Tunnel Engineering

Photo: Morten Larsen

COWI A/S
COWI A/S is a leading international consultancy rm, founded in 1930. COWI is a
privately owned professional rm entirely
independent of any manufacturer, supplier
or contractor.
The COWI Foundation is the majority
shareholder. The foundation supports
research and development in various elds
of consultancy activities.
The head ofce is located in Kongens
Lyngby, a suburb about 12 km north of
Denmarks capital Copenhagen.
COWI is a highly versatile and multidisciplinary rm providing services of highest
quality in the elds of engineering, environmental science and social economics.
COWI employs around 3,300 staff, of
which 1,400 are based outside Denmark in
subsidiaries, branch ofces or project ofces.
2,100 employees are professionals holding
Ph.D., M.Sc. or B.Sc. degrees in civil,
structural, geotechnical, mechanical or
electrical engineering and other academic
areas such as geology, hydrology, chemistry,
biology, agronomy, sociology, economics
and planning.
The annual turnover is at present (2004)
350 million Euro. More than half of the
turnover of the company is generated
outside Denmark in more than 100 countries around the world.

Transportation

COWI has more than 70 years experience

in transportation consultancy covering all
phases of infrastructure projects from initial
planning and feasibility studies over design,
construction and commissioning to maintenance management and rehabilitation.
More than 8000 km of roads and railway
lines with belonging bridges and tunnels of
all types and sizes have been constructed in
accordance with COWIs designs.
Tunnel Consultancy

COWI has provided cost-effective designs of

tunnels for more than 50 years for clients all
over the world.
COWI is currently involved in some 20-30
tunnel projects worldwide and the consultancy activities occupy almost 100 engineers
and other professionals generating an annual
turnover in the order of 10 million Euro.

Fields of Consulting Services by COWI

Nature
Natural resources management
Environmental policy and regulation
Environmental protection
Coastal Engineering
Society
Welfare economics and services
Public administration
Social development and HRD
Urban and regional development
Development assistance
Cadastre and land administration
Geographical information systems and IT
Mapping
Transport
Transport planning and management
Roads
Airports
Railways and metros
Tunnels
Bridges
Ports and marine structures
Buildings
Residential buildings
Educational buildings
Hospitals and health buildings
Cultural and sports buildings
Commercial buildings
Industry
Industrial buildings
Production and processing plants
Oil and gas
Health, safety and environment
Environmental and social due diligence

Anton Petersen
Vice President,
Bridge, Tunnel and
Marine Structures
+45 4597 2888
ape@cowi.com

Torsten Mlgaard
Head of Department,
Tunnels and Underground
Structures
+45 4597 2889
tm@cowi.com

Utilities
Municipal and hazardous waste
Water and wastewater
Energy planning and systems
Telecommunication

Consultancy services and expertises

covering all project phases:

Tunnel Consultancy
Working with Tunnels
Main types of tunnels
and areas of use
TBM bored tunnels
Tunnels in congested cities
for road, rail or utilities.
Sub-aqueous tunnels
for crossing of deep
waterways
Long tunnels under
mountains
Immersed tunnels
Tunnels for crossing of
waters of limited depth
such as rivers, channels
and harbour basins
Alternative to bridge
crossing to ensure
unobstructed navigation
Cut and cover tunnels
Shallow tunnels in urban
areas with moderate
surface constraints
Approaches to bored or
immersed tunnels
Rock and NATM tunnels
Tunnels with irregular or
varying cross section shape
Short tunnels under
mountains or deep waters
where the cost of a TBM
makes TBM construction
prohibitive

COWIs longstanding experience with all

phases of tunnel design and construction
ensures the development of individual and
optimal tunnel solutions with a long and efcient service life.
Our experience includes a number of world
class tunnel projects such as the TBM bored
8 km long railway tunnel for the Great Belt
Fixed Link in Denmark with the rails 75 m
below sea level and the 4 km long immersed
tunnel for a 4-lane motorway for the BusanGeoje Fixed Link in Korea with the road 50
m below sea level.

knowledge for which we are internationally

renowned. TBM-tunnelling under high water
pressure and in soft ground, long-term
durability of structures, tunnel ventilation
and safety systems can be mentioned.
Clients

COWI work for tunnel owners as well as for

contractors. We advocate for a close dialogue
with the contractor (BOT and design-build
projects) in order to optimize the design and
construction. This knowledge is then reused,
when we design for tunnel owners.
Quality Management

Tunnel Projects

COWI have been involved in tunnel projects

all over the world. Our experience covers
all types of tunnels, including bored tunnels,
immersed tunnels, cut & cover tunnels, rock
and NATM tunnels.

COWI have established an internal Quality

Assurance system, which is ISO 9001 certied. All design activities are carried out in
accordance with individual project quality
plans tailored to meet the specic requirements of each project.

