Underground Structures

Engineering services for owners and contractors

COWI A/S

COWI A/S is a leading interna-

tional consultancy firm, founded in
1930. COWI is a privately owned
professional firm entirely independ-
ent of any manufacturer, supplier
or contractor.
The head office is located in
Kongens Lyngby, about 12 km
north of the centre of Denmark’s
capital Copenhagen.
COWI employs around 3,300
staff, of which 1,400 are based
outside Denmark in subsidiaries,
branch offices or project offices.
2,100 employees are professionals
holding Ph.D., M.Sc. or B.Sc.
degrees in civil, structural, geotech-

Photo: Morten Larsen

nical, mechanical or electrical
engineering and other academic
areas such as geology, hydrology,
chemistry, biology, agronomy,
sociology, economy and planning. COWI's head office in Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.

The annual turnover in 2005 was

350 Million Euro. More than half
of the company’s turnover is
generated outside Denmark in
more than 100 countries around
the world.
Department for tunnels and
underground structures
COWI has provided cost-effective
designs of tunnels and under-
ground structures for more than 50
years for clients all over the world.
COWI is currently involved in
some 20-30 projects with tunnels
and underground structures world-
wide, and the consultancy activities
occupy almost 100 engineers and
other professionals generating an
annual turnover in the order of 10
million Euro.
Clients
COWI works for owners as well as
for contractors. We advocate for a
close dialogue with the contractor
(BOT and design-build projects) in
order to optimise the design and
construction. Knowledge about
optimised design and construction
is also the basis, when we design
for owners.
Quality management
COWI has established an internal
quality assurance system, which is
ISO 9001 certified. All design
activities are carried out in accord-
ance with individual project quality
plans tailored to meet the specific
requirements of each project.
Underground facilities 3

COWI’s experience covers a wide • Pumping stations

range of underground facilities • Shelters
including: • Underpasses and pedestrian
• Deep basement structures tunnels
• Underground parking spaces • Road and rail tunnels and ramps
• Underground mall facilities • Underground railway and metro
• Underground storage facilities stations
• Retention basins • Shafts

Photomontage: Lundgaard & Trandberg Arkitekter

The new playhouse in Copenhagen.

Domicile at Copenhagen Harbour water front.

Photo: Stig Stasig

Copenhagen metro station. Underground parking.

4 Types of services
Consultancy services and expertise
covering all project phases:
All phases
• Process management
• Project management
• Risk management
• Quality management
• Health and safety management
• Environmental management
Feasibility phase
• Ideas generation and evaluation
• Feasibility studies
• Cost estimation (considering uncertainties)
• Construction and procurement scheduling
• Environmental impact assessment
Design phase
• Design management
• Establishment of design basis
• Safety and evacuation analyses
• Natural hazard analyses (storm water,
flooding, seismic action etc.)
• Civil and structural design
• Construction aspects and constructability
• Geotechnical and hydrological design
• Durability and water tightness design
• M&E installations
• Operational risk assessment
• Design of utility relocation from
construction area
• Design documentation
Authority and public phase
• Authority approval management
• Property consultancy
• Land acquisition management
• Archaeological consultancy
• Public consultation
Tender phase
• Development of tender design and
documents
• Management of tender procedures
• Bid design
• Value engineering
• Preparation of contract for construction
Construction phase
• Construction management
• Construction risk assessment
• Building damage survey and monitoring
• Interface coordination
• Programme and budget control
• Site supervision
• Design follow-up
• As-built documentation
• Birth certificate for concrete structures
• Contract and claims management
Operation and maintenance (O&M)
• O&M management system
• Inspection of structures and installations
• Ranging of maintenance and reinvestment
needs
• Repair and maintenance design
COWI’s services cover the whole IBDAS is an integrated design and
life cycle of a project from the early analysis software tool developed at
ideas through feasibility studies, COWI which allows for geometri-
conceptual and detailed design and cal modelling, structural analysis
construction to the operation phase and verification of engineering
and rehabilitation or decommis- structures and generation of
sioning. construction drawings.
Our services range from profes- ROBOT is a finite element
sional advice on a particular program for analysis and design of
problem to comprehensive plan- beam, truss, slab, shell and 3D
ning and total engineering design structures.
and implementation of large-scale DuraCrete is a probabilistic
projects. concrete durability design tool
COWI provides one-stop- which allows calculation of service
shopping services for both owners life of reinforced concrete struc-
and contractors. COWI can tures threatened by reinforcement
provide all relevant services or, corrosion.
alternatively, lead a team with
international and local consultants,
depending on the owner’s wishes
and preferences.
Our involvement in complex and
demanding tunnel and under-
ground projects over the years has
lead to the development of particu-
lar in-house knowledge for which
we are internationally recognized.
Design tools
Advanced and reliable design tools
are a prerequisite for carrying out
an optimised design. COWI uses a
number of computerised tools in
our designs including the following:
FLAC is a finite difference pro-
gram widely used for modelling in
geotechnical and tunnelling design.
PLAXIS is a finite element
program specifically developed for
numerical analysis of geotechnical
and underground structures.
ABAQUS is one of the leading
multi-purpose finite element
programs for a wide spectrum of
numerical analyses in engineering
and natural science.
Construction pit, Triangeln Station
at Malmö Citytunnel, Sweden.
 5

