Civil Insight: A Technical Magazine Volume 3 | Page 84

Civil Insight (2019)
Dr. Shyam Sundar Khadka’s Say on Tunnel and Underground Structures
Q) What challenges are often experienced in
constructing and maintaining tunnels? Is high
capital investment a drawback for constructing
tunnel in the context of Nepal?
specialized
in
Hydropower,
Tunnel
Engineering is very crucial as tunnel itself is a
significant element of a hydropower plant. I,
therefore, believe that Tunnel Engineering
should be incorporated as a core subject
rather than an elective in a university like
ours, where Civil Engineering is specialized in
hydropower. Also, courses related to
hydropower should be incorporated in the
syllabus of all Civil Engineering programs in
Nepal so that country can reap optimum
benefits from the resources we possess in
ample amount. In this connection, I feel
happy to share that KU is building a laboratory
for studying rock mechanics and underground
structures, where rock testing apparatus will
be available.
The challenges often experienced in tunneling in
Nepal are squeezing and rock burst. Squeezing
takes place at regions that have weak rock mass,
while rock burst is experienced at higher
Himalayas. Chameliya hydropower project had
experienced squeezing. Ground water also poses
a problem while constructing tunnels in Nepal.
The provision of monitoring of tunnels has not
been adopted in Nepal yet. Another drawback is
that we lack human resources with profound
knowledge in tunneling and Himalayan geology.
To add further, the problems experienced during
tunneling projects are not brought to media and
national forum, so mistakes are repeated due to
the lack of awareness and induced ignorance. For
this, construction companies, universities, and
research centers should collaboratively function
to discuss about the problems experienced while
constructing tunnels.
Although the starting cost of a transportation
tunnel is high, quality of transportation is
enhanced along with minimization of accidents
when constructed at places having unstable
slopes, requiring hairpin bends and which cross
large number of bridges. Further, tunnels and
caverns could also be used for the disposal of
nuclear wastes.
Q) Recently in May, one-day international
workshop on tunnel construction practice in
Lesser Himalayan was organized. The
workshop was conducted with a panel of
experts in tunneling. As a tunnel expert, how
important it is to involve students in such
programs? Are there any plans to conduct
such workshops here in the university for
Bachelor-level students?
The first-ever international workshop on
tunneling to be organized in an academic level
in Nepal was held on May 18, 2019. Scholars
from four different countries presented their
worksheets at the workshop. The objective of
the workshop was to discuss about the
tunneling practices in Nepal. Workshops and
lecture classes aid to foster students’ learning
and should be organized frequently at an
university level.
Q) Tunnel Engineering is one of the studies with
huge prospect and specially in hilly terrain like
ours, tunnels are very essential to maintain the
nature and to ease the development
simultaneously. Tunnel study is a part of
elective course in our department. Do you feel it
is significant to make the Tunnel Engineering a
part of the main course rather than an elective
in 4-year BE in Civil Engineering?
Q) ‘MS by Research’ is ongoing under your
guidance in our department. The initiation
began under your supervision. Would you
like to say something from your experience
about such program to our students who are
interested in research?
We introduced Tunnel Engineering course in the
Department of Civil Engineering in 2013. We did
not have proper infrastructures and laboratories
during those times. The syllabi of Tunnel
Engineering and Rock Mechanics were designed.
As the Department of Civil Engineering in KU is
The MS by Research in tunneling at KU is
providing students a big opportunity
to research, learn professionalism, and gain
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