a milestone in tunnelling: rotterdam's maas tunnel celebrates its fiftieth anniversary

COMMEMORATIVE ARTICLE

A Milestone in Tunnelling: Rotterdam's Maas Tunnel Celebrates its Fiftieth Anniversary

Lars Gravesen and Nestor S. Rasmussen

Abstract--Buil t 1937-42 in Rotterdam, Holland, the Maas River Tunnel was the first immersed road tunnel in the world with a rectangular cross-section, constructed in reinforced concrete. On the occasion of the 50-year anniversary of this milestone in Tunnclling, T&UST/s devoting this corn memorative article to the subsequent development of the immersed tube technique. Based on their personal experience, the authors recall the innovative design and execution process, and the dramatic circumstances during World War II that characterized the Mass Tunnel project. A brief review is given on the further, worldwide development of immersed tunneling that resulted from the achievements on the Mass Tunnel pilot project.

R$sum&--Construit entre193 7 et 1942 ~t Rotterdam, le Tunnel sous la Meuse a ~t~ le premier tunnel routier immerg~ du monde avee une section transversale rectangulaire, construit en b~ton renforcd. A l'occasion du 50~me annioersaire de cet gudnement marquant dane l'histoire des tunnels, T&UST consacre eet article comm~moratif au ddveloppement ultdrieur de la technique du tube immergg. Sur la base de leur exlMrienee personnelle, les auteurs rappellent la conception innovatrive et le processus d'exAcutiono ainsi que les eirconstances dramatiques pendant la 2gme guerre mondiale qui ont marqu~ le projet du tunnel sous la Meuse. Voici un rapide compte rendu sur le dgveloppement ~ l'~chelle mondiale des tunnels im rnergds qui vnt suivi le projet-pilote tunnel sous la Meuse.

Introduction

T he Maas Tunnel in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, celebrated its fiftieth anniversary last year.

This paper reflects on the technical innovation of this important tunnel project, which was destined to be the forerunner of immersed tunnel technology in Europe, even to the present day.

The technical innovations developed for the construction of the Maas River Tunnel between 1937 and 1942 at Rotterdam were at the time overshad- owed by the outbreak of World War II in Western Europe. This paper briefly describes the authors ' personal memo- ries of the enemy invasion to which this large tunnel project was subjected, and of the bombing of the great city centre nearby.

Lars Gravesen (77), Civil Engineer, M.Sc., was employed from 1939 to 41 as the youngest engineer on the Christiani & Nielsen staff with the Maas Tunnel contractors at Rotterdam, in charge of precision control during sinking of tunnel elements. Nestor S. Rasmussen (62), Civil Engineer, M.Sc., has been involved for nearly four decades with Christiani &Nielsenon design and construction of immersed tube tunnels around the world. Today Mr. Rasmussen is Director andVice-President ofChristiani & Nielsen A/S, 1-9 Rosenkaeret, DK-2860 Soeborg, Denmark.

Completed under German army occupation, there was no festivity around the opening of the Maas Tunnel to traffic in 1942. This was one of the reasons for the Rotterdam Munici- pality's celebration of the Tunnel's fiftieth anniversary in 1992. On that occasion, attention was called to the historic role of the Maas Tunnel in the post-war development of the city of Rotterdam, as well as in the technology of international, soft-soil underwater tunnelling.

This article is limited to the construction of the immersed section of the Maas Tunnel, and to some examples of immersed tunnels built subsequently.

1. History of the Maas Tunnel Project 1.1 Origins of the Project

By the 1930s, the R o t t e r d a m Harbour, expanding along the Maas Estuary, was already one of the busiest shipping centers in the world. At the same time, the Maas River had to be crossed both by heavy city traffic, in- cluding cyclists and pedestrians; as well as by long-distance motor traffic between the Dutch "Randstad" to the north (a city of seven million inhabitants today) and Belgium to the south. In those days, the existing cross-river connections consisted of only a few ferries and a single bridge in central Rotterdam. The result was frequent traffic chaos and a strong public demand for additional fixed crossings.