Photo: Perry Nordeng

6 Underground structures

Underground structures form a Examples on types of related

main part of underground facilities. works are:
Our in-house experience covers all • Groundwater control
of the following types of under- • Ground movements
ground structures: • Ground treatment
• Large and deep retaining wall • Watertightness
structures • Durability
• In-situ cast concrete structures
built within a construction pit
• Ground anchors for retaining
walls or to counterbalance uplift
• Temporary propping for retaining
walls

Photo: Henrik Pyndt Sørensen

• Retaining concrete wall structures
with footing
• Bored piles used for foundations
and tension piles
• Slurry walls
• Related or similar works to all of
the above

District heating tunnel Copenhagen.

Great Belt Tunnel, Denmark.
Excavation under space constraints 7

In urban areas underground

structures often have to be con-
structed under space constraints.
Structures may have to be con-
structed with limited space between
and close to existing buildings and
in some situations structures may
even have to be constructed below
existing buildings and structures.
Construction under space con-
straints requires special attention to
neighbouring buildings and struc-
tures, which in some areas may
require temporary support during
construction or a permanent
reconstruction of the affected part Construction of Triangeln Station Construction of Christianhavn
at Malmö Citytunnel, Sweden. Metro Station, Copenhagen.
of the building and foundation.
COWI develops tailormade
solutions to specific problems in
close cooperation with the owner
and the contractor.

