Advancing Tunnel Seismic Resilience

^{Image above: Waterview Tunnel, Auckland - courtesy of New Zealand Transport Agency}

Wataru Okada – CPEng, Technical Principal, Geotechnics and Tunnels, New Zealand 
Stephen Klein – P. E., G.E., Senior Engineering Manager, United States
Bruce Downing – P.Eng., Senior Principal, Senior Geotechnical Engineer, Canada

Tunnels cut across communities supporting essential services—from transportation to water systems. Yet, given their subterranean location, it is easy to overlook the important role of these structures in daily life and the factors that contribute to developing and maintaining them, especially throughout seismic events. 

The following article provides insights for developing seismic-resilient tunnels and adopting state-of–the-art seismic design techniques in projects.