The Rotterdam Municipality worked for several years on plans for a new highway through the city, with the option of a bridge or a tunnel for crossing the river. Negotiations were held concerning sharing the costs with the Ministry of Public Works. In 1936, the City called for proposals based upon a Public Works design for a bridge and a City design for a tunnel with two circular steel tubes---one tube with two single lanes for automobiles, and another tube carrying cyclists and pedes- tr ians at two levels.

In 1937, the City Council made the important decision to accept an alternative proposal submitted by a group of Dutch contractors. This alternative com- prised one rectangular tunnel section with four tubes made of reinforced concrete (see Fig. 1). The section was 25 m wide and provided two tubes, each with double lanes for motor traffic. This design provided more than twice the traffic capacityofthe City-designed tunnel. Two additional tubes were provided for cyclists and pedestrians.

The new design would make the Maas Tunnel the largest subaqueous road tunnel in the world at the time, with regard to cross-section and traffic capacity.

The fact tha t the client had the courage to choose a new type of tunnel can mainly be at tr ibuted to two key persons: the far-sighted P. J. Droog lever Fortuyn, Lord Mayor of Rotterdam; and Ir. J. P. van Bruggen, Chief Engi- neer of the City of Rotterdam.

Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 41 ~424, 1993. 0886-7798/93 $6.00 + .00 Printed in Great Britain. ~) 1993 Pergamon Press Ltd 4 1 3

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Figure 1. Cross-section of the riuer part of the Maas Tunnel.

The contract was awarded to NN. Maastunnel, a joint venture of four Dutch contractors. The river section of the tunnel was developed at the head office of Chris t iani & Nielsen in Copenhagen, Denmark; Chief Engineer (later Professor) A. E. Bretting was in charge of the innovative design and planning of the execution. The site manager of N.V. Maastunnel was M. Lassen-Nielsen, head of Christiani & Nielsen's Dutch companyin the Hague, and personally in command of the sinking operations on the Maas River.

Construction began in 1937 and was completed in 1941, in time for the tunnel to be opened to traffic in early 1942.

1.2 The Maas Tunnel Dur ing World War II

1.2.1 Completion of Construction 1940-42

Some delay in the construction schedule was caused by the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, because the floating derricks needed for the sinking operation in the Maas River were heavily involved in Dutch mili- tary defence preparations. In addition, the cold winter of 1939-40, during which drift ice formed on the river, stopped the sinking operations for some months. Despite these difficulties, by early May 1940, three tunnel elements were in position on the bottom of the river, and the remaining six elements were afloat, in various stages of completion, along the jet ty in the Waalhaven basin.

However, all construction activities were sudden]yinterrupted on the morning of May 10, 1940--the day of the German invasion of continental West- ern Europe. It so happened that the small Waa lhaven Airpor t in the Rotterdam harbour area was one of the spots used for surprise attacks by Ger- man parachutists, dropping far behind the defence lines established by the Dutch army. Therefore, during five days of local fighting, the Maas River became a temporary front line between the German invaders on the left bank

of the river and the small Dutch garri- sen, which had withdrawn to the right bank.

Several months earlier, when this type of situation had been seen as a possibility, the MnAA Tunnel Construc- tion Manager had prepared an emer- gency plan designed to protect the tunnel works as much as possible from damage. This plan now became very relevant. It was important to maintain the water pumps in operation in order to keep the tunnel elements afloat in the Waalhaven. In addition, the pumps lowering the ground water level around the open excavation for the southern tunnel ramp had to kept in operation.

The situation on the construction site in the Waa]haven naturally became particularly critical. A few staff members--who were equipped with written power of attorney in four lan- guages--went there by motorboat in the early morning and remained on the site for several days. Although electric power and telephone lines were cut off, and shooting was going on over their heads day and night, their mission was successful and casualties were avoided.

