Failure of a drainage tunnel caused by an entrapped air pocket

Abstract

A severe storm event occurred over the western area of Mexico City causing the rupture of a drainage tunnel, resulting in surface flooding, severe infrastructure damage and three deaths. This paper describes the methodology followed in order to validate the diagnostic of the event. The detailed investigation comprised in situ observation of the system, as well as hydraulic and structural analyses. In this case, severe pressure oscillations inside the tunnel caused by rapid filling and sudden air leakage through a large orifice (manhole) were recognized as the direct cause of the conduit burst. Further, the low strength of the concrete pipes of the tunnel, constructed without reinforced steel, and the low confinement by the dead load due to the soil above the tunnel also contributed to the rupture. The numerical results show a very unfavorable stress distribution along the tunnel stretch where the accident occurred, sufficient to cause the rupture.