Collapsed Tunnel in Central Japan Fully Reopens

General, Geotechnical information,

An expressway tunnel in central Japan whose ceiling collapsed in December, killing nine, became fully operational Friday after a 68-day hiatus, its operator Central Nippon Expressway Co. said.

The nearly 5-kilometer-long Sasago Tunnel in Yamanashi Prefecture became fully usable again ahead of the previously targeted reopening date later this month as restoration work was hastened ahead of the upcoming long weekend when traffic is expected to increase.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism gave its go-ahead on the grounds that all safety issues have been cleared.

Some bereaved relatives of the victims are taking issue, however, with the road operator’s policy to prioritize the tunnel reopening before the cause of the fatal accident has been fully clarified.

The tunnel restarted partial operation on Dec. 29 after tunnel collapse with half of the lanes reopened to traffic.

source: http://enr.construction.com

Tunnel collapse can happen for a number of reasons such as: inadequate ground investigation, shallow ground conditions, inadequate support measures, cost optimization, inexperienced contractors, inadequate supervision, delays of excavation and support erection.

tunnel collapse

 

About Elina Apostolou

Elina Apostolou is an Engineering Geologist. She received her bachelor degree in Geology from National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in 2002, graduating from the Department of Dynamic, Tectonic & Applied Geology and specializing in Structural Geology and Geological Cartography. She received her master’s degree from Imperial College London in 2003, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering specializing in “Engineering Geology”. She worked as an Engineering geologist at Geodata Greece (Salonica), performing field work and composing geotechnical evaluations for various tunnel projects. For a short period of time she worked at the head office of Geodata SpA. in Turin Italy, acting as a liaison between the Greek branch and the Turin based office, considering a specific project. She worked as a geotechnical engineer – engineering geologist at General Consulting Ltd Istria for 4 years, specializing in various geotechnical engineering aspects. Her field of expertise includes geotechnical design of cut and cover tunnel portals, geotechnical evaluations of tunnels, earthworks (embankments, cuts) and structures, design of embankments and cuts, slope stability analysis, rockfall analysis and countermeasures. Meanwhile she received her second master’s degree from National Technical University of Athens in 2010, Department of Civil Engineering and Mining & Metallurgical Engineering, i.e. postgraduate award in “Design and Construction of Underground Works”.