Dublin Port Tunnel

Reviewing the curtailment of 24-hour tunnel boring due to groundborne noise and vibration effects in overlying residences

The Dublin Port Tunnel is a 4.5-kilometre-long road traffic tunnel. Sections run beneath residential areas of the city. During construction, significant groundborne noise and vibration issues arose, resulting in the withdrawal of permission for 24-hour work. The contractor pursued the employers for 16 million Euros in compensation damages. RWDI was brought in to act as an expert witness on behalf of the project’s employers. Our team performed an in-depth investigation into anticipated and measured groundborne noise and vibration that occurred. By using the contractor’s own monitoring results, we successfully demonstrated that it had been reasonable to curtail tunnel boring working hours.