Hydraulic and earth engineering – Underground passageway – e.g. – tunnel – Lining
Patent
1995-02-01
1997-08-26
Graysay, Tamara L.
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Underground passageway, e.g., tunnel
Lining
52393, 404 74, E04F 1514, E01C 1102, E21D 1100
Patent
active
056605013
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a corner area of a sealing structure for tunnel tubing segments. The ends of two sides of the sealing structure meet at an angle. The sealing structure consists of sealing profile strips and a corner piece joining the ends of these strips. The sealing profile strips are provided, in cross-section, with grooves and cavities running continuously along their length and into the ends.
Tunnel tubing segments are typically rectangular, often slightly curved plates of concrete for lining excavated tunnels. In order to prevent water seepage from dripping into the tunnel, each tubing segment has along its four narrow sides or edges a continuous groove into which a sealing profile strip, which protrudes somewhat from it, is inserted. The tubing segments are installed under pressure such that they touch each other along common sides or edges. Thus, the sealing structures come to lie against each other side by side under high pressure, and are pressed completely into the tubing segment continuous groove. In the tunnel, they form a real sealing network which extends both over the arch of the tunnel and along the length of the tunnel. The sealing profile strips themselves are prefabricated industrially, by extrusion in any suitable length. They are then cut to the size which corresponds to the length of the sides of the tubing segments.
The cross-section of the continuous grooves in the tubing segment and that of the sealing profile strips, as well as the characteristics of their rubber material, must be carefully coordinated since conflicting conditions must be addressed in order to seal the tunnel perfectly. Thus, it is first necessary to take into account the fact that rubber, while readily deformable, is virtually incompressible, contrary to widely held opinion. The entire volume of rubber can be reduced only insignificantly under pressure. Consequently, the sealing profile strips must be provided with cavities disposed in their interior, which cavities can be deformed during installation under pressure in order to be able to force the profile strips into the continuous grooves. This is also important because, with the alignment of the tubing segments against each other, tolerances in the dimensions must constantly be taken into account.
There are still other conditions to consider. In order to accommodate the greatest possible tolerances, the sealing structure cross-section must be relatively large. The tubing segment continuous groove is, however, more susceptible to damage the larger it is. The continuous groove should thus be kept as small as possible. To achieve high leak resistance, relatively high sealing pressures are essential, and these are achieved better with a large cross-section of the sealing profile strip. On the other hand, due to cost considerations, a sealing structure cross-section as small as possible is preferable.
For this reason, the cross-section of the sealing profile strip and the cross-section of the continuous groove in the tubing segment are coordinated such that an optimally matched and shaped sealing profile strip cross-section can be deformed into as small a continuous groove cross-section as possible.
If the sealing profile strip cross-section is larger than the smallest possible continuous groove cross-section taking all possible tolerances into account, with the pressing of the tubing segments--which sometimes involves quite significant forces, it is possible that the edges or flanks of the continuous groove of the tubing segment may burst.
All of these conditions have an effect on the corner area of the sealing structure which is cut from the individual pieces of the extruded profile strip. The corner areas are produced by insertion of the pieces into a mold and subsequent injection of unvulcanized rubber into the empty corners of the mold. The rubber is vulcanized here by pressure and heat. Consequently, the design of the corner areas must be given special consideration with regard to the aforementioned conditions
REFERENCES:
patent: 4762441 (1988-08-01), Glang
patent: 4900607 (1990-02-01), Glang et al.
Datwyler AG Schweizerische Kabel-, Gummi-und Kunstatoffwerke
Graysay Tamara L.
Mayo Tara L.
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