Tunnel Shift Engineer - QA/QC

Role overview

This position is for a Tunnel Shift Engineer focused on quality assurance and quality control for tunnel construction works. The role centers on maintaining compliance with project standards, verifying work at site, and ensuring that tunneling activities, materials, and records meet the required specifications.

Quality planning and documentation

The engineer will help implement the project quality plan, inspection and test plans, method statements, and checklists for tunneling works. All activities must follow the approved project drawings, specifications, relevant codes such as IS, BS, ACI, and EN, and any requirements from the client or consultant. The role also requires keeping quality documents current with proper revision control.

TBM tunneling quality control

For shield, EPB, and TBM projects, the role includes checking TBM readiness and daily pre-launch conditions, along with verifying cutterhead tools, disc cutters, scrapers, brushes, drive torque, pressure settings, and other operating parameters. The engineer will also monitor conditioning materials and dosing, the excavation advance sequence, thrust forces, ring-building parameters, segment installation, grout injection, and annular gap filling. Segment type, orientation, gasket condition, bolt tightening, and any defects such as damage, misalignment, spalling, honeycombing, or joint opening must be reviewed carefully.

Precast segment quality control

The job involves inspecting segment movement from delivery through handling and storage at the tunnel portal or launching shaft. The engineer must confirm dimensions, surface finish, gasket placement, lifting points, and embedded items, as well as track traceability through batch number, production date, and ring ID.

Tunnel survey, alignment, and material checks

Quality verification also covers excavation profile checks using total station or laser scanning, review of TBM guidance system data, ring alignment, and tunnel geometry tolerances such as clearance, convergence, grade, and alignment. Routine material and process testing may include concrete slump and compressive strength, shotcrete rebound, thickness and core tests, grout pressure, density and viscosity, and rock bolt pull-out tests. The engineer must ensure that all materials carry valid MTCs, approvals, and compliance certificates.

Non-conformance, reporting, and records

Any non-conformance must be identified, documented, and tracked through NCRs. The role includes working with construction teams to define and implement corrective actions, verifying the rectification work, and closing NCRs with complete supporting records. Daily QA/QC reports, inspection checklists, test reports, segment installation records, grouting logs, as-built documents, and other audit-ready files must be prepared and maintained systematically.

Safety, coordination, and communication

The position requires attention to tunnel safety requirements such as confined space controls, ventilation, and gas detection. The engineer must also confirm certification for lifting equipment used with precast segments and support the HSE team when investigating incidents tied to quality matters. Regular coordination is expected with client and consultant QA/QC teams, TBM manufacturer representatives, survey teams, testing laboratories, and construction teams, along with participation in quality meetings.