Geotechnical Safety Management on Site

The uncertainties in the ground model and consequently the design of tunnels call for an observational construction approach. To allow for safe and economical tunneling a safety management plan has to be implemented. Basis for the safety management plan is the design, which continuously is updated, as information increases. The contribution deals with following topics:
• Targets of the Safety Management
• Basic elements and structure of the Safety Management Plan
• Parties involved and their responsibilities
• Determination/Definition of the expected behavior; definition of warning and alarm levels/criteria
• Monitoring program; layout and frequency of monitoring in accordance with expected behavior and
boundary conditions
• Information and communication flow
• Action plan; organization, and mitigation measures in case observed behavior deviates from the expected
• Management of a crisis
A key element for establishing realistic warning and alarm criteria is a profound understanding of geotechnical processes and the ground-structure interaction. Thus a meaningful plan can be only established in close cooperation between designers, geotechnical experts, and the site management. Advanced tools for monitoring data evaluation and interpretation assist in establishing expected behaviors and check the monitored val-
ues against the warning and alarm criteria. The implementation and execution of safety management plans on site will be shown with case histories from the Wienerwald railway tunnel in Austria