Primary publication: TIEFBAU December 2007

Presentation at the 14th Geotechnical Colloquium held at Darmstadt Technical University, March 15, 2007

Summary: Over recent years more and more tunnels have been designed and built at increasing depths and under higher groundwater pressure. High groundwater pressures are a major challenge when driving tunnels through soft ground and rock, and have a decisive influence on the design and operation of the tunnel boring machines (TBMs). The aim is to prevent any excessive inflow of groundwater, to guarantee working face stability and enable access to the cutter wheel for maintenance work.