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Submerged Floating Tunnel

By
Prof. Amol B. Kawade, Miss.Shruti P. Meghe
Amrutvahini College of Engineering, Sangamner

Abstract
Several crossings with a variety of dif f erent conditions under which a Submerged Floating Tunnel, SFT or
Archimedes Bridge, may be used. However, swell, vortex shedding and slowly varying internal waves due to
layers of dif f erent salinity presented a hazard of signif icant dynamic oscillations. In addition to the
challenge of these various conditions some common accidental situations have to be solved f or all
applications including f ire, sinking ships, f alling anchors as well as sudden massive water ingress into the
tube. Combining with the characteristics of submerged f loating tunnel (SFT ) and surrounding environment,
it is of great theoretical and practical signif icance to develop research in the areas of potential risk and
impact f actors, risk index system, risk level of SFT. Risk management workf low of SFT was given. T hen we
f ocused on discussing the potential risks of SFT in investment, design, and environmental condition during
planning and f easibility study stage.

Some measures and suggestions in risk control strategy were given. Based on the design technology of
immersed tunnel, bridge and tunnel engineering, combining the current relevant design codes segment is
presented according to saf ety, applicability, economy, f ine appearance and environmental protection. T he
selection of tube cross section type, structural analysis, design load, waterproof ing and resistant
corrosion, tube joint design and tunnel ventilation of submerged f loating tunnel etc are described and
explored by comprehensively considering the design load, f low resistance perf ormance, durability and other
f actors of submerged f loating tunnel.

1. INT RODUCT ION

1.1 HISTORY
T he f irst underwater tunnel was build over f our thousand years ago, but f loating tunnels are much more
recent. Certainly an engineer and builder of railways, S. Préault , proposed but did not build an SFT across
the Bosphorus in 1860, an elegant underwater railway viaduct with spans of about 150 m f ounded on piers,
located some 20 m below the surf ace. Per Hall proposed a deeper SFT f or the Bosphorus in 1976, but by
1977 his proposal had become a buried immersed tunnel f or environmental reasons (f ish habitat). An
immersed tunnel is now in place beneath the Bosphorus awaiting the last of the T BMs to reach it. Going
back now to 1882, Edward Reed proposed a submerged railway tunnel across the English Channel
supported on caissons, but Parliament in England rejected it f or f ear of invasion. It was patented and since
then, many other patents have been taken out f or SFT, including some in the UK, USA, Norway, Sweden and
Italy. Once the f irst immersed tunnel had been successf ully built in 1893, the way was open also f or
constructing SFT – initially at least those that would be pier supported. Since 1923 [3], the potential of an
SFT has been recognized in Norway as a way to create a practical castal highway across f jords that would
otherwise be too deep even f or bored tunnels to make sense; some of the existing bored tunnel
connections even with 10% grades are very, very long. T his need f or shorter shallower tunnels f or a
number of f jord crossings has led to detailed investigations and f ield tests that still continue today. T he
most wellknown crossing evaluated in some detail in Norway is f or Hogsf jord , but the SFT was abandoned
f or local political reasons. Private investors have examined a number of other locations. Another serious
contender is the Sula-Hareld crossing. T he f irst of a series of Strait Crossing Symposia in Norway began in
1986 (the f if th was in 2009) in which SFT have played an increasingly greater part.
1.2 GENERAL
Tunnels in water are by no means new in civil engineering. Since about 1900, more than 100 immersed
tunnels have been constructed. Bridges are the most common structures used f or crossing water bodies. In
some cases immersed tunnels also used which run beneath the sea or river bed. But when the bed is too
rocky , too deep or too undulating submerged f loating tunnels are used .

T he Submerged Floating Tunnel concept was f irst conceived at the beginning of the century, but no actual
project was undertaken until recently. As the needs of society f or regional growth and the protection of the
environment have assumed increased importance, in this wider context the submerged f loating tunnel
of f ers new opportunities. T he submerged f loating tunnel is an innovative concept f or crossing waterways,
utilizing the law of buoyancy to support the structure at a moderate and convenient depth .T he Submerged
f loating Tunnel is a tube like structure made of Steel and Concrete utilizing the law of buoyancy .It
supported on columns or held in place by tethers attached to the sea f loor or by pontoons f loating on the
surf ace. T he Submerged f loating tunnel utilizes lakes and waterways to carry traf f ic under water and on to
the other side, where it can be conveniently linked to the rural network or to the underground inf rastructure
of modern cities.

