C O L U MN
Rules of
Thumb
Immersed tunnels
I
N 1854, CHARLES DICKENS wrote in
his weekly journal Household Words:
“...Of all bores, one of the strangest,
if it ever come to anything, will be
the purposed tunnel or tube to be laid
along the bed of a river or sea, or at any
rate to be immersed in the water of the
river or sea – not like the Thames Tunnel”
The first tunnel made of segments
sunk and joined underwater was a sewer
completed under Boston Harbour in
1896. But the practice of immersing
tunnels is believed to have begun in
1910 with the construction of a two-
track railroad tunnel across the Detroit
River between the US and Canada. Since
then, more than 100 immersed tunnels
of different sizes and lengths have been
built worldwide.
The Marmaray Tunnel in Istanbul,
Turkey is currently the world’s deepest
immersed tunnel at 55m below sea level,
and connects the European and Asian
sides of the city. At 13.6km long, 1.4km
were constructed using the immersed
tube technique.
Immersed tunnels are normally
constructed using prefabricated
segments placed in trenches on a river-
or sea-bed. Typically, tunnel segments
(usually concrete but sometimes steel)
are made in dry docks some distance
from the tunnel location. Typically,
the segments incorporate temporary
bulkheads which are installed at both
ends for watertightness. They are then
floated and towed to their final location.
Once at the immersion location, the
segments are lowered one at a time into
a pre-dredged trench (typically using
temporary water ballast to overcome the
buoyancy) and joined to the previously-
placed segment using special immersion
rubber gaskets. Connecting segments with
gaskets is designed to protect against
relative displacements of the segment
ends which can result from differential
settlement, concrete creep, temperature
changes and earthquakes.
The design of immersed tunnel
cross-sections is usually an iteration
and optimisation process and can be
influenced by numerous factors other
16 | April 2021 | www.tunnelsandtunnelling.com
016tun0421_ROT.indd 16
Keivan Rafie
Keivan is Deputy Tunnel Practice Regional
Director with Hatch and a columnist for T&T
than structural analysis, including but 5) With regards to the potential hydraulic
not limited to, the requirements for blockage of waterways, immersed
floatation, internal space proofing, tunnels pose little to no impact
ventilation, smoke discharge and utilities. on water flow. In rivers with large
Immersed tunnels may not be the best discharges and substantial sediment
option for every crossing. However, when transport, the presence of obstacles
they constitute feasible alternatives to such as bridge piers may result in
bridges or bored tunnels, they can offer severe scouring and sedimentation.
several advantages:
1) Immersed tunnel construction Immersed tunnels have a relatively ‘thin’
involves numerous activities that can cover layer which can be damaged by
be performed in parallel; downtime sunken wreckage or ship anchors. Also,
for one activity may not necessarily being underwater requires more complex
impact other operations. Activities waterproofing design around joints and
such as segment production, careful design of connections. In rare
trench preparation and segment cases, immersed tubes can influence fish
transportation can significantly habitats, currents and even reduce the
accelerate construction. water transparency.
2) Immersed tunnels are usually Other tunnels with similarities to
shorter than bored tunnels since the immersed tunnels include ‘floating
alignment is only several meters below tunnels’ which do not require a trench,
the sea- or river-bed, and approaches nor do they need covering; their final
can therefore be relatively short. location is somewhere between the
3) They are typically more surface and bed levels. Two major support
environmentally friendly than bridges concepts have been proposed as ‘floating’
(visual, noise and disruption), and have tunnels: buoyant tunnels held down by
little to no impact on shipping. tethers, or heavier-than-water tunnels on
4) In high hydrostatic pressures, supports, like a bridge.
immersed tunnels can be The Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link
advantageous over bored tunnels in (connecting Denmark with Germany)
terms of constructability, since there is features an immersed tunnel that is
no need for a pressurised TBM. Such currently being constructed to become
tunnels are not constrained by circular the world’s longest immersed road and
cross-sections: rectangular can be rail tunnel; at the planned 17.6km, it will
particularly desirable for highways and be the longest ever constructed and will
combined road/rail tunnels. surpass the Marmaray Tunnel.
References and Suggested Readings:
Immersed Tunnel Technology, Sławomir Łotysz | Construction of Zhoutouzui Immersed Tunnel,
Hongjuan Chen | Immersed and floating tunnels, Christian Ingerslev | Innovations in resilient
infrastructure design, Lars Christian Ingerslev | An Immersed Tunnel, better than a Long Span
Bridge?, Rob VERGOOSSEN | Layout and Design Techniques for the Large Immersed Tunnel,
Zhang Zhigang | Advantages of immersed tunnels for long water crossings, Evgeny Kurbatcky
Agree or disagree?
Let us know what your experience has taught you. Or let us know what topic should be
included in future Rules of Thumb columns. editor@tunnelsandtunnelling.com
24/03/2021 12:54
 INTERNATIONAL EDITION
The official magazine of the British Tunnelling Society
April 2021

PIPEJACKING
ON THE UP
Vertical pipejacking
from inside a tunnel

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