Construction of Frederiksberg
Metro Station, Copenhagen.
8 Retaining wall structures
Construction of Triangeln Station at
Malmö Citytunnel, Sweden.
Diaphragm wall construction in
Copenhagen.
Skylight
Technical
rooms
Station area
A typical Copenhagen metro station.
Retaining wall structures are
primarily used for retaining con-
struction pits. Walls are either
temporary or part of the permanent
underground structure. Normally
retaining walls are exposed to
external ground and waterpressure,
and during the construction period
and in the permanent situation they
are subject to a number of different
load combinations depending on the
design of permanent works, tempo-
rary works and the construction
Concourse
method.
level
Retaining wall structures include
Technical
rooms embedded retaining walls such as
secant pile walls and diaphragm
Platform walls, large sheet pile walls and
soldier pile walls.
Ground anchors may be temporary
or permanent, and may be used for
horisontal fixing of a retaining wall
structure or to counterbalance
vertical uplift forces on a structure.
COWI provides cost-efficient
solutions by integrating temporary
and permanent works where
possible. By using the retaining wall
structures as part of the permanent
structure, cost savings can be
achieved compared to solutions
where conventional construction
pits and separate permanent
structures are applied. The use of
permanent ground anchors may, in
some solutions, also provide a more
cost-efficient solution.
District heating tunnel,
Copenhagen.
Photo: Henrik Pyndt Sørensen
9
10 Control of groundwater and ground movement
COWI is able to incorporate into
the design of the works any meas-
ures required for groundwater con-
trol and ground movement control.
This may include extending the
retaining wall depth for groundwa-
ter cut-off or ground treatment.
Special measures may also be in-
cluded to reduce ground movements
by increasing the retaining wall
stiffness or by additional support to
the walls by increasing the number
of props or anchors.
The observational approach may
be used and COWI has staff
experienced in the application.
Solutions can be provided that
incorporate either temporary works
only or a fully integrated solution
that deals with both temporary and
permanent works.
Groundwater control
Control of the groundwater is an
important consideration in the
design of underground works, and it
is often one of the critical factors
when choosing the retaining wall
solution. The impact from construc- together with predicting the defor-
tion on the existing groundwater mation caused by the works. The
regime may have to be minimised, appropriate measures that properly
particularly in urban areas where control these risks can then be
there are buildings with foundations incorporated into the retaining wall
that are often sensitive to the settle- solution.
ments that may be induced by Monitoring of the performance of
groundwater lowering. The amount the retaining wall structure and
of water that has to be abstracted ground movements are often
during construction may also have necessary, particularly in urban
to be minimised for environmental areas, and COWI has considerable
reasons. experience in the management of
COWI has considerable experi- monitoring systems and in the
ence in the design of groundwater interpretation of monitoring data.
control measures and is able to Monitoring can be used with the
design integrated and economical observation method to provide
solutions for underground works significant economic advantages for
that include the groundwater certain structures and COWI has
control requirements. engineers experienced in the applica-
tion of this method.
Ground movement control
The deflection of retaining walls in Ground treatment
urban areas may have to be limited Ground treatment may be required
in order to protect nearby buildings as part of the construction works
and structures from damage. for a number of reasons. These
COWI is able to carry out building include the following:
risk assessments in order to consider • reducing the permeability of the
the risk to nearby structures ground for groundwater control
• improving the strength and
stiffness of the ground to reduce
ground movements and increase
stability.
The ground treatment techniques
that may be used include the
following:
• permeation grouting
• jet grouting
• ground freezing
• soil mixing
COWI has engineers who have
experience in most ground treat-
ment techniques and in providing
economical solutions where ground
treatment is appropriate.
Photo: Henrik Pyndt Sørensen
Ground treatment in
Copenhagen.
 Watertightness and durability
Plan section analysis.
Leaking tunnel with iceformation.
Heavily corroded concrete pilar.
Transport processes of underground
structures (principle).
Watertightness
Underground structures are nor-
mally exposed to an external water
pressure, and permanent structures
and joints must therefore be
watertight.
Watertightness of the structure
may be ensured by designing a
watertight concrete, the use of
watertight joints and possibly use of
waterproofing membranes, depend-
ing on the actual requirements.
COWI provides up-to-date
watertight design solutions.
Durability
Underground structures often need
to be designed to resist attacks from
e.g. chlorides and sulfates etc.,
present in the soils and groundwa-
ter, and to fulfill a lifetime require-
ment in the excess of 100 years.
COWI is among the most experi-
enced experts in the world when it
comes to durability and has chaired
a number of internationally recog-
nised research projects in this field.
COWI provides a probabilistic
based durability design of struc-
tures, which determines the required
concrete cover of reinforcement on
the basis of the chosen receipt for
concrete and the concrete proper-
ties, the chosen type of reinforce-
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Importance of concrete cover and
workmanship.
11
ment, the actual environment and
the lifetime requirement given by
the owner. On the basis of the
durability design and the actually
detected (tested) construction
quality, the new concrete structures
are provided with a ‘birth certificate’
when constructed which documents
the quality of the structure at
handing-over.
COWI also provides solutions to
maintenance or rehabilitation of
concrete structures which suffer
from damages, inadequate concrete
quality or environmentally deter-
mined deterioration.
In addition, COWI is experienced
in alternative designs for particular
aggressive environmental conditions
and for high service life demands,
such as designs of concrete struc-
tures using stainless steel alone or in
combination with black steel in the
parts of the structures where higher
protection is needed. One other
alternative design solution which
COWI is experienced in is the use of
steel fibre reinforcement.
Apart from this modern rational
service life design COWI offers
professional consultancy in connec-
tion with concrete investigations,
e.g. our in-house specialists carry
out petrographic analyses.
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12 Design optimisation - the winning project

Reinforcement, cut & cover tunnel, Malmö Citytunnel.

