Tunnels

Underground conveyance tunnels are among the most complex infrastructure systems a community can undertake. DLZ brings specialized expertise in planning and designing tunnels, shafts, drop shafts, and control structures for potable water distribution, sanitary sewage conveyance, combined sewer relief, and stormwater management — integrating civil, geotechnical, structural, and hydraulic disciplines across every project.

Our teams understand the full range of technical challenges these systems present, from surge analysis and air pocket management during rapid storm filling to the mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation controls that keep complex tunnel systems operating safely. That depth of knowledge means clients get not just a design, but a solution engineered for long-term reliability underground.

Featured Capabilities

Project Planning & Feasibility

Every successful tunnel project begins with the right questions. DLZ performs feasibility studies, alignment analyses, and risk assessments that identify the most effective route and construction approach before design begins, giving clients the confidence to move forward on complex underground projects.

Design & Construction Support

DLZ provides engineered solutions for both bored and mined tunnels exceeding 10 feet in diameter, applying methods including the New Austrian Tunneling Method for soft ground and hard rock conditions. Our construction support keeps projects on track from initial design through completion

Excavation & Lining Design

Tunnel and shaft integrity depend on precise lining design. Our teams design final linings, segmental linings, and support systems — including concrete and steel segment design — engineered to perform under the specific ground conditions and loading demands of each project.

Geotechnical & Structural Services

Sound tunnel design starts with understanding what’s underground. DLZ performs ground investigation, characterization, and improvement alongside foundation and structural design, supported by instrumentation and monitoring programs that track performance throughout construction and beyond.

Temporary Works

Protecting the construction environment is as important as the permanent structure. DLZ designs watertight and non-watertight temporary systems including slurry walls, secant pile walls, cofferdams, and steel liner plate shafts, engineered to keep excavations safe and construction on schedule.

Specialized Tunneling Methods

No two tunneling projects are alike. DLZ brings expertise across a wide range of methods — TBM, MTBM, hand mining, pipe jacking, and directional drilling among them — allowing us to match the right approach to each project’s unique conditions and constraints.

Design/Build Capabilities

For complex tunnel projects, an integrated design-build approach streamlines delivery and manages risk more effectively. DLZ brings design and construction coordination under one team, from feasibility and means-and-methods planning through completion. It provides accountability and clarity at every stage.

Related Work

All Work

Shoreline Storage Tunnel Project, NEORSD

Cleveland

, Ohio

Ohio Canal Interceptor Tunnel

Akron

, Ohio

OSIS Augmentation and Relief Sewer

Columbus

, Ohio

Related Capabilities

Hydraulic & Hydrologic Modeling
Trenchless Technology
Geotechnical
Survey
Site/Civil Engineering

Nathan

Dickman, PE

Project Manager

Ohio

Michael

Evans, PE, CPESC

Department Manager

Ohio

Thomas

Hessler, PE, PS

Vice President

Ohio

Jeffrey

Coffey, PE

Vice President

Ohio

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