Structural Sustainability, Quality Control, Durability and Robustness of Underground Metro Structures

Underground Metro Rail forms an integral and essential part of infrastructure in any rapidly developing country. Sustainability of these structures depends on durability of the components, which, in turn, is related to factors like quality of the design considered, material used, construction procedure etc. Different chemical agents react with concrete and impair their durability. With the exception of design, these requirements for durability are difficult to characterize with certainty because most of these depend on human factors and environmental uncertainties. Robustness is another important factor contributing to sustainability. It enables the structure to survive unforeseen or unusual events without excessive damage or loss of function. This paper represents various criteria which are essentially being followed during design, construction and maintenance phases to attain the durability, quality and robustness of an underground metro structure.