To create a winning project the right date design tools. Integration of

concept for design and construction temporary and permanent works
method must be chosen. COWI has where possible and integration of
many years of experience in the design and construction methods
business and is able to, in close are key-points in providing value
contact with the owner or the engineering.
contractor, to detect and determine
the winning concepts - which fulfil
the owner’s requirements.
COWI optimises design of
structures and related works to
ensure an optimal constructability
and to keep material quantities at a
minimum. This is achieved by using
experienced project managers and
designers on the projects and by
designing the works using up-to-
Contract signing Busan-Geoje Immersed
Tunnel, Korea.
 Copenhagen Metro stations
Description: 7 deep and 3 shallow
underground stations on Copenhagen
Selected references 13

Photo: Ørestadsselskabet / Søren Hytting

Metro lines M1 and M2.
Completed: 2002.
Client: Ørestadsselskabet I/S
Services by COWI: Outline design
and tender documents. Review of
the contractor’s detailed design.
Construction management and
supervision.

Qatar National Library

Description: High-rise building (117 m) with a
central core of 3 columns (120 m tall and 9 m
high) based on about 2000 reinforced concrete
piles and other foundation elements (pile caps/
raft/ground beams).
Completed: 2005
Spreebogen Tunnels, Berlin, Client: Qatar Petroleum
Germany
Services by COWI: Consultancy services on
Description: 530 m long and 90 m wide concrete technology and durability of the
tunneled traffic corridor below the river as-built substructures (piles and foundation),
Spree in Berlin. The cut & cover tunnels service life assessment, assessment of structural
comprised dual lane road, railway and capacity, structural and durability testing and
metro tunnels, placed in 20 m deep possible repair solutions.
excavations below groundwater and jet-
grouted or anchored bottoms.
Completed: 2001
Client: Spie - Batignolles SA
Services by COWI: Detailed design.
Dubai Metro, United Arabes Emirates
Description: Tender design for Dubai Metro
underground stations and cut & cover
tunnels. The project comprised tender design
of 10 underground stations and 4 cut &
cover tunnels. The stations and cut & cover
tunnels were designed with diaphragm walls
as part of the permanent structures and an
inner wall to ensure 100 years design life in
saline conditions. Construction would use
top down methods and was developed in
close cooperation with the contractor.
Completed: 2004 - 2005
Photo: Henrik Pyndt Sørensen

Client: Besix nv Belgium and Orascom

Construction Industries, Egypt. Dubai.
Services by COWI: Tender design comprising
establishment of design basis, provide
drawings and calucaltions, description of
construction methods and quantities as basis
for contractor’s bid.

Copenhagen district heating

tunnel shafts
Description: 3 large shafts, 35 m deep,
app. ø20-25 m diameter circular or Malmö Citytunnel, cut & Cover
oval for construction of 4 km, 5 m ext. tunnel, Sweden
diameter TBM bored tunnel. The project Description: Connection from bored
is carried out using a partnering model tunnels to surface by 360 m cut & cover
covering the client, the consultant and tunnel and 390 m permanently drained
the concractor. open ramp at the southern part of the
Completed: 2008 tunnel project for a regional railway
connecting to the Øresund Link railway.
Client: Copenhagen Energy (KE)
Completed: 2011
Contractor: KFT-JV
(MT Højgaard and Hochtief) Client: Banverket (Swedish National Rail
Administration)
Services by COWI: Feasibility study,
conceptual and preliminary design, Services by COWI: Conceptual studies,
Photo: Christoffer Kolbjörnsen

tender documents and contract client’s tender design, design follow-up

negotiation, detailed design and during construction.
supervision.
 Copenhagen Airport railway station
and Øresund Link Tunnels
Description: 600 m long cut & cover
double-tracked railway station on the
Øresund Link railway. The 10 m deep
14 Selected references construction pit was retained by large
sheet pile walls and secant pile walls. In
addition, app. 4 km cut & cover tunnels
between Copenhagen Central Station and
the Copenhagen Airport.

Photo: Jens Frederiksen

Completed: 2001
Client: Øresund A/S
Services by COWI: For various parts of the
works: Tender documents, detailed design,
design check, construction management,
technical support and site supervision.

Bosphorus Crossing, Turkey

Description: 13.3 km underground railway
line crossing the Bosphorus strait including 4
stations and 1.8 km cut & cover tunnel.
Completed: 2010
Client: HPYG JV: Hazama (J), Penta-Ocean
(J), Yüksel (TÜR) and Güris (TÜR).
Services by COWI: Tender design
programme management.