Services and Expertises

COWIs services cover the whole life cycle of

a project from the early ideas to the operation phase and rehabilitation or decommissioning.
Our services range from professional advice
on a specic problem to comprehensive
planning and total engineering design and
implementation of large scale projects.
Our involvement in complex and demanding tunnel projects over the years has led to
the development of particular in-house

Feasibility phase
Ideas generation and evaluation
3
Feasibility studies
Studies of infrastructure needs
Alignment studies
Cost estimation (considering uncertainties)
Construction and procurement scheduling
Environmental impact assessment
Design phase
Design management
Establishment of design basis
Fire safety and evacuation analyses
Natural hazard analyses (storm water,
ooding, seismic action etc.)
Durability design
Civil and structural design
M&E installations
Operational risk assessment
Relocation of utilities from construction
area
Authority and public phase
Authority approval management
Property consultancy
Land acquisition management
Archaeological consultancy
Public consultation
Tender phase
Development of tender design and dossiers
Management of tender procedures
Bid design
Value engineering
Preparation of contract for construction
Construction phase
Construction management
Quality, environmental and safety
management
Construction risk assessment
Building damage survey and monitoring
Interface coordination
Programme and budget control
Site supervision
Contract and claims management

Michael Bindseil
Chief Project
Manager
+45 4597 2947
mhb@cowi.com

Sren Degn Eskesen

Research and
Development Manager
+45 4597 2554
sde@cowi.com

Operation and maintenance (O&M)

O&M management system
Inspection of structures and installations
Ranking of maintenance and reinvestment
needs
Repair and strengthening design

Sub-aqueous Tunnels
General

The construction of tunnels under wide and

deep waterways requires special consideration
to the design as well as the execution. COWI
has many years of experience in designing
sub-aqueous tunnels. Some of the technical and
practical challenges related to the planning,
design and construction are mentioned in the
following.
Offshore Geotechnical Survey

Offshore geotechnical surveys in waterways

with strong currents, wave action, ice action
and vessel trafc is a demanding task. COWIs
in-house experienced geotechnical specialists
are conversant with such conditions.

signed to cope with these conditions as failure

of TBM performance can lead to serious cost
escalation and extensive construction delay.
Immersed Tunnel Construction

An immersed tunnel consists of prefabricated

elements which are towed out and immersed
into a dredged canal in the sea- or riverbed.
The dredging and the towing out and immersion operations in waterways with heavy currents and vessel trafc are critical and failure
can lead to serious cost escalation and extensive construction delay.
Durability of Tunnel Structures

Sub-aqueous tunnels are subject to extraordinary conditions with regard to outside pressure
and chemical aggressivity. Therefore, special
measures with regard to avoiding or delaying
the development of concrete deterioration and
reinforcement corrosion needs to be considered.

Bored Tunnel Construction

Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) for construction of sub-aqueous bored tunnels exposed to
the extreme conditions with regard to water
pressure and difcult grounds have to be de-

Longitudinal Prole,
Great Belt Tunnel Denmark

Tunnel Ventilation

The ventilation shall ensure the comfort in the

tunnel during daily operation as well as controlling smoke and providing fresh air to the
tunnel during an emergency situation. The long
distances in a sub-sea tunnel between ventilation intakes and outlets place special requirements on the design of the ventilation system.
Safety Measures

Photo: Steen Brogaard

As surface access is not feasible at long

distances, special measures are required for
sub-aqueous tunnels in order to meet the safety
requirements from the authorities. COWI has
experience in design and optimization of all
parts of the safety system including ventilation
system, emergency lighting, re ghting system,
telecommunication system, SCADA system etc.

Large Diameter and Soft Soil Tunnels

General

Tunnels in soft soil are often constructed as

bored tunnels, when the use of cut & cover
tunnel techniques is not possible or too costly
an option. Bored tunnelling techniques cover
both tunnels constructed by the use of a
Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) and tunnels
constructed by hand tools and machines, using
an observational approach with temporary
support of the excavation. The latter is often
called NATM tunnels (New Austrian Tunnelling Method).
Tunnel Boring Machines

Two typical TBM types are the Earth Pressure

Balance (EPB) machine and the Slurry machine.
The former is during construction able to
counterbalance the ground and water pressures
in front of the TBM by the use of one or two
screws between the cutter head and the conveyer belt. The latter uses a technique where
bentonite slurry is pumped into the cutterhead
and mixed with the excavated material. The
mixed slurry is then pumped out of the tunnel
where the bentonite and the excavated material
are separated again. This system also provides
stability in front of the TBM during tunnel
construction.
During recent years is has become possible to
built larger diameter TBM bored tunnels,
mainly due to improved technology and the
development of larger diameter TBMs. This
has opened the market for bored road tunnels
signicantly, as road tunnels often require a

greater cross section than e.g. rail tunnels, but

also bi-directional rail tunnels are now possible
to construct. The larger diameter tunnels
involve larger challenges during construction in
terms of TBM operation, risk of settlements
etc., due to the larger volumes of ground being
excavated, but also ring building, with the very
large concrete lining segments, is an extra
challenge.
TBM Bored Tunnels

Tunnels constructed by a TBM are typically

circular and used in soft ground for longer tunnels. TBM tunnels are used both in urban and
non-urban areas in a soft soil and sub-aqueous
environment. Compared to NATM tunnels,
TBM bored tunnels can be constructed in less
competent ground and where water pressures
are high or impossible to drain.
TBM bored tunnels are typically lined with a
prefabricated segmental concrete lining.
NATM Bored Tunnels

NATM bored tunnels are often used for construction of non-circular tunnels, or shorter
tunnels in relative competent ground conditions where the ground can be drained during
construction.
The NATM cross-section can be excavated in
sections to suit the actual conditions, and
excavations are temporarily lined with a
primary lining consisting of shotcrete. The
permanent secondary internal lining is built as
an in-situ cast concrete lining.

