Bjørn Nilsen
Background and activities
Affiliated with NTNU / NTH since 1985; Associate professor of Geological Engineering 1985-1992, Professor 1992-2020, visiting Professor at Colorado School of Mines 1991-92 and 1998-99, Professor emeritus since October 2020. Current resesearch mainly connected to:
- Investigation, stability analysis and rock support design of tunnels, particularly subsea tunnels
- Rock slope stability analysis
- Engineering geological aspects of TBM excavation
- Engineering geological aspects of hydropower projects
Teaching:
Coordinator and main teacher of several engineering geology courses at basic and advanced levels 1985-2020. Supervisor of more than 150 master projects
Coordinator of EVU (continued education course) "Engineering geology for site managers and resident engineers"
Research/PhD-projects:
Main supervisor of 14 PhD-projects. Since 2010:
-2021 Henki Ødegaard: Optimization of test methods and design of transistion zones in unlined pressure tunnels
-2018 Are Håvard Høien: Applicability of reinforced ribs od sprayed concrete in poor quality, swelling rock mass
-2017 Øyvind Dammyr: The use of TBM in future Norwegian infrastructure projects
-2015 Karl Gunnar Holter: Waterproof tunnel lining with sprayed concrete and bonded membrane in hard rock and cold climate
-2014 Martina Böhme: Spatial and temporal variability of rock slope instability in western Norway
-2012 Dawei Mao: Analysis of rock support performance for tunnelling in weakness zones containing swelling clay
-2010 Guro Grøneng: Stability analyses of the Åknes rock slope, Western Norway
- HydroCen (Norwegian Research Centre for Hydropower Technology), research related to engineering geological aspects of hydropower development, leader of project 1.1 "Hydropower tunnels, penstocks and surge chambers" 2016-2020
- Land av Liveability National Innovation Challenge (L2NIC), Singapore National Research Foundation (evaluation of R&D-applications related to use of urban underground)
Committee and panel participation:
- Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (RMRE, Springer): Member of Editorial Board and regular reviewer
- Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology (TUST, Pergamon): Member of Editorial Board and regular reviewer
- Standard Norway: Member of committees for revision of Eurocode 7 and NS 3420
- ITA - International Tunnelling Association: Norwegian representative in ITA-CET
- ITA World Tunnel Congress 2017: Chairman of Scientific Committee
- NFF - Norwegian Tunnelling Society: board member 1998-2007, president 2005-2007
Participation in expert panels / reference groups:
ongoing:
- Romsdalsfjord subsea road tunnel, Norway (evaluation of investigation results and tunnel design - member of expert group established by NPRA; Norwegian Public Roads Administration)
- Kiruna and Malmberget mines, Sweden (evaluation of surface displacement and subsidence caused by underground mining - member of expert group established by LKAB)
Selected completed:
- Rogfast subsea road tunnel, Norway (evaluation of pre-construction investigation, alignment planning - member of expert group established by NPRA )
- Karmsund subsea tunnel, Norway (stability evaluations during design and contruction stages - member of expert group established by NPRA)
- Tellnes open pit mine, Norway (evaluation of pit wall stability and design - member of expert group established by Titania)
- Atlantic Ocean tunnel, Norway (evaluation after subsea cave-in, member of expert group established by NPRA)
- Holmestrand underground railway station, Norway (evaluation during design and construction, member of expert group established by the Norwegian Railway Authorities, JBV)
- High speed railway in Norway (feasibility evaluation - member of expert group established by JBV)
- Large, underground hydropower projects in China (Xiangjiaba, Baihetan, Nuozhadu - quality control during construction)
- Løsberga, Norway (stability evaluation after slide in high road cut - member of expert group established by NPRA )
- Hanekleiv tunnel, Norway (evaluation after cave-in, member of expert group established by Ministry of Transportation)
Courses
- GB6001 - Geological Engineering for Engineers and Managers of Underground Excavation
- BA6072 - Tunnel Planning and Construction
Scientific, academic and artistic work
A selection of recent journal publications, artistic productions, books, including book and report excerpts. See all publications in the database
2021
- (2021) Challenges and some recommendations related to estimation of in-situ swelling pressure of gouge materials. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering. vol. 54.
- (2021) Norwegian oil and gas storage in rock caverns - Technology based on experience from hydropower development. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. vol. 13 (2).
- (2021) Rock Stress Measurements for Unlined Pressure Tunnels: A True Triaxial Laboratory Experiment to Investigate the Ability of a Simplified Hydraulic Jacking Test to Assess Fracture Normal Stress. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering. vol. 54.
- (2021) Improved design of unlined air cushion surge chambers. International journal on hydropower and dams. vol. 28 (1).
2020
- (2020) Experimental triaxial testing of swelling gouge materials. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment. vol. 79.
2019
- (2019) Analysis of the stabilising effect of ribs of reinforced sprayed concrete(RRS) in the Løren road tunnel. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment. vol. 78 (3).
- (2019) Main aspects of deformation and rock support in Norwegian road tunnels. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology. vol. 86.
2018
- (2018) Stabilitetsproblem og ras i vanntunneler. Energiteknikk : fagbladet for energibransjen. vol. 2.
2017
- (2017) Feasibility of tunnel boring through weakness zones in deep Norwegian subsea tunnels. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology. vol. 69.
- (2017) Rock slope stability analysis according to Eurocode 7, discussion of some dilemmas with particular focus on limit equilibrium analysis. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment.
- (2017) Why did the 1756 Tjellefonna rockslide occur? A back-analysis of the largest historic rockslide in Norway. Geomorphology. vol. 289.
2015
- (2015) Main challenges for deep subsea tunnels based on Norwegian experience. journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association. vol. 17 (5).
2014
- (2014) Back-analysis of the 1756 Tjellefonna rockslide (western Norway). NGU-rapport.
- (2014) Possible Concepts for Waterproofing of Norwegian TBM Railway Tunnels. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering. vol. 47 (3).
- (2014) Significance of geological parameters for predicting water inflow in hard rock tunnels. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering. vol. 47 (3).
- (2014) Rock mass Grouting in the Løren tunnel: Case study with the main focus on the groutability and feasibility of drill parameter interpretation. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering. vol. 47 (3).
- (2014) Challenges of rock slope stability analysis according to Eurocode 7, with particular emphasis on limit equilibrium analysis. NGU-rapport.
- (2014) Characteristics of Water Ingress in Norwegian Subsea Tunnels. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering. vol. 47 (3).
2013
- (2013) Analyzing complex rock slope deformation at Stampa, western Norway, by integrating geomorphology, kinematics and numerical modeling. Engineering Geology. vol. 154.