Terminal tunnel at Seeb International

Pumping station for wastewater,
Copenhagen
Description: Pumping station located at
reclaimed land within the harbour area
Completed: 1998
Client: Municipality of Copenhagen
Services by COWI: Geotechnical and
environmental investigations, detailed
design, tender preparation and negotiation,
supervision
Airport, Oman
Description: App. 500 m long 45 m wide
tunnel between two terminal buildings below
two aircraft taxiways.
Completed: 2011
Client: Ministry of Transport &
Communication, Sultanate of Oman.
Services by COWI: Conceptual design,
preliminary design and detailed design.

Great Belt Tunnel, Denmark

Description: App. 1 km cut & cover tunnels
and ramps at either end of the Great Belt
fixed link railway between Funen and
Zealand.
Completed: 1998
Client: A/S Storebæltsforbindelsen (Great
Belt A/S)
Services by COWI: Tender design, tender
evaluation, detailed design of structures and
mechanical installations, design follow-up
during construction and site supervision.

Skansenløpet Tunnel, Trondheim,

Norway
Description: 700 m cut & cover, two-lane
road tunnel incl. 100 m immersed tunnel.
Completed: 2008
Client: Reinertsen-Pihl JV
Services by COWI: Contractor’s tender
design of permanent concrete structures.
Falkoner Allé cut & cover tunnel, Copenhagen Metro 15
Description: 100 m cut & cover tunnel, housing a crossover
and a number of technical rooms for the Metro and for the
adjacent Frederiksberg Station. The majority of the structure
is a conventional in-situ cast box structure constructed within
temporary retaining walls, situated extremely close to existing
buildings and crossing Falkoner Allé. In the deepest part of
the excavation a temporary slab was cast by using underwater
concrete.
Completed: 2001
Client: Ørestadsselskabet I/S
Services by COWI: Detailed design and tender documents.

Leirvik Tunnel, Faeroe Islands

Description: 400 m cut & cover, two-lane
road tunnel alternative bypassing the harbour.
Completed: 2005
Client: Teknistovan in Gøta for Landsverk.
Services by COWI: Outline project in
cooperation with client and HMP Consult.

Copenhagen Metro cut & cover tunnels

Description: App. 1.5 km cut & cover tunnels and ramps
on Copenhagen Metro lines M1 and M2.
Completed: 2002.
Client: Ørestadsselskabet I/S
Services by COWI: Outline design and tender documents.
Review of the contractor’s detailed design. Construction
management and supervision.

Bahrain Financial Harbour -

Financial Centre and Harbour House
Description: Very large construction complex comprising two
53-storey towers, a 9-storey financial mall between the two
towers and a 12-storey harbour house. The total built-up area
is 250,000 m2. The buildings are based on large underground
structures such as raft, piles, basement wall etc. A design life
of 60 years has been specified. The durability design of the
construction located in the world’s most aggressive environment
for concrete structures is a very demanding job.
Completed: 2009
Client: Bahrain Financial Harbour Holding Co.
Services by COWI: COWI-ALMOAYED GULF (CAG) was
awarded the post contract civil & structural sub-consultancy
services for the design and build project of Bahrain Financial
Harbour, Financial Centre. Design check and construction
supervision of structural elements. Durability assessment of as-
built structures and elaboration of a birth certificate.

Christiansbro, construction pit in

Copenhagen
Description: Construction pit for basement under
a 5-storey building in the centre of the city close to
harbour and sensible buildings. Construction pit
consisted of sheet pile walls and diaphragm walls.
Completed: 1998
Client: Danish Labour Market Supplementary
Pension Fund (ATP)
Services by COWI: Geotechnical investigations,
detailed design, tender preparation, supervision.
 COWI offices

Front page: District heating tunnel, Copenhagen.

COWI Group
Main Office

Photo: Henrik Pyndt Sørensen.

Photo: Henrik Pyndt Sørensen

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

Tel. +45 45 97 22 11
Fax +45 45 97 22 12
District heating tunnel, Copenhagen. www.cowi.com

COWI project managers, Underground Structures

www.cowi.com

Torsten Mølgaard Søren Degn Eskesen Christian Boye Carola Edvardsen Morten Faurschou
Head of Department sde@cowi.com cbo@cowi.com cle@cowi.com mnf@cowi.com
tm@cowi.com
Printed in Denmark by Kailow
021-1700-024e-06a

Peter Jackson Lars Erichsen Thomas Gierlevsen Mogens A. Hviid

pgr@cowi.com le@cowi.com Middle East office Middle East office
thgi@cowi.com mah@cowi.com