Join the Australian Tunnelling Society Victoria Division for a presentation by Kensuke Date on the challenges faced in using the Water-tight Sequential Excavation Method (SEM) for Tunnel Construction with Difficult Ground Conditions in the construction of the Kitanomine Tunnel.

The Kitanomine Tunnel is a 2928 m long tunnel in Furano City, as part of the Asahikawa-Tokachi Road running N-S in central Hokkaido, Japan. The sequential excavation method (SEM) was used for the watertight tunnel construction.  However, the geology of the Kitanomine Tunnel mainly comprised of mudstone, welded tuff and alluvial fan deposits, causing additional challenges for construction. The area was also rich in water resources and the alluvial fan deposits were found to be predominantly throughout the tunnel alignment with an identified active fault crossing the alignment. Effective grouting around the tunnel to mitigate the environmental impact was also a remarkable feature of the project.

The presentation by Kensuke will address the following:

• Geological challenges that were faced in implementing the tunnelling plan
• Tunnel excavation and support strategies implemented, including the use of tanked sections
• Grouting techniques which were developed for water tightness in rock
• Implementation of Field Testing to prove the effectiveness of the ground improvement
• Groundwater recovery after the tunnel excavation

Keynote Speaker

Kensuke Date
Deputy General Manager,Kajima Technical Research

Kensuke Date has 25+ years of experience in Tunnelling and geotechnical engineering. He graduated from the University of Tokyo and then has worked for Kajima Corporation, one of the largest construction companies in Japan. He has published a lot of peer-reviewed papers on tunnelling in journals and international conferences. He has served as a tunnelling specialist and design manager in challenging projects, including the Kitanomine tunnel passing through an artesian aquifer with watertight tunnel support.

Kensuke is currently working at Kajima Technical Research Institute in Singapore as Deputy General Manager.