Submerged floating tunnels (SFTs) are innovative structural solutions to

waterway crossings, such as sea-straits, fjords and lakes. As the width and depth of

straits increase, the conventional structures such as cable-supported bridges,

underground tunnels or immersed tunnels become uneconomical alternatives. For the

realization of SFT, the structural response under extreme environmental conditions

needs to be evaluated properly. This study evaluates the displacements and internal

forces of SFT under hydrodynamic and three-dimensional seismic excitations to

check the global performance of an SFT in order to conclude on the optimum design.

The formulations incorporate modeling of ocean waves, currents and mooring cables.

The SFT responses were evaluated using three different mooring cable arrangements

to determine the stability of the mooring configuration, and the most promising

configuration was then used for further investigations. A comparison of static,

hydrodynamic and seismic response envelope curves of the SFT is provided to

determine the dominant structural response. The study produces useful conclusions

regarding the structural behavior of the SFT using a three-dimensional numerical

model. Submerged floating tunnels (SFTs) are tubular structures that float at a

specified depth and are supported by mooring cables. The balance between

pre-tensions in the mooring cables and net positive buoyancy (or residual buoyancy)

maintains the structural stability of the SFT. The cost of an SFT per unit length

remains almost constant with increasing length .Therefore; it is considered an

economical alternative for waterway crossings in comparison to cable-supported

bridges, underground tunnels or immersed tunnels, especially for deep and wide

crossings. In addition, SFT is more advantageous, because it is not bound to

1
geographic terrain and does not interfere with water surface traffic.

1.1 The floating tunnel 8

1.2 Principle of SFT 9

1.3 Optimal shape of SFT 10

2.1 Concept of SFT 14

2.2 Structure of SFT 15

3.1 SFT with pontoons 19

3.2 SFT supported on columns 19

3.3 SFT with tethers to the bottom 19

3.4 SFT unanchored 20

4.1 SFT crossing of lakes 21

4.2 Parking and service areas 22

5.1 Location of Transatlantic tunnel 25

5.2 Shell 27

5.3 Sea anchor 27

5.4 Service port 28

5.5 Maglev train 29

5.6 Components of Transatlantic tunnels 29

2
 Tunnels in water are by no means new in civil engineering. Since about 1900,

more then 100 immersed tunnels have been constructed. Bridges are the most

common structures used for 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 floating tunnels are used. Several crossings with a

variety of different 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 different salinity presented a hazard of

significant 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, falling anchors as well as sudden massive water ingress

into the tube. Combining with the characteristics of submerged floating tunnel (SFT)

and surrounding environment, it is of great theoretical and practical significance to

develop research in the areas of potential risk and impact f actors, risk index system,

risk level of SFT. Risk management work low of SFT was given. Then we f focused

on discussing the potential risks of SFT in investment, design, and environmental

condition during planning and feasibility 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 safety, applicability, economy, fine appearance and

environmental protection. The selection of tube cross section type, structural analysis,

3
design load, waterproofing and resistant corrosion, tube joint design and tunnel

ventilation of submerged Floating tunnel etc are described and explored by

comprehensively considering the design load, f low resistance performance, durability

and other factors of submerged floating tunnel.

The Submerged Floating Tunnel concept was first conceived at the beginning

of the century, but no actual project was undertaken until recently. As the needs of

society for regional growth and the protection of the environment have assumed

increased importance, in this wider context the submerged floating tunnel offers new

opportunities. The submerged floating tunnel is an innovative concept for crossing

waterways, utilizing the law of buoyancy to support the structure at a moderate and

convenient depth .The Submerged floating 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 floor or by pontoons floating on the surface. The

Submerged floating tunnel utilizes lakes and waterways to carry traffic under water

and on to the other side, where it can be conveniently linked to the rural network or to

the underground infrastructure of modern cities.

The first underwater tunnel was build over four thousand years ago, but

floating tunnels are much more recent. Certainly an engineer and builder of railways,

S. Préault proposed but did not build an SFT across the Bosporus in 1860, an elegant

underwater railway viaduct with spans of about 150 m founded on piers, located some

20 m below the surf ace. Per Hall proposed a deeper SFT for the Bosporus in 1976,

but by 1977 his proposal had become a buried immersed tunnel for environmental

reasons (fish habitat). An immersed tunnel is now in place beneath the Bosporus

awaiting the last of the TBMs to reach it. Going back now to 1882, Edward Reed

4
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 first immersed tunnel had been

successfully built in 1893, the way was open also f or constructing SFT – initially at

least those that would be pier supported. Since 1923 , the potential of an SFT has been

recognized in Norway as a way to create a practical castal highway across 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. This

need f or shorter shallower tunnels f or a number off jord crossings has led to detailed

investigations and field tests that still continue today. The most well known crossing

evaluated in some detail in Norway is for Hogsjord , 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. The first of a series of Strait

Crossing Symposia in Norway began in 1986 (the fifth was in 2009) in which SFT

have played an increasingly greater part.