At the tunnel site on the left river bank, a dramatic situation arose: the cast-in-situ tunnel had recently been completed and several thousands of frightened inhabitants from the sur- rounding townships now entered it, seeking shelter. Thus, in addition to looking after the tunnel works, the staff members delegated to this site were also busy trying to help these unexpected tunnel dwellers. During the five days before the Dutch capitu- lation, three babies were safely born in the tunnel.

Around noon on May 14, the city center of Rotterdam was bombed for several hours by the German Luftwaffe, and this led to surrender by the Dutch government on the same evening. Al- though the tunnel works suffered no damage from the bombing, for several weeks all attention was concentrated on rescue work for the inhabitants and fighting the extensive fires.

A few months later, work could be resumed on the tunnel. The sinking

operation of the last tunnel element was carried out on November 25,1940. The finishing work and installation of ser- vices was completed in early 1942, and the tunnel could be opened to traffic.

1.2.2 Tunnel Operation 1942-45 Until 1942, the occupation forces

did notintsrfere with the tunnel works. In August 1942, however, German mili- tary control was established. In Sep- tember 1944, the Dutch tunnel staff was denied access to the river tunnel, and beginning in November 1944, the passage was closed to all civil traffic.

At this stage, the German army also made secret preparations to destroy the tunnel if they should be forced to retreat from Rotterdam. Explosives were placed in the mid-river section of the three traffic ducts and were con- nected by electric wires to the North entrance guard house.

This plan, however, was discovered by the Dutch tunnel staff, who con- tacted the underground resistance army. In due time, two saboteurs were helped to enter the tunnel via the ventilation air ducts and they managed to short-cut the ignition wires at a hidden place. In this way the Maas Tunnel was saved. On May 6,1945, the tunnel was taken over from the German forces by the Rotterdam resistance army and by the Municipality Technical Service in charge of operating the tunnel works. Within a few weeks of clearing and cleaning the interior and checking the service installations, the MA~s Tunnel was opened to traffic for a second time.

2.0 Design and Construction of the Maas Tunnel 2.1 Construct ion Methods

The soft-soil conditions in the Maas River, characteristic of the delta-land of Holland, were suitable for application of an immersed tube, made of prefabricated elements, sunk and con- nected under water.

This method had been applied a few times before in the U.S.A., in one case for a railway tunnel made of steel elements with double circular tubes. These binocular elements were encased with tremie concrete placed after the tunnel elements were in the final position, or by using circular concrete or steel tubes. For most of these tunnels, the foundation was provided simply by dumping sand at both sides of the tube. The latter method also was foreseen in the City of Rotterdam design of 1936 (cf. Section 1.1).

The main innovation in the alternative project proposed for the Mass Tun- nel was the introduction of the rectan. gular cross-section tube made of reinforced concrete. This arrangement allowed the roadway to be placed close to

414TUNNELLING AND UNDERGROUND SPACE TECHNOLOGY Volume 8, Number 4, 1993

the river bottom, thereby permitting the ramp structures to be shortened substantially. Thus, the Maas Tunnel became a pilot project for most immersed tunnels tha t have built since all over the world (see Section 3, below, and Glerum 1992).

Because the general principles of immersed tube construction are well- known today (see T&UST 8:2), the following brief survey will indicate only the impor tan t new technical problems that had to be solved in de- veloping this construction method for the first t ime on the Maas Tunnel project.

2.2 Production of Tube Elements The immersed part of the Maas

Tunnel is about 563 m long, spanning between the ventilation buildings on either river bank. It consists of nine elements, each 61.35 m long, leaving 10 gaps of about 1.0 m between the elements.

The elements were fabricated in two stages. The lower half of each element was cast in the available drydock at %leysche Haven ~. Here, three elements were made simultaneously in one batch. However, the dock was only 5 m deep and therefore allowed only the bottom part of the element to be floated out and towed to the Waaihaven for completion alonga construction jetty in a 10-m-deep basin. Because a floating concrete mixing plant was required here, it became altogether a rather complicated and costly procedure.

