Execution of an underwater reinforcement structure and soil improvement for the drilling of a shallow tunnel Northern European Region

NEN 072
Participant names : Alex Vandemeulebroecke (CFE), Philippe Patret (VCGP), Arnold Roos (CFE), Philippe Van Gorp (CFE)

CONTEXT
Execution of the Liefkenhoek raillink: 6 km shield driven tunnels under the Schelde and the Canaldock B1-B2 of the Antwerp Port; Total project is 16,2 km. Due to the depth of the Canaldock, the max slope of 1.25 and the connection to the Main Hub (Antwerp North Terminal), there is not enough overburden above the tunnel (<3,5m) in the dock to be able to drill under it without additional measures Canaldock is dredged and filled up with silt. It is impossible to tunnel trough silt. Reference design: dredge the silt and replace with compacted sand, and then cast a colloidal concrete plate with classic reinforcement.

o o o

To tunnel : compacted cohesive soil (=very fine sands) To compact the sand: uniform coarse sand and big overburden Shipping must be possible through all stages of construction (min 16 free depth)
2

SOLUTION: new design

Soil investigation (to determine level of good sand) Drive sheet piles (31 m long) (to anchor concrete plate and limit the dredging) and cut at bottom of canal level Dredge the silt between the sheet piles Replace silt with low strength mortar (max 3-5 MPa) ( in total 25.000 m) Install vertical anchors + reinforcement next to the sheet piles Cast steel-fiber reinforced concrete slab( in total 17.000 m) Drive the TBMs through mortar in upper half cross-section of the tunnel

RESULTS & WIDER ADOPTION OF THE INNOVATION

RESULTS:
o o o o o Clear increase of safety level for TBM personnel by elimination of major risks during TBM drive No overburden on the concrete plate required (as in reference design); so passing of ships not obstructed TBM drive-through without problems except cement pollution of the TBM-bentonite slurry, which request some chemical pre-treatment. Less (polluted) silt to dredge and dispose of (better for environment) Reference design would have given problems: the extremities of the plate and mortar showed the possible problems: collapse of the sand on top of the TBM (not stable enough to create an arch) High advance speed of the TBMs could be kept due to stable excavation circumstances

FURTHER ADOPTION
o Tunnelling under canal with little overburden and little obstruction of the traffic