In Norway, a first patent on this structure was presented in 1923 by Trygve

Olsen ("Submerged pontoon bridge") and a new request was done in 1947 by the

engineer Erik Odegard. The interest has been revived during the last centuries with

several studies in Norway, but it is just with the studies done by the Norwegian Public

Road Administration (NPRA) that the feasibility of the structure is proven, with the

recent developments of the offshore structures. The Norwegian Public Roads

Administration (NPRA) has investigating the technical and economic potential for

eliminating all ferries on fjord crossings along the western corridor between

5
Kristiansand and Trondheim. This project also linked with FEHRL through the

Forever Open Road programme. If the project were to proceed it estimated to cost $25

billion and be completed by 2050.

Ponte di Archimede International, an Italian company, investigated the SFT in

collaboration with the Norwegian Roads Research Laboratory, the Danish Road

Institute and the Italian Shipping Register, with a financial grant from the European

Union and the coordination of FEHRL (Forum European National Highway Research

Laboratories) an International Association of over 30 National Road Centres.

Furthermore, the Provincial Administrations of Como (Como Lake) and Lecco, in

Italy, have officially shown great interest in the Archimedes' Bridge for crossing

the Lario and the study of the submerged floating tunnel in the Strait of Messina has

been promoted by Ponte di Archimedes S.P.A. and verified with a feasibility analysis

by the Italian Naval Register (RINA).

The SIJLAB (Sino-Italian Joint Laboratory of Archimedes' Bridge), created in

1998, between Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China and

Ponte di Archimede S is financed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the

Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and the Institute of Mechanics of

the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The consortium has started to build a 100m demonstration tunnel in Qiandao

Lake in China eastern province of Zhejiang. Inside it, two layers of one-way

motorways will run through in the middle, with two railway tracks flanking them. The

Qiandao Lake prototype will serve to help plan for the project of a 3,300-meter

submerged floating tunnel in the Jintang Strait, in the Zhoushan archipelago, also

6
situated in Zhejiang.

According to Elio Matacena, the President of Ponte di Archimede International, the

only difficulty building such tunnels in deeper waters is the price of the structure.

Namely, the cables, which are very expensive, would be very long. He also notes that

the tunnel is capable of supporting more weight than a traditional bridge, which has

very strict weight limits, while being up to two times cheaper. Matacena points out

that environmental studies show that the tunnel would have a very low impact on

aquatic life.

Indonesia has also expressed interest in the technology. For the infrastructure

that would connect Sumatra to Java Island two options were explored: a conventional

bridge or an undersea tunnel. In 2004 the tunnel option was more widely discussed,

especially when Kwik Kian Gie, then the Minister of National Development,

announced that a European consortium was interested in investing in an undersea

tunnel between Java and Sumatra. The budget was said to be around 15 billion US

dollars for an undersea tunnel in the Sunda Strait; in the long term it would link

up Java and Sumatra in an uninterrupted chain. The project was to begin construction

in 2005 and be ready to use by 2018, and was a part of the Asian Highway.

In 2007, Indonesian experts, led by Ir. Iskendar, Director for the Center of

Assessment and Application of Technology for Transportation System and Industries,

participated in a meeting with SIJLAB engineers, from the Sino-Italian Archimedes

Bridge project. As an archipelagic country, consisting of more than 13 thousand

islands, Indonesia could benefit from such tunnels. Conventional transportation

between islands is mainly by ferry. Submerged floating tunnels could thus be an

7
alternative means to connect adjacent islands, in addition to normal bridges.

Floating tunnel is the totally new concept and never used before even for very

small length. It can be observed that the depth of bed varies from place to place on a

great extent. The maximum depth is up to 8 km. also at certain sections. The average

depth is 3.3 km. The two alternatives are available for 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 for a bridge. And also the

pressure below 8km from sea surface 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. Therefore, floating tunnel is finalized which is at a depth 30m

from the sea level, where there is no problem of high pressure. This is sufficient for

any big ship to pass over it without any obstruction.

