressive environment.
Reference should be made to Section 16.4 of SDMHR [1].

All connecting dowel bars, connectors, holding down, anchorages and fixing
arrangements, and all other fixtures should be fabricated from austenitic
stainless steel. Reference should be made to Section 16.6 of SDMHR [1].

The cable hangers should be galvanized and coated with epoxy powder to
improve resistance against abrasion and corrosion.

2.9.6 INCORPORATION OF UTILITY INSTALLATIONS IN TUNNELS

(1) Prior approval should be sought on any proposal to accommodate utility

installations in the tunnel. The need for accommodating utility installations
should be confirmed at an early stage in the design to allow designers to
make adequate and appropriate provision having due regard to the functions
of the tunnel.

(2) Regarding utility services installations road tunnels, reference should be

made to Section 1.7 of District Administration Handbook [10] and all utilities
should be clearly labeled at 200m interval.

(3) As the utility trough covers are vulnerable to damage, the bottom
longitudinal edges of the covers and recess receiving the covers shall be
protected by GMS angle wherever appropriate.

(4) Proper design should be conducted for the use of the space behind wall
panels for utility installation, including the hangers installed behind the wall
panels for supporting cables. To facilitate the laying of new cables onto
hangers behind tunnel wall panels, “leading wire” should be provided for all
unused hooks of the hangers, such that removal of wall panels at close
intervals could be avoided.
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2.9.7 TUNNEL MOVEMENTS MONITORING

Monitoring and instrumentation plan for tunnel movements should be

formulated for comments by maintenance parties. Strategic long-term
monitoring points should be devised and installed before hand-over of the
road tunnel to the maintenance parties. Designers should seek comment
from maintenance parties for the instrumentation plan and adoption of
maintenance instruments, such as survey makers etc.

2.9.8 MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIFIC STRUCTURAL

FEATURES

Since there are many post-drilling works to be carried out at the OHVD slab,
prestressed OHVD slab should not be used unless there are very strong
justifications on the durability of tendons being affected by the post-drilling
works. In case of using prestressed OHVD slab, the tendon should be
protected by High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) sheathing ducts with full
grouting. Specific structural features or installations such as rock bolts,
ground anchors, etc. may require special maintenance measures. Advice
from maintenance authorities should be sought to the adoption of any of
these specific structural features in the design stage. All specific
maintenance and inspection procedures for these specific structural features
should be detailed in the maintenance and inspection manual.

2.9.9 TUNNEL CLADDINGS

Cladding panels should be designed to facilitate removal and subsequent

reinstatement of covering for the concerned tunnel lining for inspection and
repair. Regular or ad-hoc inspections should be implemented. In case
Vitreous Enamel (VE) claddings are adopted in the tunnel design, the fixing
and arrangement of VE panels should be designed to allow removal and
installation of individual panels without moving any adjacent panels. Such
design arrangement would enhance the efficiency during inspection and
maintenance works, in particular in the event of emergency repair so as to
minimise the impact to the public nuisance due to temporary road closure.

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3. TUNNEL BUILDINGS

3.1 GENERAL STRUCTURAL DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

(1) Designers should ensure the compliance of the structural design of the tunnel
buildings with the statutory requirements relevant to building construction
and associated works in Hong Kong and fulfillment of the corresponding
functional purposes and requirements in terms of structural layout, loadings,
access, emergency escape requirements, durability, fire resistance, etc.

(2) Designers should ensure that the buildings are designed in accordance with
the relevant Codes of Practice for Buildings in Hong Kong. Reference
should be made to the Code of Practice for Structural Use of Concrete [11],
Code of Practice for Foundations [12], Code of Practice for Structural Use of
Steel [13] and Code of Practice for Fire Safety in Buildings 2011 [2] issued by
Buildings Department. Reinforced concrete should be designed to meet the
minimum concrete cover requirement as stated in the Code of Practice for
Fire Safety in Buildings 2011 [2] issued by Buildings Department and the
relevant requirements by the FSD.

3.2 DESIGN WORKING LIFE

A design approach based on a design working life of 50 years should be

adopted in the design of tunnel buildings.

3.3 OTHER DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

For building services, fire services installations and other building facilities,
designers should seek comments from ArchSD, EMSD, FSD, etc.
accordingly to ascertain the required information for the structural design.
For geotechnical information necessary for structural design of tunnel
buildings, comments from GEO should be sought.

3.4 DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR TUNNEL BUILDINGS DESIGNED

FOR SPECIAL USE

Tunnel buildings designed for special use, such as fuel filling station,
dangerous goods store, garage etc., comments from relevant authorities
including FSD, EMSD, etc. should be sought with regard to the building
design requirements and regulations concerned.

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3.5 MAINTENANCE CONSIDERATIONS

An inspection and maintenance manual should be prepared during the design

stage to cater for the particular design and functions of the tunnel buildings.
The items that should be included in the manual should cover but not limited
to those items for the inspection and maintenance manual of road tunnel
structures listed in Section 2.9 above. Comments from relevant maintenance
parties, including HyD/Region, should be sought on aspects which require
regular maintenance, such as soft landscaping, during the design stage.

4. INDEPENDENT CHECKING

The designers should ensure the compliance of the relevant design

requirements as well as the safety and integrity of the road tunnel structures
and tunnel buildings.

4.1 ROAD TUNNEL STRUCTURES

Independent checking of the design of the road tunnel structures should be

carried out under Structure Category III as shown in Table 2.2 of SDMHR [1].

4.2 TUNNEL BUILDINGS

Tunnel buildings should be designed and checked in accordance with the

statutory requirements relevant to building construction and associated works
in Hong Kong. Reference should be made to Buildings Department’s
Practice Notes for Authorized Persons, Registered Structural Engineers and
Registered Geotechnical Engineers.

5. ENQUIRIES

For any enquiries on this document, please contact Chief Highway

Engineer/Bridges and Structures.

6. REFERENCES

[1] Structures Design Manual for Highways and Railways 2013 Edition,
Highways Department
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[2] Code of Practice for Fire Safety in Buildings 2011, Buildings Department
[3] Code of Practice for Minimum Fire Service Installations and Equipment and
Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Installations and Equipment, Fire
Services Department
[4] Technical Standards for the Provisions and Installations RWS curves, Dutch
Ministry of Transport and National Regulator
[5] ISO 22899-1:2007: Determination of the resistance to jet fires of passive fire
protection materials -- Part 1: General requirements
[6] BS 8102:2009: Code of Practice for protection of below ground structures
against water from the ground
[7] Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, Volume 2 - Highway Structures
Design (Substructures and Special Structures) Materials - Section 2, Special
Structures - Part 9, BD78/99 - Design of Road Tunnels
[8] Guidelines on Inspection of Road Tunnels, HyD Guidelines No. HQ/GN/04,
Highways Department
[9] Guidelines on Maintenance of Road Tunnels, HyD Guidelines No.
HQ/GN/26, Highways Department
[10] District Administration Handbook, Highways Department
[11] Code of Practice for Structural Use of Concrete (2013), Buildings
Department
[12] Code of Practice for Foundation 2017, Buildings Department
[13] Code of Practice for Structural Use of Steel (2011), Buildings Department
[14] Transport Planning & Design Manual, Transport Department
[15] Guidelines for Structural Fire Resistance for Road Tunnel, International
Tunneling Association

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