1.3 REASON FOR CHOOSING FLOATING TUNNEL

Floating tunnel is the totally new concept and never used bef ore even f or very small length. It can be
observed that the depth of bed varies f rom place to place on a great extent. T he maximum depth is up to 8
km. also at certain sections. T he average depth is 3.3 km. T he two alternatives are available f or
constructions are bridge above water level or tunnel below ground level. Since the depth is up to 8 km it is
impossible to construct concrete columns of such height f or a bridge. And also the pressure below 8km
f rom sea surf ace is nearly about 500 times than atmospheric pressure so one cannot survive in such a
high pressure zone. So the immersed tunnels also cannot be used. T heref ore, f loating tunnel is f inalised
which is at a depth 30m f rom the sea level, where there is no problem of high pressure. T his is suf f icient
f or any big ship to pass over it without any obstruction.

1.4 BASIC PRINCIPLE OF SFT

SFT is a buoyant structure which moves in water. T he relation between buoyancy and self weight is very
important, since it controls the static behaviour f the tunnel and to some extend, also the response to
dynamic f orces. Minimum internal dimension of ten result in a near optimum design. T here are two ways in
which SFT can be f loated. T hat is positive and negative buoyancy.

Positive buoyancy: In this the SFT is f ixed in position by anchoring either by means of tension legs to the
bottom or by means of pontoons on the surf ace. Here SFT is mainly 30 metres below the water surf ace.

Negative buoyancy: Here the f oundations would be piers or columns to the sea or lake. T his method is
limited to 100 meters water depth

SFT is subjected to all environmental actions typical in the water environment: wave ,current , vibration of
water level, earthquake, corrosion, ice and marine growth. It should be designed to with stand all actions,
operational and accidental loads, with enough strength and stif f ness. Transverse stif f ness is provided by
bottom anchoring.

1.5 OPTIMAL SHAPE OF SFT

T he shape of the SFT in Fig. 1 has been chosen f or the f ollowing reasons: When the vertical curvature is
concentrated in the middle of the SFT, it is easier to shorten the concrete tube during installation,
variations in the buoyancy in the middle of the tunnel introduce little bending in the tunnel. Similarly an
unusual amount of water in the middle of the tunnel gives little bending and axial f orce.
1.6 CONSTRUCTION
T he concept of submerged f loating tunnels is based on well-known technology applied to f loating bridges
and of f shore structures, but the construction is mostly similar to that of immersed tunnels: One way is to
build the tube in sections in a dry dock; then f loat these to the construction site and sink them into place,
while sealed; and, when the sections are f ixed to each other, the seals are broken. Another possibility is to
build the sections unsealed, and af ter welding them together, pump the water out. T he ballast used is
calculated so that the structure has approximate hydrostatic equilibrium (that is, the tunnel is roughly the
same overall density as water), whereas immersed tube tunnels are ballasted more to weight them down to
the sea bed. T his, of course, means that a submerged f loating tunnel must be anchored to the ground or
to the water surf ace to keep it in place (which of these depends on which side of the equilibrium point the
tunnel is).

1.7 DESIGN PRINCIPLE AND PROCESS OF SFT TUBE

SFT tube provides space f or traf f ic and buoyancy f or carrying dif f erent dead and live loads. T he design of
SFT tube relates to oneself saf ety and applicability. T he design load, buoyancy to weight ratio, f low
resistance perf ormance, durable perf ormance and other f actors are considered comprehensively during the
tube design process. By alternatives comparison f rom technique, economy and environmental protection,
the optimal plan should extremely utilize the space to satisf y the traf f ic headroom and meet the demand of
ventilation and escape according to the requirements of saf ety applicability, reliable quality, economical
rationality and advanced technology.

T he principles of tube design are as f ollows:

• T he buoyancy to weight ratio is less than 1.0, related researches show that the ratio should be between
0.5 an0.8.
• Tube should meet the demand of strength, stif f ness and stability during construction and operation
stages.
• T he variation of surf ace curvature should be gentle to resist the hydrodynamic. Meet the standard f or
classif ication of seismic protection of buildings.
2. ST RUCT URAL COMPONENT S OF SFT
Submerged f loating tunnel consists of many structural components. T hese components should provide
strength and stif f ness against the various f orces acting under the water surf ace.
T he three basic structural components are:
• Tube
• Anchoring
• Shore connections

2.1 Tube: It should accommodate the traf f ic lanes and the equipment. External shape can be circular ,
elliptical or polygonal. It may be constructed of steel or concrete. Corrosion protection is the main issue.
Tube is composed of elements of length varying f rom one hundred meters to half a kilometre.