Figure 1.1

8
 SFT is a buoyant structure which moves in water. The 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 forces. Minimum internal

dimension often result in a near optimum design. There are two ways in which SFT

can be floated. That is positive and negative buoyancy.

: In this the SFT is fixed in position by anchoring either by means

of tension legs to the bottom or by means of pontoons on the surface. Here SFT is

mainly 30 metres below the water surface.

: Here the foundations would be piers or columns to the sea or

lake. This 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 stiffness. Transverse stiffness is provided by bottom anchoring.

9
 Figure 1.2

The shape of the SFT in Fig. 1 has been chosen for the following 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 force.

Figure 1.3

10
 Submerged floating tunnels (SFTs) are tubular structures that float at a

specified depth and are supported by mooring cables. The balance between

pre-tensions in the mooring cables and net positive buoyancy (or residual buoyancy)

maintains the structural stability of the SFT. The cost of an SFT per unit length

remains almost constant with increasing length Therefore, it is considered an

economical alternative for waterway crossings in comparison to cable-supported

bridges, underground tunnels or immersed tunnels, especially for deep and wide

crossings. In addition, SFT is more advantageous, because it is not bound to

geographic terrain and does not interfere with water surface traffic. The research

efforts for development of the SFT began in 1923 when the first Norwegian patent

was issued for it. Since then, many case studies and proposals have been made for

different proposed projects, such as Hogsfjord in Norway , Funka Bay in Japan

Messina Strait in Italy , Qiandao Lake in China and Mokpo-Jeju SFT in South Korea

. The lack of experimental and model test results may be one of the reasons why an

SFT has not yet been constructed. The work in calculated the wave loads on a

circular SFT using the boundary element method (BEM) and Morison’s equation and

compared the results with model tests. Wave loads on an elliptical SFT were

calculated similarly by using Morison’s equation and compared with the test results.

These studies indicated that both BEM and Morison’s equation gave reliable estimates

of wave loads on SFT.

11
 Researchers have focused the research developments on the behavior of SFT

for more than three decades. A formulation for the dynamic analysis of the SFT under

seismic and sea waves effects was presented by. A primary attempt to analyze the

fluid-structure interaction (FSI) of the SFT using a two-dimensional model was made

by followed by a more comprehensive presentation of FSI by using the finite element

implementation of the Navier–Stokes equation. The soil structure interaction of SFT

is another issue that needs to be investigated properly. Some SFT numerical models

have idealized the soil-structure interaction as horizontal, vertical and rotational

springs at the connecting points. The vortex-induced vibrations of mooring cables

caused by water currents can produce fatigue damage to the cables .Since SFT is

considered an alternative solution for transportation, moving load analysis or dynamic

analysis under traffic loading is a key demand of the structure, but the research efforts

are very limited regarding this problem. However, a primary attempt was made by

who investigated the effects of two- and three-dimensional added mass models on the

response of SFT under single moving loads.

The numerical models described above focused on the dynamic response of SFT,

including some recent developments . However, the global performance of the SFT

under complex environmental conditions is not yet well understood. The

determination of stable mooring cable configurations for the SFT is one of the

challenges for its realization .Especially, the excessive lateral displacement of the SFT

due to waves and currents make it questionable for safe transportation. Three different

cable configurations were analyzed numerically by Mazolani et al. using the

commercial software package ABAQUS/Aqua for the hydrodynamic conditions of

Qiandao Lake (People’s Republic of China). Similar configurations are evaluated

further in the present study for an SFT with a cable inclination of 45 in order to check

12
the performance of SFT. The mooring cables with this inclination are more stable .In

addition a comparison of the SFT responses for static, hydrodynamic and seismic

loadings needs to be provided for SFT performance quantification under different

conditions. More explicitly, this study evaluates the global performance of an SFT

taking into account hydrodynamic and seismic excitations. The formulation of the

problem includes the modeling of cable element, hydrodynamics, ground motions and

the SFT structure itself. A numerical model of the SFT prototype to be built in Qindao

Lake is used to evaluate the global performance under different loadings, and some

useful conclusions are drawn that can provide an initial step towards the realization of

this innovative structural solution for waterway crossings.