Photo: restadsselskabet / Rene Strandbygaard

Ventilation Systems for Long Tunnels

Ventilation of tunnels is one of the most important features to provide a functional, comfortable and safe tunnel environment for road
tunnels as well as railway tunnels.

Tunnel Ventilation Methods

The methods for providing the required ventilation during normal operation or emergency
operation depend on the actual conditions
(tunnel length, alignment, cross-section, intermediate ventilation shafts etc.).
Normally for road tunnels longer than
approx. 4 km the longitudinal ventilation
method is not feasible and transverse or semitransverse ventilation systems could be
introduced. The capability of the various
systems and the choice of system depend on the
fresh air requirement calculations, which are
based on the estimated trafc conditions,
emission from vehicle, local standards and
requirements for pollution level in the exhaust
air to protect the neighbouring environment.
The road trafc itself will provide a full or
partly ventilation of the tunnel depending on
the travel speed, so normally mechanical
ventilation is only required for diluting the
pollutants during lower trafc speed operation
and during re situations.
For railway systems the ventilation method is
normally determined by the emergency
scenarios to control the smoke during a re.
This leads to longitudinal ventilation provided
by a push-pull concept using ventilation plants
at adjacent stations or intermediate shafts

sometimes combined with exhaust from larger

caverns as e.g. cross-overs or bifurcations.
During normal and congested trafc the tunnel
ventilation will be operated to control the
temperature in the tunnels.
In tropical regions additional tunnel cooling
will often be required e.g. to provide acceptable
operation conditions for train air-condition
units to secure the comfort of the passengers.
Ventilation Systems

Longitudinal ventilation can be achieved using

jet fans in the tunnel prole or axial fans in
either shafts along the tunnel or in plant rooms
at the tunnel portals.
For longer tunnels a fully- or semi-transverse
ventilation concept could be introduced
creating fresh air supply and extraction of
polluted air at certain points. This requires
ventilation ducts along the tunnel.
Ventilation Design

Ventilation calculations such as aerodynamics,

thermodynamics and re simulations will be
carried out during the various design phases.
The optimal tunnel ventilation concept
should be chosen considering safety, functionality, protection of the environment, construction and operation costs.

10

Tunnel Design Tools

Advanced and reliable design tools are a prerequisite for carrying out an optimised tunnel
design.
COWI use a number of computerised tools
in our structural designs, including the following.
IBDAS

IBDAS is an integrated design

and analysis software tool developed at COWI, which allows for
geometrical modelling, structural
analysis and verication of engineering structures and generation
of construction drawings.

FLAC

PLAXIS

PLAXIS is a nite element program

specically developed for numerical
analysis of geotechnical and underground structures.

Subway Environmental
Simulation software
tool for estimation of
airows, temperatures
humidity and air-conditioning requirements for
subway systems.

FLAC is a nite difference program

widely used for modelling in geotechnical and tunnelling design.
ROBOT

CFD

Computional Fluid
Dynamics software
tool for modelling of
physical phenomena
in ow and heat
transfer and res in
conned spaces.

SES

ROBOT is a nite element

program for analysis and
design of beam, truss, slab,
shell and 3D structures.

ABAQUS

ABAQUS is one of the leading multi-purpose nite element

programs for a wide spectrum of
numerical analysis in engineering
and natural science.

Service Life Design of Tunnels

COWI is spearheading the international
development of service life design of
tunnels

The modern, reliability based service life

design is implemented in most new designs, in
re-design of existing tunnels, and in strategic
planning of maintenance and repairs.
Tunnels are usually now to be designed for
100, 120 or even 200 years service life. This
surpasses by far the assumed design life
following most codes and standards.
Internationally recognised expertise and
experience

COWIs recognised leading position within

durability design and concrete technology
is based on more than 40 years worldwide
experience within the design, operation and
maintenance of exposed reinforced concrete
structures.
COWI has been spearheading the international research and technical development of
the rational service life design of concrete
structures. Selected positions have been the
initiation and management of the European
research projects DuraCrete, DuraNet and
DARTS, and chairing all durability related
activities within the international organisations
of CEB (Comit Euro-international du Bton)
and now b (Fdration Internationale du
Bton).

11

Sustainability achieved through reliability

based service life design

Internationally COWI provide the only available reliability based service life design methodology against chloride and carbonation
induced reinforcement corrosion. This contributes optimally to the societal demands for a
sustainable built environment.
All uncertainties of the environmental
exposure, the material properties, and the
deterioration modelling are taken into account.
Thus, service life design, based on functional
requirements, can be carried out by following
the same load-and-resistance factor design
concept as known for structural design.
Implementation in actual projects

This new methodology has been adopted by

national authorities and individual clients in
countries such as Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, UK, North America,
as well as in several former Eastern European
countries, the Middle East and Gulf countries,
and in the Far Eastern Countries.

