This paper describes the current and finished design work which has been performed for shallow rock station caverns for New York City's first new subway construction in 60 years. A new robust, sophisticated, design procedure has been developed for two up to 30 m wide caverns, with overburden of less then 12 m, and rock cover to span ratios (C/S) in the order of 0.25. The design is based on empirical input parameters like the Q-value, rock mass rating (RMR) values, rock mass class after Cording (1984), cover to span ratios, which have been validated by the use of structural computer models as well as two- and three-dimensional numerical discontinuum models. The design approach is a staged approach using first principles, empirical models and non-linear FEM and DEM models._x000D_
In addition, the paper describes the factors and circumstances why shallow caverns have been selected instead of cut-and-cover structures and why all the underground station structures have been developed as drained structures.