2.2 Anchoring:
T here are basically f our types of anchoring:
• SFT with pontoons
• SFT supported on columns
• SFT with tethers to the bottom
• SFT unanchored

2.2.1 SFT with pontoons: It is independent of water depth, the system is sensitive to wind, waves, currents
and possible ships collision. Design should be such that if one pontoon is lost, then also the structure will
survive.

Fig. 2.1. SFT with pontoons

2.2.2 SFT supported on columns: It is an “underwater bridge” with f oundations on the bottom, in principle
the columns are in compression but they may also be a tension type alternative. Water depth will play an
important role in this case and a f ew hundred meters depth is considered a limit at the present time.
However, much deeper f oundations are at present under investigation.

Fig 2.2 SFT supported on columns

2.2.3 SFT with tethers to the bottom : It is based on tethers being in tension in all f uture situations, no slack
in these tethers may be accepted in any f uture load cases. T he present practical depths f or this type of
crossing may be several hundred meters, whether the tethers are vertical or a combination of vertical and
inclined.

Fig. 2.3 SFT with tethers to the bottom

2.2.4. SFT unanchored: It is interesting as it has no anchoring at all except at landf alls and is then
independent of depth. T here is obviously a limit to the length but only f urther development will answer this.
Perhaps an alternative f or light traf f ic should be designed, possibly a 100 or 200 meter long.

Fig. 2.4 SFT unanchored

2.3 Connection:
T he connections of the tube to the shore require appropriate interf ace elements to couple the f lexible
water tube with the much more rigid tunnel bored in the ground. T his joint should be able to restrain tube
movements, without any unsustainable increase in stresses. On the other hand , the joints must be water
tight to be able to prevent entry of water. Additional care in shore connections is required, especially in
seismic areas , due to the risk of submarine landslides

2.4 Structural design of SFT tube:

SFT tube keeps balance under the action of buoyancy and cable tension bears vehicle load, wave-current
load, temperature load and so on. In the system transf ormation during pref abrication, f loating, installation
and operation, the stress of tube is complex, so the tube design should carry on longitudinal and
transverse analysis under these working conditions.

SFT tube load is divides into permanent load, variable load and accidental load. T he permanent includes
structure weight, buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure, concrete shrinkage etc.

T he variable load includes vehicle load, water head load, wave-current load, temperate load, construction
load etc. T he accidental load includes seismic, sunken ship load, blast load, leakage etc.
SFT tube is designed under ultimate limit state and serviceability limit state just as traditional hydraulic
structure design [1], moreover, the stress and displacement should be analyzed and checked under
progressive damage Limit state and f atigue limit state based on structural reliability theory.

2.5 Tube joint design

Joint design of SFT tube should conf orm to f our principles:
• Not seepage in construction and operation stage, reliable water tightness and durability. Concise design,
stressing def inite and working independently.
• Transf erring construction load ef f ectively in construction stage and convenient construction.
• Transf erring stress and def ormation ef f ectively in construction stage, f ine seismic perf ormance.
• T here are two ways of tube joint based on stif f ness and def ormation: rigid joint and f lexible joint.
2.6 Waterproofing and corrosion protection design of SFT tube
Tube ventilation design is an important link of SFT design, and quality of ventilation scheme and operation
ef f ect has direct relation to engineering cost, operation environment, disaster-relieving f unction and
operation benef it. T he aim of tube ventilation is to guarantee allowable concentration of harmf ul gas
represented by carbon monoxide, provide healthy environment and suitable visibility f or people and vehicle
in tunnel, and control pervasion of smog and heat f or evacuation and extinguishment when f ire occurs.

Tube ventilation should accord with f ollowing requirements

• Design wind speed of one-way traf f ic tunnel is not more than 10m/s; design wind speed of two-way
traf f ic tunnel is not more than 8m/s.
• Noise produced by ventilation f an and exhaust emission meet the environment protection guidance.
• Ventilation type is stable when the transportation condition changes or f ire occurs. Downstream direction
of operation ventilation is stable.

3. COMPET IT IVE FEAT URES OF SFT

3.1 Invisible
Crossing waterways, whether being f rom main land to islands in the sea or maybe more important crossing
an inland lake, perhaps the one we are at now will in many cases meet protests both f rom tourist interests
and also f rom the public in general. Lakes of special beauty or perhaps historical value should be preserved
f or the f uture, the crossing of such areas and lakes with SFT may make this possible. An illustration of this
may be seen in Fig. 3.1

3.2. Length only from shore to shore

T he actual SFT structure is only as long as the distance between the shores. If desired the SFT may be
connected directly to tunnels and then be completely out of sight f or any desired distance.