Carola Edvardsen
Senior Specialist
+45 4597 2813
cle@cowi.com

12

Risk Management of Tunnels

Risk management is essential in tunnel
design and construction

In tunnels there is a potential for major accidents, both during construction and during
operation of the completed tunnel. This fact is
evident from the major accidents, which have
occurred in recent years. It is therefore important that systematic risk management is implemented in tunnel projects in order to ensure an
adequate level of safety in a cost-efcient way.
COWI has many years of experience in Risk
Management. COWI has also led a workgroup
within the International Tunnelling Association, ITA, which has established a risk guideline for design of tunnels.
Safety Policy

The safety policy describes the overall safety

goals for the tunnel owner or tunnel project.
This policy should be established as the starting point for the risk management activities.
Safety Plan

The safety plan describes the framework of

the risk management process including project
organisation, safety responsibilities and the
activities required to document that the safety
goals have been met.

Safety Concept

The safety concept is a description of the main

features of tunnel design and operation, which
shall be implemented to ensure adequate safety
during operation of the completed tunnel. The
concept should be developed early in the design
process to serve as basis for initial project approval and for the detailed design.
Risk Assessment, Operational Risk

An overall risk assessment should be carried

out in order to identify all types of risk during
operation of the tunnel. For signicant hazards
detailed risk assessment should be carried out
as basis for the design decisions. This may
include simulations of re development and
smoke spread as well as simulation of evacuation scenarios.
Risk Assessment, Construction Risk

An overall risk assessment should be carried

out in order to identify all types of risk during
construction of the tunnel. For signicant
hazards design and construction methods
should be re-evaluated and risk mitigations
should be considered in order to reduce risks
to an acceptable level.

13

14

Great Belt Tunnel, Denmark

The railway tunnel is one out of the three
major components of the Great Belt Link. The
project includes two 7,410 m long main tunnel
bores with cross passages each 250 m, cut &
cover tunnel sections at each end terminated
by portals and permanently drained ramps. At
the deepest point, the rails are 75 m below sea
level. The maximum gradient is 1.56 percent.

Cross Passages

The 4.5 m internal diameter cross passages,

are constructed of spheroid graphite cast iron
rings each 0.6 m wide consisting of 18 segments. The cross passages serve as emergency
routes between the two main tunnels. They are
equipped with safety doors and stores electrical
and mechanical equipment required for operation of the railway.

Alignment and Geology

Along the tunnel alignment, the water depths

increase gradually from each side to about 20
m, and then in the central glacial erosion channel more steeply to a maximum of about 55 m.
The tunnels are situated in layered strata of
tills and marls. The till incorporates melt water
deposits containing water at pressures up to 4
bar and granite boulders. The marl is ssured
with hydraulic pressures of up to 8 bar.
Bored Tunnels

The two parallel 7.7 m internal diameter main

tunnels were constructed from both sides by
four Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) with
an outer diameter of 8.75 m. The tunnels
are lined with 1.65 m wide and 0.40 m thick
bolted rings of seven precast reinforced concrete segments. High ground water chloride
and sulphate levels combined with a hydrostatic pressure of up to 8 bar have required
provision of several barriers against corrosion,
including epoxy coating of the fully welded
reinforcement cages.

Services by COWI - MHAI JV

Tunnel Ventilation and E&M

Longitudinal tunnel ventilation is provided by

80 nos. of jet fans in each tunnel tube. Special
emergency double swing doors are developed
and comprehensively tested.
Seabed Dewatering

A revolutionary use of large scale dewatering

of the soil strata below the sea bottom contributed signicantly to the safety and the progress
of the tunnelling works. It allowed the tunnel boring to be carried out at reduced water
pressure and it allowed cross passages to be
constructed safely using minor additional local
dewatering.

Tender design
Tender evaluation
Detailed design of structures and mechanical
installations
Design follow-up during construction
Site supervision
Project Period
1987 - 1997
Client
A/S Storebltsforbindelsen
(Great Belt A.S.)
Construction Cost
USD 1 billion

Portals and Ramps

The two, three-storey portal buildings contain

facilities for operating the mechanical and electrical installations in the tunnels. The ramps
are constructed as permanently drained open
ramps to level - 14 m at the portal building.

15

16

Busan - Geoje Immersed Tunnel, Korea

The Busan - Geoje Fixed Link involves the
construction of an 8.2 km motorway connecting Busan, Koreas southernmost and second
largest city, to the island of Geoje. The connection includes a 4 km tunnel of which 3,400 m
is an immersed tunnel one of the longest in
the world and two cable-stayed bridges each
2 km in length.