Another costly and time-consuming process was the provision of a watertight membrane made of 6-mm welded steel sheets. A waterproofing membrane was found necessary at the time, because the concrete technology and quality control that is required in order to produce a non-prestressed, watertight reinforced concrete had not yet been developed (see Section 3.2). After fifty years of service, the steel membrane installed on the Maas Tunnel still provides satisfactory waterproofing.

2.3 Placing the Tunnel Elements in the River

At the tunnel site, a trench was dredged for the tunnel tube emplace- ment. At mid-river, the trench was 23 m deep. Across this trench were placed precast concrete sills--two for each element. These sills were used for temporary support of the elements, providing approximately 0.8 m of space for the final sand foundation (see Section 2.4 below).

When completed at the construction jetty in the Waalhaven, the elements (with overall dimensions 61.35 m long, 24.77 m wide, and 8.4- 9.5 m high) weighed approximately 15,000

tons, i.e., 1,300 to 1,400 tons more than the buoyancy of the element itself. Dur- ing the final construction phase, the elements were kept afloat by help of a temporary timber ~bulwark ~ along the element perimeter.

Before being towed to the tunnel site, at about six-week intervals, the completed elements were fitted with extensive auxiliary equipment, which was required in order to carry out the subsequent sinking process safely and accurately.

This unprecedented operation had been thoroughly studied, planned and laboratory tested in advance. A final test was made by a trial sinking of the first tunnel element in the Waalhaven basin. The following list indicates the devices and operations that had to be developed for the successful accom- plishment of this job. (Only several decades later did the construction, towing and sinking of much larger concrete structures begin, such as those involving the oil boring platforms to be placed in open sea.)

1. Five cylindrical tanks, attached to each side of the element helped control the uplift, providing 0.3 m freeboard duringtowingwhen empty, and a suitable surplus weight during sinking when ballasted with water.

2. Three control towers. Two towers were provided on the tube to be immersed, and one was left on the previously sunk element. These were equipped, like the bridge of a ship, with a station for controlling all aspects of the sinking process.

3. Six anchor cables attached to electric winches on the bridges of the control towers, for adjusting and hold- ing the element's horizontal position. Tension meters on all lines monitored the tension in the anchor cables, which changed with the tide and during the element lowering process.

4. Four jack-opera ted s p u d s were provided at each end of the element being placed. These spuds came to rest on the sills and were used to adjust the exact elevation of the element before underfilling with sand.

5. Four horizontal, hydraulic jacks attached to the sides of the element provided for horizontal adjust- ment. These jacks acted against cast- iron bumper blocks provided on the concrete sills, thereby obtaining exact final alignment.

6. Optical i n s t r u m e n t s for precision control . In addition to the nor- real trigonometric and levelling instruments available at the time, several custom-made instruments were developed, mainly for use on the operation bridge duringthe sinkingprocess. Thus, the alignment of the element, the elevation and the inclination could be monitored throughout the sinking operation.

7. A mobile gantry for sand injection machinery (see Section 2.4, below).

Figures 2 and 3 are photographs of the towing and sinking operations for the Maas Tunnel.

Duringthe sinkingoperation, which typically lasted from 12 to 24 hours, all direction of the many control devices was centered on the operation bridge of the master tower. Like the captain of a docking ship, the engineer in command had every maneuvre of this heavy (15,000 tons), ~unhandy ship ~ under his control. The operational margin can be expressed by the fact that the power at the engineer's dis- posal for controlling the element position was only three percent of the weight of the element to be sunk.

2.4 Foundation by Sand Injection The new invention brought to im-

mersed tunnelling by the Maas Tunnel project was sand . je t t ing , which made it possible to establish a uniform and reliable foundation underneath a wide, rectangular cross-section. In fact, this innovation was a key factor in the development of this new generation of immersed tunnels made of reinforced concrete.