A ( ), also known as

( ), , or , is a proposed design for

a tunnel that floats in water, supported by its buoyancy (specifically, by employing the

hydrostatic thrust, or Archimedes' principle). The tube would be placed underwater,

deep enough to avoid water traffic and weather, but not so deep that high water

pressure needs to be dealt with—usually 20–50 m (60–150 ft) is

sufficient. Cables either anchored to the Earth or to pontoons at the surface would

prevent it from floating to the surface or submerging, respectively.

The Submerged Floating Tunnel concept was first conceived at the beginning

of the century, but no actual project was undertaken until recently. As the needs of

society for regional growth and the protection of the environment have assumed

increased importance, in this wider context the submerged floating tunnel offers new

opportunities. The submerged floating tunnel is an innovative concept for crossing

waterways, utilizing the law of buoyancy to support the structure at a moderate and

13
convenient depth .The Submerged floating 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 floor or by pontoons floating on the surface. The

Submerged floating tunnel utilizes lakes and waterways to carry traffic under water

and on to the other side, where it can be conveniently linked to the rural network or to

the underground infrastructure of modern cities. Floating tunnel is the totally new

concept and never used before even for very small length. It can be observed that the

depth of bed varies from place to place on a great extent. The maximum depth is up to

8 km. also at certain sections. The average depth is 3.3 km. The two alternatives are

available for 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 for a bridge. And also the pressure below 8km from sea surface 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. Therefore, floating tunnel is

finalized which is at a depth 30m from the sea level, where there is no problem of

high pressure. This is sufficient for any big ship to pass over it without any .

Figure 2.1

14
 Figure 2.1

The concept of submerged floating tunnels is based on well-known

technology applied to floating bridges and offshore 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 float these to the construction site and sink them into place, while

sealed; and, when the sections are fixed to each other, the seals are broken. Another

possibility is to build the sections unsealed, and after welding them together, pump the

water out. The 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. This, of course, means that a submerged floating tunnel must be anchored to

the ground or to the water surface to keep it in place (which of these depends on

which side of the equilibrium point the tunnel is).

15
Figure 2.2

SFT tube provides space for traffic and buoyancy for carrying different dead

and live loads. The design of SFT tube relates to oneself safety and applicability. The

design load, buoyancy to weight ratio, flow resistance performance, durable

performance and other factors are considered comprehensively during the tube design

process. By alternatives comparison from technique, economy and environmental

protection, the optimal plan should extremely utilize the space to satisfy the traffic

headroom and meet the demand of ventilation and escape according to the

requirements of safety applicability, reliable quality, economical rationality and

advanced technology.

The principles of tube design are as follows:

⦁ The buoyancy to weight ratio is less than 1.0 related researches show that the

ratio should be between 0.5 and 0.8.

⦁ Tube should meet the demand of strength stiffness and stability during

construction and operation stages.

⦁ The variation of surface curvature should be gentle to resist the hydrodynamic.

Meet the standard for classification of seismic protection of buildings.

16
Submerged floating tunnel consists of many structural components. These

components should provide strength and stiffness against the various forces acting

under the water surface.

The three basic structural components are:

• Tube

• Anchoring

• Shore connections

It should accommodate the traffic 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 from one

hundred meters to half a kilometre.

There are basically fours types of anchoring:

⦁ SFT with pontoons

⦁ SFT supported on columns

⦁ SFT with tethers to the bottom

17
 ⦁ SFT unanchored

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.

It is an “underwater bridge” with foundations 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 few hundred meters depth is

considered a limit at the present time. However, much deeper foundations are at

present under investigation.

It is based on tethers being in tension in all future situations, no slack in these

tethers may be accepted in any future load cases. The present practical depths for this

type of crossing may be several hundred meters, whether the tethers are vertical or a

combination of vertical and inclined.

It is interesting as it has no anchoring at all except at landfalls and is then

independent of depth. There is obviously a limit to the length but only further

development will answer this. Perhaps an alternative for light traffic should be

designed, possibly a 100 or 200 meter long.

18
The four types of anchoring are given below

Figure 3.1

Figure 3.2

Figure 3.3

19
 Figure
3.4

The connections of the tube to the shore require appropriate interface

elements to couple the flexible water tube with the much more rigid tunnel bored in

the ground. This 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.

20
 Crossing waterways, whether being from 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 from tourist interests and also from the public in

general. Lakes of special beauty or perhaps historical value should be preserved for

the future, the crossing of such areas and lakes with SFT may make this possible.

The 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 for any desired distance.