Services by COWI - DEC JV

Basic design
Detailed design for tunnels
Detailed design for mechanical and
electrical works
Follow-up during construction
Project Period
2003 - 2010
Client
Daewoo Engineering & Construction
Co. Ltd.
Construction Costs

Immersed Tunnel

Installations

The cross-section of the immersed tunnel is

designed for two-lane trafc with emergency
and climbing lane where appropriate due to the
5% gradient. The centre section of the tunnel,
between the motorway lanes, will contain the
E&M services, the smoke extraction duct and
the emergency escape route.
The tunnel consists of 18 pre-cast tunnel
elements placed in a dredged trench at a
maximum water depth of 50 metres the rst
time in the world that an immersed tunnel is
constructed at such depth. Furthermore, the
tunnel is founded on very week ground which
is a challenge to the foundation design.

The tunnel ventilation concept is chosen as

longitudinal ventilation including approx.
90 nos. of jet fans in each tunnel tube as well
as an additional smoke extraction system.
The escape gallery will be pressurized by
axial fans in the ventilation buildings in order
to secure safe evacuation routes and avoid
smoke spread to the non-incident tunnel.
A state of the art trafc control system
(Intelligent Transport System - ITS) is developed covering the whole link.

Approx. USD 1 billion

Geoje

120 m
80 m
40 m
0m
- 40 m

2.0 km

0.3 km
Jeo

1.9 km

0.3 km

3.7 km

Jungjuk
Daejuk

Gaduk

Malm Citytunnel, Sweden

A railway tunnel under the central part of
Malm linking the present central station with
the resund link between Sweden and Denmark is being constructed.
Tunnels

The two parallel 4.6 km long bored tunnels are

7.9 m internal diameter tunnels with pre-cast
concrete segmental lining. The bored tunnels will be excavated by two Earth Pressure
Balance TBMs, which will have to be pulled
through the Trianglen station, approximately
half way on the bored tunnel section.
At the southern end, a 360 m long twin tube
cut & cover tunnel and a 390 m permanently
drained open ramp bring the alignment to the
surface.
13 cross passages connect the two main
tunnels every 300-400 metres. Two of the cross
passages will be combined with emergency
access shafts situated approximately at the
quarter points of the tunnels.

17

230 m long cut & cover bifurcation tunnel

passes under a harbour bridge and connect to
the bored main tunnels.
The proximity of the harbour, the existing
station, other existing buildings and utilities
and the groundwater requirements create a
complex groundwater situation, which requires
special works and provisions during construction.
Triangeln Station

Triangeln station is a two-track station with a

central 14.5 m wide platform. The platform is
250 m long and located 25 m below ground
surface. The station will connect to the town
square via escalators at both ends of the platform.
The station platform will be situated in a
large NATM cavern constructed from two 30
metres diameter shafts. The cross-sectional
area of the cavern is approximately 320 m.
The cavern will be supported by a central row
of columns.

Malm Central Station

Monitoring and Control

The central station is a four-track double box

cut and cover structure with a 325 m long
platform located 10 m below ground. West of
the station the railway is brought to the surface
via a 340 m long ramp. East of the station a

The tunnels and underground stations are

monitored and controlled by SCADA, CCTV
and re alarm systems in order to ensure safety
during railway operation.

Services by SWECO-COWI JV
Conceptual studies of structures and E&M
systems
Support to environmental hearing
Clients tender design of tunnels and station
structures
Detailed design of station internals and
nishes
Design follow-up during construction
Project Period
1999 - 2011
Client
Banverket (Swedish National Rail
Administration)
Construction Cost
USD 1.25 billion

18

Limerick Immersed Tunnel, Ireland

The Limerick Southern Ring Road will provide
an east-west bypass of the Limerick City for
both regional and local trafc. The ring road
shall pass the Shannon River and allow unrestricted shipping trafc to the Ted Russel Dock
in Limerick.
The project is being tendered as a PPPproject with award of contract for construction
and operation & maintenance expected in
early 2006.
A number of crossing options (low level
opening bridge, high level xed bridge and
immersed tunnel) have been considered with
due consideration of environmental and
aesthetic constraints and the soil conditions.

Installations

Safe egress has been in focus and a forceful

tunnel ventilation system will be provided.
E&M systems as well as a state of the art
trafc control system (Intelligent Transport
System - ITS) is developed covering the
whole ring road.

Services by MCOS COWI JV

Constraints study, route selection and
conceptual design
Conceptual design for immersed tunnels,
cut and cover tunnels and ramp sections

Immersed Tunnel

Design basis for tunnel works

The preferred option is a tunnel comprising

a dual tube immersed concrete tunnel with a
length of about 600 m. A temporarily drained
open ramp of approximately 150 m will be
used as a construction dock for the tunnel elements on the northern bank. On the southern
bank a ramp of 150 m combined with an
embankment through Bunlicky Clayeld Pond
is anticipated.
The works entail major excavations/dredging
and foundation of structures in very soft,
organic clays and very hard limestone. A large
sedimentation basin is envisaged for dredged
material on the northern bank.