When accepting the al ternative project of a rectangular cross-section for the river part of the Maas Tunnel, the client paid great attention to the prob- lem ofensuring a reliable, uniform foundation. Only after extensive laboratory tests, confirmed during the full-scale trial sinking and sand injection under the f i r s t t unne l e l em en t in the Waalhaven basin (cf. Section 2.3), was the City Technical Service of Rotterdam convinced of the reliability of the new method. During the past fifty years of operation of the Msas Tunnel, annual control levellings by the City Technical Service have shown that settlements remain within acceptable limits and that the Owner's confidence conse- quently has been fully justified.

The ingenious method of sand-jetting for constructing the permanent sand bed after the tunnel elements have been sunk was proposed by A. E. Bretting, who based his invention on scientific, hydraulic considerations. The principle is illustrated in Figure 4. Sand suspended in water is forced through the central pipe under the bottom of the element where it is operating. At the same time, the two paral- lel side pipes suck out approximately the same volume of water . By observating the sand content in the return water, the development of the sand deposits can be monitored.

Details on the theory and the prac- tical applications of sand jett ing may be found in the l i terature on the Maas Tunnel (van Bruggen 1939 and Bretting 1941).

Volume 8, Number 4, 1993 TUNNELLING AND UND~P~ROVND SP^CS T~CaNOLOOV 415

Figure 2 i l lustrates the original sand injection equipment constructed for the Maas Tunnel project, showing the mobile gantry by which the injection pipe was operated.

2.5 Joining the Tunnel Elements To achieve buoyancy, the elements

were constructed with temporary end bulkheads of reinforced concrete.

After the sinking process, and when the weight of the element had been transferred to the injected sand foundation, the gap between the two most recently sunk elements was closed by a monolithic structure.

First, temporary closure of the exter- nal wall gaps was achieved by means of semi-cylindrical steel panels filled with concrete placed under water. A large diving bell was then placed to cover the roof gap and to provide a working cham- ber under compressed air, in which the roof gap was closed with structural concrete and a welded steel membrane. Finally, the remaining steel membrane and a structural concrete in the gap were executed under compressed air with access from the inside of the previously placed element.

After removing the temporary bulkheads, the finishing work on floor, walls and ceiling could take place. I t was found that a remarkable precision had been achieved in both the line and grade of the tunnel.

2.6 Ventilation A transverse system was used for

ventilation of the roadway ducts, and a semi-transverse system for the cyclists and pedestrian ducts. In the river part of the tunnel, air ducts were placed under the roadways, in the in-situ- built riverbank tunnels above the roadways. It should be noted that, com- pared to immersed tunnels of similar length with longitudinal ventilation (as they are normally built today), this ventilation system with air ducts took up a considerable part of the tunnel cross-sectional area (cf. Section 3.6).

The ventilation buildings--one on each river bank--provide air intake and exhaust ducts and contain service equipment. Special attention was paid to the architectural appearance of these buildings, which mark the entrance for shipping to the old harbour area and the Rotterdam city waterfront. On the

occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Mass Tunnel, these ventilation buildings were awarded a special architectural prize in appreciation of their functional design (see Fig. 5).

3. Immersed Tube Tunnelling since the Maas Tunnel 3.0 Fifty Years of Market Development

The immersed railway and roadway tunnels with rectangular cross- section constructed in reinforced concrete alter the Maas Tunnel are listed in Table 1. The table also indicates the geographical areain which the tunnels are located.

The table shows that a majority of the tunnels have been built in Western Europe. It is natural that there has been an important market in the delta- land Holland, where soil-soil conditions dominate and a vast number of rivers and canals cross a dense road and rail network. With a more or less continuous programme of immersed tunnelling at hand, the public clients in The Netherlands have great confidence in the special techniques that

Figure 2. Towing of tunnel element, equipped for sinking operation. Sand-jetting apparatus is mounted at the middle of the element deck. (Photo: G.T.D. Rotterdam)

416 Tt~N~LUNG AND UND~P.GROUND SPACE TECHNOLOGY Volume 8, Number 4, 1993

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Figure 3. Tunnel element during sinking operation. (Photo: G.T.D. Rotterdam)

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were successfully applied for the first time on the M~s Tunnel project.