Figure 4.1

21
 Crossings with undersea tunnels or bridges will frequently mean longer

structures with consequently higher costs and this may offset the higher cost per meter

for an alternative SFT. An SFT crossing may have a very gentle gradient or being

nearly horizontal giving considerable savings in energy used by traffic.

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 surface by lifts directly into cities or recreational areas as shown in figure. These

possibilities may be one of big advantages in future, in fact for all types of tunnels.

Figure 4.2

22
 As an SFT may be positioned at any depth below the surface

arrangements may be made that the SFT surfaces at or very near the shoreline. This

may be an advantage for connections to new or existing road systems and gives the

planners freedom to locate connections in a very flexible way.

Construction of infrastructure is a major everyday problem in many

cities, traffic is piling up, new one way streets daily and generally great frustrations by

millions of people. One very interesting feature with SFT is that the actual

construction may be done away from the densely or highly populated areas, a feature

also for immersed tunnel construction. After the sections of the tunnel are finished

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. This

would ensure minimum disturbances to the local area and perhaps the whole operation

may only take months instead of years.

All structures will have to be removed or replaced sooner or later and

as the amount of structures increase it is important to prepare for 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 future, for both

economic and environmental reasons. SFT is in most cases a floating structure as a

whole and may therefore be towed away to some place where parts of the SFT may be

23
reused. One may imagine such an operation by for instance placing bulkheads in the

original elements and then separating the SFT in suitable lengths to be perhaps towed

to different locations for reuse or destruction.

Sections of a tunnel may be used for many purposes, depending on its

size and condition. One obvious possibility is for various types of storage facilities,

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 difficulty to get up on dry land if

that was desired. To cut a concrete tunnel into sections would not present big

difficulties either; it’s more a question of overall economy than technology.

24
 A Transatlantic tunnel is a theoretical submerged floating tunnel which

would span the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe. The transatlantic

tunnel would be built of 54000 prefabricated sections connected by watertight and

vacuum-tight gaskets. Each section of tunnel is to be attached to tethers which are to

be affixed to an anchor at the see floor, which is, in some places almost 8 km deep.

The tunnel would hover at about 45 meter below the see surface, ideal to avoid ships

and still minimize pressure and also to sway a bit under pressure. A high-speed train

could theoretically run from New York to London in 54 minutes. But the train would

have to go at a speed of 8000 km/h through a 5000 km long tunnel, that is itself

floating in the Atlantic Ocean. To reach this speed, almost a perfect vacuum would

have to be maintained in the tunnel and the train would have to be magnetically

levitated. There will be 3 rails. Two are bidirectional and one reserve, to be used

during accidents and repairs.

Figure 5.1

25
 Transatlantic tunnel consists of many components. The main components of

this Tunnel are listed below.

⦁ Gasket/shell

⦁ Sea anchors

⦁ Utility conduits and service port

⦁ Vacuum pumps

⦁ Maglev train

⦁ Guide ways

As the tunnel is situated at a depth of 30m, it should be perfectly water

tight and secondly it should resist the salty sea water and thirdly it should be

withstand against hydrostatic forces coming on it. It is made of 4 layers. Outermost

layer is constructed of aluminium to resist the salty sea water. Second and third layer

is made of the foam to float the tunnel easily in water. Fourth layer is of concrete

which gives strength to the tunnel.

As the length of tunnel is very large, it is not possible to construct the tunnel at situ.

Therefore it is made up of 54000 precast units. These units are casted on shore and

transported to place where they have to fix the units with two large floating platforms

26
 Figure 5.2

As the tunnel is in the Atlantic Ocean, it should have to face high current

velocity in Atlantic Ocean. The tunnel should not deflect much with water current.

Therefore it anchored to the sea bed with the help of steel anchors. A diagram of sea

anchor is given below.

Figure 5.3

27
 The train is running with such a thrilling speed of 5000 mph in the tunnel. The air

resistance is too high on such a high speed. Therefore to reduce it and increase the

speed of train, vacuum is created in tunnel. But creating vacuum in such a long tunnel

is very difficult task. With available equipments, 100 propellers of most powerful

boing jet are require to evacuate the air continuously for 15 days. The vacuum pumps

are installed throughout the length of tunnel to maintain the vacuum in it.

The tunnel is powered by electrically which should be available for entire length of

tunnel. These electrical wires are carried out through utility conduits. The two service

ports are provided in tunnel, one above and other below the track conduit. These are

provided for communication and access for repair works.