Proposals for temporary structures,

casting basins and sedimentation ponds
Tender design
Tender evaluation
Design follow-up
Project period
1999 - 2010
Client
Limerick County Council, Limerick
Corporation, Clare Council, National
Roads Authority

Hallandss TBM Tunnel, Sweden

The Hallandss Tunnel is part of the expansion of the railway network in the western
part of Sweden. This expansion, which is
planned by Banverket (Swedish National
Railway Administration), involves the increase
of capacity from one to two tracks along the
western coastline of Sweden and preparing the
railway network for high-speed trains. Part
of the preparation for high-speed trains is the
construction of two single-track tunnels trough
the Hallandss ridge.
The work commenced in the early 1990s but
was stopped in 1997 due to severe water
inows and environmental problems. The
work re-commenced in 2002, and the tunnel

Services by COWI
Supervision tunnel boring
machines
Supervision Segmental Lining
Project Period
2002 - 2011
Client
Banverket (Swedish National
Railway Administration)

19

construction will now be carried out with

TBMs instead of the rst attempted drill and
blast techniques. COWI was awarded the key
positions in the supervision of the Tunnel
Boring Machines (TBMs) and the tunnel lining
concrete production.
The two single-track tunnels will each be
8,600 m long with connecting tunnels at 500
m intervals.
The TBMs are going to be 210 m long
including the service module, have an outer
diameter of 10.5 m and weight 1,350 tons.
41,000 tunnel segments will have to be
installed. Each ring consists of 8 segments.

Tunnels for Copenhagen Metro, Denmark

Copenhagen Metro is the rst underground
mass rapid transport system to be in operation in Denmark. The project was constructed
under design and construct contracts.
The Metro runs underground for a length of
9 km under the central part of Copenhagen,
where several buildings of national and
cultural heritage are located. Underground
stations are located approximately per 1 km.
Emergency shafts are located at half point
between stations, providing emergency exits
per maximum 300 m. In addition to the
underground sections the Metro includes
elevated and at grade sections and stations as
well as a control and maintenance centre.
Tunnels

Most of the tunnels are constructed in limestone containing layers of hard int. In the
outer sections where the alignment raises the
tunnels are located in mixed faces of limestone
and a clayed sandy till.
The 4.9 m internal diameter running tunnels
were constructed by using two Earth Pressure
Balance TBMs to ensure ground stability and
that the groundwater level would stay essentially unchanged during tunnelling.
NATM tunnelling was used at few locations
where non-circular cross-sections were required, i.e. for excavating an underground
cross-over cavern and two bifurcation chambers. NATM was also used for the construction

of TBM launch chambers, cross passages and

for deeper parts of the emergency shafts which
were excavated in limestone.
Cut & cover tunnelling was used to connect
the bored tunnels to ramps where the ground
cover for bored tunnelling was insufcient.

Services by COWI
Tender design for: TBM tunnelling, NATM
tunnelling and Cut & Cover tunnels
Segmental linings, in-situ
linings, shotcrete linings,
steel linings and waterproong systems

Installations

Conceptual design

Tunnel ventilation facilities are provided in the

underground stations and in some of the intermediate shafts as well as dedicated extraction
from the cross-over cavern.
At the stations platform screen doors create
a partition between the tracks and the platform
for safety and comfort reasons as well as for
improving the tunnel ventilation in case of re
emergencies.

Preparation of tender documents including a

reference project

New Circle Line in Copenhagen

In the period from 2002-2005, for the Danish

Ministry of Transport and Energy COWI has
carried out a feasibility study for a new 15 km
long Circle Line in Copenhagen, all underground with 16-17 deep stations and ve transfers to existing railway lines and the Metro.
It is expected that planning and design of the
Circle Line will continue from 2006 and it is
anticipated that the new line can be opened for
operation in 2017.

Tender evaluation and contract negotiation,

Design follow-up and site supervision
Construction management
Feasibily study for a new circle line
Project Period:
1994 - 2007
Client
restadsselskabet I/S
Construction Cost
USD 1 billion

Photo: restadsselskabet / Thomas Ibsen

20

Photo: restadsselskabet / Jens Dige

21

22

Preveza - Aktio Crossing, Greece

Services by COWI
Tender design
Detailed design
Construction follow-up
Project Period
1993 - 2002
Client and Contractor
Joint Venture between Christiani
& Nielsen Ltd. (UK) and
Technical Company of General
Constructions SA (Greece).

The project consists of a 152 m cut & cover

tunnel on the Aktio side, a 909 m immersed
tunnel under the strait and a 509 m cut &
cover tunnel on the Preveza side.
The immersed tunnel is designed for two
lanes of trafc within a box cross-sectional
prole of 10.6 m internal width. The outer
dimensions of the immersed tunnel are 12.6 m
wide by 8.75 m high.
The eight prefabricated tunnel elements of
59.2 m to 134.5 m length were constructed in
a casting basin connected to the strait by an
approximately 150 m long channel. From the
casting basin the elements were oated to their
nal position. The elements were then installed
in a pre-dredged trench.