Naturally, the new methods developed for the Maas Tunnel have been further refined and improved over the subsequent 50 years. Thereby, immersed tunnelling has become an ever more competitive option for tunnels under suitable soil-soil conditions.

The following examples are based on experience from many immersed projects around the world. Figures 6 through 10 provide photographs and cress-sectional drawings for a number of the examples discussed.

3.1 Construction Principles With regard to the permanent tun-

nel structure, development has been characterised by:

• The increasing need for tunnels with large traffic capacity, i.e., more and wider traffic tubes.

* A decreasingrequirement for ventilation, due to implemented restrictions on petrol car pollution.

* An increasing application of fire- protective coatings on tube ceil- ings to minimize restrictions on type of traffic.

Figure 4. Foundation principle of sand jetting.

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Comparedtothe 24.77-m-wids Maas Tunnel, which has two 7.60-m-wide traffic tubes, the 36.75-m-wide Louis Hippolite La Fontaine Tunnel in Montreal, Canada (1967) provides two 12.80-m-wide traffic tubes; the 47.70- m-wide John F. Kennedy Tunnel in Antwerp, Belgium (1969), three 10.50- m-wide traffic tubes; and the 49.04-m- wide Drecht Tunnel in Dordrecht, Hol-

land (1977), four 10.50-m-wide traffic tubes.

The demand for wider traffic tubes has been solved by using prestressing in the transverse direction. Prestress- ing in the longitudinal direction has been used occasionally to provide required structural strength.

Thanks to simplified ventilation systems, as explained in Section 3.6,

Volume 8, Number 4, 1993 TUNNELLING AND UNDERGROUND SPACE TECHNOLOGY 417

separate air ducts can normally be done without, resulting in savings in the structural cross-area.

3.2 Design and Production of Tunnel Elements

An increased concern for the dura- bility of the permanent structure has led to a specific demand for long lifetime. A one hundred-year lifetime is oRen spocifiedtoday--quite a demand, considering that no existing reinforced concrete immersed tunnel is more than 66 years old today.

Furthermore, on some projects it is believed that a tunnel structure without waterproofing membrane can be

expected to be watertight and to have a lifetime comparable to the traditional, non-prestressed structure with a waterproofing membrane. In this con- text, however, it should be remem- bered that the good results claimed so far are based on a relatively short history. For this reason, the use of a waterproofing membrane is still con- sidered advisable when prestressing is not applied.

Although the Maas Tunnel elements were constructed in a nearby, existing shallow graving dock, specially constructed drydocks later oRen formed part of the tunnel scheme, whereby the costly two-step element production used for the Maas Tunnel could be

avoided. In some cases, these drydocks have been located far away from the tunnel site, even involving deep-sea ocean towing of the tunnel elements.

3.3 Placing of Tunnel Elements No significant changes in towing

and sinking procedures have taken place since the Maas Tunnel was constructed.

The development of the electro-optical distance meter surveying instruments has vastly simplified the deter- mination of the tunnel element position during installation of the elements in the tunnel trench. In the early clays of immersed tube tunneling, the determi-

Figure 5. Ventilation tower on right bank of the Maas River. (Photo: G.T.D. Rotterdam)

418TUNN~LUNO AND UtCD~.~ROUND SPACE TECHNOLOGY Volume 8, Number 4, 1993

nation of the tunnel element position was based on triangulation and time- consuming calculations made by hand. Today, electro-optical distance meters and computer processing of the data provide accurate and fast information.

3.4 Foundation by Sand Injection The sand-jeering method originally

developed for construction of the permanent sand bed for the Maas Tunnel is still widely used. The main advan- tages of this method are the following:

• Experiencehas shown that i tpro- duces a consistent]), high quality of sand foundation.

• Sand jett ing requires no embed- ded parts ofoutlets in the permanent structure.