Fig. 3.1.SFT crossing of lakes

3.3. Very low gradient

Crossings with undersea tunnels or bridges will f requently mean longer structures with consequently higher
costs and this may of f set the higher cost per meter f or an alternative SFT. An SFT crossing may have a
very gentle gradient or being nearly horizontal giving considerable savings in energy used by traf f ic.

3.4. Access to underground service-parking space at ends

As the SFT may continue in tunnels having crossed the waterway, it is possible to arrange parking places or
service areas under ground and provide access to the surf ace by lif ts directly into cities or recreational
areas as shown in Fig. 3.2. T hese possibilities may be one of big advantages in f uture, in f act f or all types
of tunnels.
Fig.3.2. Parking and service areas

3.5. May surface just above shoreline

As an SFT may be positioned at any depth below the surf ace arrangements may be made that the SFT
surf aces at or very near the shoreline. T his may be an advantage f or connections to new or existing road
systems and gives the planners f reedom to locate connections in a very f lexible way.

3.6. Constructed away from densely populated areas

Construction of inf rastructure is a major everyday problem in many cities, traf f ic is piling up, new one way
streets daily and generally great f rustrations by millions of people. One very interesting f eature with SFT is
that the actual construction may be done away f rom the densely or highly populated areas, a f eature also
f or immersed tunnel construction. Af ter the sections of the tunnel are f inished they may be towed to the
actual site and there joined together and installed at the desired depth. In some instances the whole length
of the SFT may be assembled at the construction site and the complete structure towed to the actual site
and installed. T his would ensure minimum disturbances to the local area and perhaps the whole operation
may only take months instead of years.

3.7. Easy removal at end of life

All structures will have to be removed or replaced sooner or later and as the amount of structures increase
it is important to prepare f or these operations already at the planning and design stage. Removal, recycling
or reuse of materials or parts of the structures will become increasingly necessary in the f uture, f or both
economic and environmental reasons. SFT is in most cases a f loating structure as a whole and may
theref ore be towed away to some place where parts of the SFT may be reused. One may imagine such an
operation by f or instance placing bulkheads in the original elements and then separating the SFT in suitable
lengths to be perhaps towed to dif f erent locations f or reuse or destruction.

3.8. Some possibilities of reuse or recycling SFT

Sections of a tunnel may be used f or many purposes, depending on its size and condition. One obvious
possibility is f or various types of storage f acilities, whether in the sea or on dry land, a section of tunnel
,say 12 meters in diameter cut to a length of 10 to 15 meters would not present any dif f iculty to get up on
dry land if that was desired. To cut a concrete tunnel into sections would not present big dif f iculties either;
it’s more a question of overall economy than technology.
4. CONCLUSION
T he submerged f loating tunnel will set up new trends in transportation engineering and which shows with
the advances in technology that will reduce the time required f or travelling. And make the transportation
more ef f ective by hiding the traf f ic under water by which the beauty of landscape is maintained and
valuable land is available f or other purposes. Benef its can be obtained with respect to less energy
consumption, air pollution and reduced noise emission. For wide and deep crossings the submerged
f loating tunnel may be the only f easible f ix link, replacing present day f erries and providing local
communities with new opportunities f or improved communication and regional development.

REFERENCES
1. Christian Ingerslev “Immersed and f loating tunnels” Science Direct VOL. 4 ,2010 PP:51-59.
2. Keqian Z hanga, Yiqiang Xianga,*, Yinguang Dub “Research on tubular segment design of submerged
f loating tunnel” Science Direct VOL. 4,2010 .PP:195-205.
3. Yiqiang Xiang*, Chengxi Liu, Keqian Z hang, Qiangqiang “Risk analysis and management of submerged
f loating tunnel and its applications” Science Direct VOL. 4,2010,PP:107-116.
4. Bernt Jakobsen “Design of the Submerged Floating Tunnel operating under various conditions” Science
Direct VOL. 4 2010 ,PP:71-79.
5. Fei Ge*, Wei Lu, Xiaodong Wu, Youshi Hong “Fluid-structure interaction of submerged f loating tunnelin
wave f ield” Science Direct Vol 4 2010 PP:263-271.
6. Jian Xiao, Guojun Huang “Transverse earthquake response and design analysis of submerged f loating
tunnels with various shore connections” Science Direct Vol 4 2010
PP: 233-242.

We at engineeringcivil.com are thankful to Prof. Amol B. Kawade and Miss.Shruti P. Meghe for submitting
their research paper on “Submerged Floating Tunnel” to us. We are sure this will be of great help to all
those who are looking for more information on Submerged Floating Tunnels.