Before excavation of the trench, 0.6 m diameter

stone columns were constructed, in order to
prevent liquefaction under possible earthquake
loadings.
Flexible joints are provided between the tunnel
elements. The water-tightness of the joints is
ensured by rubber gaskets. The tunnel elements
are further encased within a watertight membrane in order to avoid potential leakage.
The tunnels have been designed to withstand
severe seismic loadings. In comparison to normal
immersed tunnels, the shear keys at the joints
between the tunnel elements have been strengthened. Furthermore, prestressing cables have
been placed across the joints in order to limit
differential movements during seismic events.

23

Fehmarn Belt. Tunnel Feasibility Study, Denmark - Germany

A xed link is being investigated between Puttgarden in Germany and Rdby in Denmark.
This link will provide a direct connection
between Scandinavia and Central Europe.
A feasibility study has been carried out for
bridge and tunnel alternatives by the joint
venture COWI-Lahmeyer and the rst phase is
now concluded.
Bored tunnels as well as immersed tunnels in
steel and concrete have been investigated.
At the location of the link the width of the
Belt is about 19 km and the water depth up to
30 m.
The diameters for the bored tunnels range
from 8.0 m for the railway tunnels to 14.2 m
for the three-lane roadway tunnel. The
thickness of the concrete lining ranges from 0.5
m to 0.7 m.
The boring is proposed to be carried out
with earth pressure balance machines in the
clay strata, and slurry/mixshield machines in
deposits with sand, silt, gravel and boulders.
The immersed tunnels are expected to be
fabricated in 150 m long elements which will
be fully embedded into the seabed for environmental reasons.
For the railway and shuttle tunnel with a
width of 19 m a steel immersed tunnel may be

competitive. For the other immersed tunnel

alternatives with widths ranging from 27 m to
43 m, concrete tunnels are the most favourable
solutions.
During operation the railway tunnels will be
ventilated by the piston effect, with fans
intended for emergency use. For the road
tunnels semi-transverse ventilation is required
with a ventilation shaft, protected by an
articial island in the middle of the Belt.

Services by COWI-Lahmeyer
JV:
Pre-feasibility study
Technical and environmental
feasibility study
Project Period:
1993 - 2002
Client
The Danish and German
Ministries of Transport

Photo: JW Luftfoto

24

Selected References

25

Green Heart Tunnel,

The Netherlands
Description: Single tube 14.5 diameter
and 8 km long high-speed railway tunnel
under the Green Heart of Holland.

Tunnels for Taiwan High-Speed

Rail Project
Description: Sections C240 and C250
including 3 km long Miaoli tunnel and
13 small tunnels with a total length of
3.5 km, 3 km cut & cover tunnels and
9 km cuts and embankments.

Completed: 2004
Client: Dutch Ministry of Transport and
Public Works
Services by COWI: Review of tunnel
durability design, TBM operating
procedures, pre-cast concrete lining
production, erection and repair and
independent tunnel/TBM inspection.

Expected Completion: 2006

Client: Hyundai Cheng Lin JV, HochtiefBallast Nedam-Pan Asia JV
Services by COWI: Independent Design
Checker.

Helsingr - Helsingborg Tunnel,

Denmark - Sweden

District Heating Tunnel in

Copenhagen, Denmark

Description: 5 km subsea railway

tunnel between Denmark and Sweden
performed as a twin bored tunnel, as an
immersed tunnel or as a combined bored
and immersed tunnel.

Description: 4 km 5 m ext. diameter EPB

TBM bored tunnel for district heating,
between 3 shafts. Lower parts of shafts
and tunnel ends are constructed using the
NATM technique.

Client: Municipalities of Helsingr and

Helsingborg

Expected Completion: 2008

Client: Copenhagen Energy (KE)

Services by COWI: Feasibility study in

joint venture with SCC.

Services by COWI: Feasibility study,

conceptual and preliminary design, tender
documents and contract negotiation,
detailed design and supervision.

Jacked Tunnel under Odense ,

Denmark
Yenkapi TCDD transfer station

Description: 13.3 km new underground

railway line with 4 stations, consisting of
8.2 km bored tunnel, 1.8 km cut & cover
sections and 1.8 km immersed tunnel.
Client: HPYG JV: Hazama (J) PentaOcean (J) Yksel (TR) and Gris (TR)
Services by COWI: Tender design
programme management.

Highway overpass

Yenkapi tube tunnel station

Description: New rain water discharge

system in Odense, including app. 10 pipe
jacking sections of 25 m to 250 m length,
lined with 2.5 m int. diameter concrete
lining.

Assumed existing ground profile

Yedkule tube tunnel station

Srkec station
skdar station

+10 m

Expected Completion: 2006

0m

Client: Odense Water Supply

-10 m
-20 m
-30 m
-40 m
-50 m

Bored tunnel

IMT

Bored tunnel

Services by COWI: Detailed design,

construction management, site
supervision.

Photo: Tao Lytzen

Bosphorus Crossing, Turkey

26

Selected References
The resund Link, Immersed
Tunnel, Sweden / Denmark
Desciption: 18 km combined road and
railway link across the sound between
Denmark and Sweden, including a 4 km
immersed tunnel section in ssured
limestone to cross the main navigation
channel.
Client: Skanska (SE), MT Hjgaard (DK)
and Hochtief (D)
Completed: 2000
Services by COWI: Conceptual design.