Table 1. Immersed rein

Mar Nos. Completed

1958 2 1959

15

8

13

42

1961 1962 1964 1966 1967 1967 1967 1967 1968 1969 1969 1969 1969 1969 1969

1975 1975 1976 1976 1977 1978 1978 1979

1980 1980 1980 1980 1982 1983 1984 1984 1984 1988 1989 1989 1989

1990

1991 1991 1992

~rced concrete rail and roadway tunnels completed since 1942.

The Americas

Havana, Cuba Deas Island, Canada

Webster Str., U.S.A.

La Fontaine, Canada

Parana, Argentina

Europe

Randsburg, Germany

Liljeholmsviken, Sweden Coen, The Netherlands Benelux, The Netherlands

Vieux Port, France Tingstad, Sweden Rotterrdam Metro, The Netherlands Ij, Amsterdam, The Netherlands J.F. Kennedy (Schelde), Belgium Heinenoord, The Netherlands Limfjord, Denmark

Elbe, Hamburg, Germany Vlake, The Netherlands Paris Metro, France

Drecht, The Netherlands Princess Margriet, The Netherlands Kil, The Netherlands

Hemspoor, The Netherlands Botlek, The Netherlands

Mittelland Kanal, Germany Rupel, Belgium Bastia Old Harbour, France Spijkenisse Metro, The Netherlands Cool Haven, The Netherlands

Guldborgsund, Denmark Ems, Germany Marne, France Zeeburger, Holland

Liefkenshook, Belgium Conwy, U.K.

Asia/Australia

Dojima River, Japan

Tokyo Wangan San, Japan

Hong Kong MTR, Hong Kong

Dainikoro, Japan

Kaohsiung, Rep. of China

Eastern Harbour Crossing, Hong Kong

Sydney Harbour, Australia

30 7

Volume 8, Number 4, 1993 TUNNELLING AND UNDERGROUND SPACE TECHNOLOGY 419

Figure 6. Deas Island Tunnel, Canada (1956-1959).

4~0 TUNNELLING AND UNDERGROUND SPACE TECHNOIA)GY Volume 8, Number 4, 1993

• The sand-jetting method provides the contractor with flex- ibility of execution.

Through the years, the equipment for this method has been simplified and further developed, by making use

of the improved mechanical technology and by meeting requirements for specific tunnel projects. For example, underwater drive and sand/water mixture piping supporting structures, which do not hinder navigation traffic, have been developed.

In Holland, an alternative method for construction of the permanent sand bed, based on pumping the sand/water mixture through pipes imbedded in the tunnel floor slab, was developed in the mid-1970s, and subsequently has been used there.

Figure 7. Benelux Tunnel, Holland (1962-1967).

Volume 8, Number 4, 1993 TUNNELLING AND UNDERGROUND SPACe TeCSNOLOQY 421

3.5 Joining of Tunnel Elements The application of rubber seals for

temporary sealing of the joint between tunnel elements and utilization of the hydrostatic pressure for compression of this seal in the joining process, was first introduced on the Deas Island

Tunnel, British Columbia, Canada (1959), and later became a standard feature.

By using the rubber seals, all work at the joint between the tunnel elements can be carried out at atmospheric pressure.

3.6 Mechanical and Electrical Installations

The general technological development of mechanical and electrical equipment and an increasing demand for remote and automatic traffic con-

Figure 8. John F. Kennedy Tunnel, Belgium (I964-1969).

4~i~ TUNNELLING AND UNDERGROUND SPACE TECHNOLOGY Volume 8, Number 4, 1993

Figure 9. Limfjord Tunnel, Denmark (1965-1969).

trol has continuously changed the installations in the tunnels. In this con- text, it is advisable to provide a separate service duct which also can serve as an escape duct in case the tunnel needs to be evacuated.

The worldwide demand for cleaner exhaust from petrol cars, combined with the development of jet-fan ventilators, have made longitudinal ventilation of the tunnels increasingly feasible. Use of longitudinal ventilation eliminates the need for separate ventilation ducts for roadway tunnels up to 4,500 m long (depending on the gradients), which includes most immersed tunnels.

