Design Engineer Services

Parsons provides design services for highway, railroad, rail transit and water/utility tunnels. These services include industrial, geotechnical and civil design, detailed design, and lining system design.

Industrial, Geotechnical and Civil Design

Parsons provides a wide range of geotechnical, design, and construction services for tunnel and underground construction projects. These services include:

• Tunnel design services including preparation of plans and specifications
• Construction management and inspection of tunnel construction, underground construction consultation for trouble-shooting or claims
• Reconnaissance geologic investigations for tunnel feasibility or alignment selection
• Design-level geotechnical exploration programs and development of geotechnical design criteria
• Seismic risk analyses and development of seismic design criteria
• Soil and rock mechanics testing and evaluations
• Hydraulic fracturing and jacking tests for design of pressure tunnel linings
• Geohydrology studies related to ground water inflows, dewatering, and effects of construction on ground water resources
• Development of shoring and temporary support design criteria for underground construction
• Pre-bid geologic investigations for construction estimating
• Field exploration programs
• Geophysical surveys
• Laboratory testing
• Environmental assessments

Parsons has a wide range of experience on underground construction projects ranging from small excavations to large underground transit/highway systems, water and wastewater systems, and hydroelectric projects.

Detailed Design

• Setting of tunnels, shafts and large underground chambers, utilizing the Tunnel Boring Machine technology
• Design of dewatering schemes and underpinning procedures to protect buildings, utilities and other structures and facilities located in close proximity to tunnel construction areas
• Tunnel Boring Machine technology including:
  • open-face
  • closed-face
  • pressurized face
  • earth pressure balance
  • slurry pressure
  • roadheader excavation for soft rock
  • shielded and unshielded for hard rock

Lining System Design

• Design of temporary and permanent lining systems including steel ribs and linings
• Shotcrete lining for primary and final structural support systems
• Cast-in-place and precast concrete lining systems and shotcrete lining for final support
• Prefabricated cast iron and steel lining systems
• Waterproofing design and drainage of tunnel systems
• Vibration mitigation design; design of floating slabs and other vibration mitigating devices