Guldborgsund Road Tunnel,

Denmark
Description: 460 m 2-lane immersed
road tunnel under the Guldborgsund
with drained ramps.
Completed: 1988
Client: Danish Ministry of Public Roads,
Road Directorate
Services by COWI: Conceptual design,
tender design, detailed design and
supervision.

Conwy Estuary Tunnel, Wales

Description: Dual two-lane highway
tunnel with 710 m long immersed
section under the 5-12 m deep Conwy
Estuary, 320 m long in-situ section and
610 m long ramps in alluvial sands and
clays.

Fourth Victoria Harbour Immersed

Tunnel, Hong Kong

Completed: 1991

Description: 1.7 km double metro

tunnel for the new Shatin - Central Link
under Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong,
including a 1.35 km immersed tunnel.

Client: The Welsh Ofce, Transportation

and Highways Group

Client: KCRC Kowloon - Canton

Railway Corporation

Services by COWI: Tender design,

detailed design and supervision in joint
venture with Travers Morgan.

Services by COWI as sub to Scott

Wilson: Initial design, scheme design and
tender design.

Bjrvika Immersed Tunnel, Oslo,

Norway
Description: Dual tube highway
connection under Bjrvika and Bispevika
in Oslo Harbour. The design includes
approximately 600 m immersed tunnel
and 250 m cut & cover tunnels.
Expected completion: 2010
Client: Statens Vegvesen, Oslo Vegkontor
(The Norwegian National Road
Administration)
Services by COWI: Design review.

Thessaloniki Immersed Tunnel,

Greece
Description: 4 km 6 lane road tolltunnel. 1.5 km immersed tunnel and
2.5 km cut & cover tunnel.
Client: FCC (ES), Pantechniki (GR),
Attikat (GR), Pihl & Sn (DK)
Services by COWI: Tender design
management, tender design of immersed
tunnel and mechanical installations in
tunnels.

Selected References

Road, Railway and Subway Tunnels

by the Reichstag,
Berlin, Germany
Description: 530 m long and total 90 m
wide tunnelled trafc corridor below the
river Spree in Berlin. The cut & cover
tunnels comprise dual road, - railway
and - metro tunnels placed in 20 m deep
excavations below groundwater with
anchored diaphragm walls and jetgrouted
or anchored bottoms.
Completed: 2001
Client: Spie - Batignolles SA

27
Ltschberg Base Tunnel,
Switzerland
Description: 34.6 km long twin tunnel
as part of the Swiss-Cross-Alpine Rail
Tunnels from Frutigen to Raron. Rock
temperatures of up to 45 o C are expected.
Expected completion: 2007
Client: Bundesamt fr Verkehr,
Switzerland
Services by COWI: Review of tunnel
ventilation strategy and concept design
report for emergency ventilation.
Suggestions on alternative design and
ventilation methods.

Services by COWI: Detailed design.

Lrdal Tunnel, Norway
Copenhagen Airport Railway
Station, Denmark
Description: The Copenhagen Airport
Railway Station comprises a 600 m
railway station for a double-tracked
railway. The consulting services are
performed in a joint venture with COWI
as lead partner.
Completed: 1999
Client: resund A/S
Services by COWI: Detailed design,
construction management and site
supervision.
Copenhagen Airport and
Sydhavnsgadetunnel, Denmark
Description: 600 m long cut & cover
station and app. 4 km cut & cover
tunnels in total on the resund Link
railway line between Copenhagen Central
Station and Copenhagen Airport.
Completed: 2001
Client: resund A/S
Services by COWI: For various parts of
the works: Tender documents, detailed
design, design check, construction
management, technical support and site
supervision.

Description: A 24.5 km long road tunnel

- the worlds longest. The tunnel is
bi-directional and is provided with 15
turning points and 48 breakdown laybyes.
Completed: 2000
Client: Norwegian Road Directorate
Services by COWI: Detailed design of
electrical installations (electrical power
systems, control systems and emergency
phone system and electrical design of the
tunnel ventilation system).

Nam Wan Tunnel for Route 9 Hong Kong

Description: The Nam Wan tunnel is a
1.25 km long 3-lane highway tunnel.
It has two separate tubes, 12 cross
passages, and a portal building at each
end.
Expected completion: 2007
Client: Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong
Ltd.
Services by COWI: Basic design of
electrical and mechanical systems as well
as review of clients detailed design.

www.cowi.com

Photo: restadsselskabet / Ole Ziegler

Our International Tunnel Project Managers

COWI Group
Main Ofce

Casper Paludan-Mller
cpm@cowi.com

Michael Tonnesen
mit@cowi.com

Poul Marinus Nielsen

pon@cowi.com

Stephen Slot Odgaard

sso@cowi.com

Simon David Taylor

sdt@cowi.com

Tel. +45 45 97 22 11
Fax +45 45 97 22 12
www.cowi.com

Printed in Denmark by Kailow

Christian Boye
cbo@cowi.com

021-1700-020e-05a

COWI A/S
Parallelvej 2
DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby
Denmark