4. Conclusion The Maas Tunnel was a l a n d m a r k

in i m m e r s e d tunnel l ing , both because of i ts unique h is tor ica l significance and i ts technical ach ievements . The com- b ined fores ight and dedicat ion of the

d e s i g n e r s , e n g i n e e r s , c o n s t r u c t i o n managers , and city author i t ies involved in the project have produced a tunne l which set a s t a n d a r d for excellence t h a t st i l l holds today. [ ]

References Re Maas Tunnel, Rotterdam Bretting, A.E. 1941. "The Maas Tunnel,

Rotterdarm" Lecture presented to the Danish Engineering Society, January 29, 1941. Published (in Danish) in lngeni~ren (June 21, 1941), B89-B.104.

van Bruggen, J.P. 1939. The Maas Tunnel, Rotterdam: General Description of the Works. (In Dutch). In De lngenieur 4L

Glerum, A. 1992. Options for Tunnelling: a Personal Story. Tunnelling and Under- ground Space Technology 7(4), 313-315.

Gravesen, L. 1942. The Maas Tunnel, Rotterdam: Precision control on the 9 tunnel elements. Published (in Danish) in Ingeni#ren 75.

Havnoe, K. 1985. Immersed road tunnels

in open sea conditions. In Tunneling and Underground Transport: Future Developments in Technology, Economics and Policy (Frank P. Davidson, ed.), 148-154. New York: Elsevier.

Lassen-Nielsen, M. 1942. The Maas Tunnel, Rotterdam: Construction and Installation of the 9 tunnel elements. Published (in Danish) in Ingeni¢ren 68.

Lassen-Nielsen,M. 1943. Bau unAbsenken der m i t t l e r e n Abschni t t e Eines Flusstunnels./He Bautechnik 13-141).

Rasmussen, N. S. andRoemhild, C.J. 1990. Settlements of immersed C&N tunnels. Presented at the Second Symposium on Strait Crossings, Trondheim, Norway, June 1990.

Schnitter, Erwin. 1939. Maastunnel in Rotterdam. (In German) Schweizerische Bauzeitung lZ

Visser, P. 1945. The Maas Tunnel at Rotterdam during the war. (In Dutch) De Ingenieur 4.

Engineering News Record. 1946. Precision control in sinking prefabricated sections for Maas Tunnel (March 7, 1946), 80-84.

TUNNELLING AND UNDERGROUND SPACE TECHNOLOGY 49~S

O T E C T I V E C O N C R E T E , L B I T U M I N O U S M E M B R A N E i

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Figure I0. Elbe Tunnel, Germany (1968--1975).

Re Immersed Tube Tunnelling since the Mass Tunnel Des= Island Tunnel, Vancouver, B.C., Canada: Ciuil Engim~ring arwl Public Works Review ,

June 1960, 779-785. Die Bautechnik, Oct. 1960, 394--398. Travaux, Dec. 1960, 709-714.

Benelux Tunnel, Rotterdam, Holland: World Construction, May 1966.

Travaux, March 1970. Wegen 617 (April 1967).

Umqord Tunnel, Aelborfl, Denmark: Tunnels & Tunndling, May-June 1969. Traoaux, March 1970. Beton und Stahlbetonbau 11 (1969).

John F. Kennedy Tunnel, Antwerp, Belgium: Tunnels & Tunne//ing 2 (July-Aug. 1969). Trauaux (March 1970).

La Technique des Travaux (Jan.-Feb. 1971), 54--64.

l)er Bauingenieur 44(3), 1969.

New Elbe Tunnel, Hamburg, Germany: 1.C.E. Proceedings, Part I (August 1974),

257-274. Travaux (Jan. 1974), 10-17. Straasse Br#.cke Tunnel 3 (1975). Die Bauteehnik 3 (1976).

Guldborg Sound Tunnel, Denmark: World Tunnelling (Feb. 1989).

424 TUNNELLING AND UNDERGROUND SPACg rr~I{NOLOGY Volume 8, Number 4, 1993

a milestone in tunnelling: rotterdam's maas tunnel celebrates its fiftieth anniversary

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