Figure 5.4

28
 These are magnetically elevated trains. These trains do not run over the track

but floats slightly above the track. Thus we can achieve practically zero tractive

resistance between train and track. Further this train will pass though vacuum, which

increase the speed of train. The sensation of flying at 400mph with no engine noise or

vibration will make the journey through the tunnel a unique experience. Special

rotating and pivoting seats are provided to further reduce the effect of gravitational

force. A diagram of train is given below.

Figure 5.5

Figure showing the various components of transatlantic tunnel is given below.

Figure 5.6

29
⦁ Their speed of construction

⦁ Minimal disruption to the river/channel, if crossing a shipping route

⦁ Resistance to seismic activity

⦁ Safety of construction (for example work in a dry dock as opposed to boring

beneath a river)

⦁ Flexibility of profile (although this often partly dictated by what is possible for

the connecting tunnel types)

⦁ Immersed tunnels are often partly exposed (usually with some rock armour

and natural siltation) on the river/sea bed, risking a sunken ship/anchor strike

⦁ Direct contact with water necessitates careful waterproofing design around the

joints.

⦁ The segmental approach requires careful design of the connections, where

longitudinal effects and forces must be transferred across.

⦁ Environmental impact of tube underwater embankment on existing

channel/sea bed.

30
 The submerged floating tunnel will set up new trends in

transportation engineering and which shows with the advances in technology that will

reduce the time required for travelling. And make the transportation more effective by

hiding the traffic under water by which the beauty of landscape is maintained and

valuable land is available for other purposes. Benefits can be obtained with respect to

less energy consumption, air pollution and reduced noise emission. For wide and deep

crossings the submerged floating tunnel may be the only feasible fix link, replacing

present days ferries and providing local communities with new opportunities for

improved communication and regional development.

The submerged floating tunnel (SFT) is a new structural solution to

waterway crossings. Despite some valuable research having been accomplished, no

SFT has been constructed in the world up to now. For the realization of SFT projects,

the global performance in extreme environmental conditions needs to be properly

evaluated. This study evaluates the displacements and internal forces of an SFT

subjected to hydrodynamic and seismic loadings. The SFT tunnel was modeled by 3D

beam elements; the mooring cables were modeled by truss elements; the ocean waves

and currents were modeled by Airy wave theory.

The SFT response subjected to hydrodynamic loading was evaluated

using three different mooring cable configurations; the suitable mooring cable

configuration was then used for further evaluation. A comparison of response

envelope curves for static, hydrodynamics. Based on the design technology of

immersed tunnel, bridge and tunnel engineering, combining the current relevant

design codes segment is presented according to safety, applicability, economy, fine

31
appearance and environmental protection. The selection of tube cross section type,

structural analysis, design load, waterproofing and resistant corrosion, tube joint

design and tunnel ventilation of submerged floating tunnel etc are described and

explored by comprehensively considering the design load, flow resistance

performance, durability and other factors of submerged floating tunnel.

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1. Christian Ingerslev “Immersed and f loating tunnels” Science Direct VOL. 4

,2010 PP:51-59. 2. Keqian Zhanga, Yiqiang Xianga,*, Yinguang Dub

“Research on tubular segment design of submerged f loating tunnel” Science

Direct VOL. 4,2010 .PP:195-205.

2. Yiqiang Xiang*, Chengxi Liu, Keqian Zhang, Qiangqiang “Risk analysis and

management of submerged f loating tunnel and its applications” Science

Direct VOL. 4,2010,PP:107-116.

3. Bernt Jakobsen “Design of the Submerged Floating Tunnel operating under

various conditions” Science Direct VOL. 4 2010 ,PP:71-79.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Hongsheng Yan, Yang Yuan, Jinxing Yu, “Fatigue reliability analysis of cable

considering corrosion,” 2nd international Symposium on submerged floating

tunnels and underwater tunnel structure, Procedia Engineering ( ELSEVIER)

166(2016)127-135.

7. Ling Kang, Fei Ge, Youshi Hong, “A numerical studay on responses of

submerged floating structures undergoing vortex-induced vibration and

seismic excitation,” 2nd international Symposium on submerged floating

tunnel and under water tunnel structures, Procedia engineering (ELSEVIER)

166(2016)91-98

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8. Hongsheng Yan, Liyang Wu, Jianxing Yu, “Mode analysis of the submerged

floating tunnel tether,” 2nd international Symposium on submerged floating

tunnel and underwater tunnel structures, Procedia Engineering (ELSEVIER)

166(2016) 136-142

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