R.W.M.G. Heijmans1, E.J. Sonke2 and M.

Doll31
1 Arcadis, Amersfoort, The Netherlands, ronald.heijmans@arcadis.com
2 Arcadis, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, evert.sonke@arcadis.com
3 Arcadis, Paris, France, martin.doll@arcadis.com

ABSTRACT

The Ismailia road tunnel is a twin tube road tunnel that crosses the existing and new Suez Canal north
of the city of Ismailia. It is part of a development project in the Suez Canal zone. The completion of
the development project including the tunnel has the highest priority in Egypt. The project is to give a
boost to economic growth in the region. It is being delivered to the client, the Engineering Authority
of the Armed Forces (EAAF) on a tight schedule by contractors Petrojet and Concord for Engineering
and Contracting, which means that design and construction run in parallel. This paper will address the
major design aspects of this challenging scheme.
The tunnel, with two parallel tubes, is being built to a maximum depth of almost 70 meters below
ground level. The total length of the bored tunnels will be about 4.8 kilometres. Ramp structures,
concrete boxes for the deep sections and U-shaped open approach ramps for shallow sections, were
constructed in a trench supported by temporary diaphragm walls and anchors.
Four deep shafts were built, to allow inspections and maintenance to the tunnel boring machines, just
before and after the Suez Canal crossing.
Every 1000 meters cross passages between the traffic tunnels will be built to allow evacuation in case
of a calamity in one tube. Ground freezing technology will be used to control groundwater and support
the opening of the cross passage. In between the cross passages dedicated emergency exits will allow
safe evacuation of tunnel users below road level.
Key Words: Egypt, Suez Canal, Ismailia, TBM, Circular shaft,

1. INTRODUCTION

The Ismailia road tunnel is a tunnel that crosses the existing and new Suez Canal north of the city of
Ismailia. The tunnel, with two parallel tubes, is being built to a maximum depth of almost 70 meters
below ground level. The total length of the bored tunnels will be 4.8 kilometer. A single pass segmental
lining was chosen using conical rings to accommodate curves and alignment corrections. Segments
are being produced in a large site facility next to the launch shaft.
From west to east the project comprises an open cut, a u-shaped trough structure, cut&cover
section in the launch shaft and a bored tunnel. The TBM-drive crosses the desert landscape and over
400 meter a residential area with apartment buildings. The tunnel crosses both shipping channels of
the Suez Canal to end in a reception shaft in the Sinai. Four cross passages are spaced evenly over the
alignment.

Figure 1 Plan view of the project

2. GEOLOGY

The geology along the alignment consists mainly of medium to dense sand with some lenses of silty
clay (fig. 2). The ground water level was observed to be considerably higher than the level of the Suez
Canal, up to 4.2 meter at the western launch shaft and even +17 meter at the eastern reception shaft.
Levels higher than sea level were caused by leakage from irrigation channels from the Nile river on the
western bank. High water levels on the eastern bank were partly caused by spoil from the dredging
works of the Suez Canal extension. The wet spoil was dumped on the eastern bank and it took
considerable time to drain.

Figure 2 Geological profile

3. CROSS SECTION

The cross section of the tunnel consists of a road level of two traffic lanes and hard shoulders. Internal
diameter of the tunnel is 11.4 meter. Below the road level a service gallery will be installed for pipes
and cables. Every 250 meter access to the service gallery level is made through a staircase from road
level for safe evacuation between cross passages in case of an incident in the tunnel. At two deep
points, a pump sump is projected in each tunnel with a pump room below road level.
 Figure 3 Typical cross sections of the bored tunnel

4. LAUNCH SHAFT

The launch shaft is constructed in a rectangular box in a trench supported by diaphragm walls. The
shaft was designed to fit the cutter head and backup train of the TBM. The first 25 meter of the launch
shaft is provided with a concrete slab which carries the TBM and transfers jacking forces of the TBM
through a steel jacking frame towards the longitudinal diaphragm walls. The top of the jacking frame
is supported by a roof structure, connected to the diaphragm walls. The floor slab is supported by
diaphragm wall panels (barrette piles) for transfer of vertical loads to an underlying stiff soil layer.
Outside the front wall of the launch shaft a sealing block of low grade concrete was constructed by
1,5-meter diaphragm wall panels each overlapping 0,2 m. The diaphragm wall was reinforced with
glass fibre bars to allow the cutter head to excavate the panels.

Figure 4 Launch shaft

The strains and stresses in the sealing plug for the critical TBM position were calculated with
PLAXIS finite elements program.
The front end of the plug at the interface with the untreated soil must preserve its water-
tightness. This means that the calculation should first find an equilibrium (considering the elasto-
plastic behaviour for low strength concrete), and then, in order to ensure water tightness, check that
a compressive arch of low strength concrete exists between the TBM and the outer face of the plug.
 In order to account for the three-dimensional geometry of the compressive arch in front of the
TBM, a 3D calculation model was used to check the stress state in the low strength concrete remaining
in front of the TBM at its critical position (fig.5).

Figure 5 Global view 3D finite element model

5. SHIELD TUNNEL

A precast concrete segmental lining, 600 mm thickness, was used with 8 segments and a keystone.
Steel rebar was used for reinforcement and PP-fibres to limit spalling of the lining in case of a fire in
the tunnel. Segments were tested in a fire test against the RWS fire curve for two hours at CSTB facility,
using loaded segment. Tunnel segments were produced in a dedicated production facility on site.
The geology consists mainly of medium to dense sand, however over a considerable length silty
clay was encountered, which lead to clogging of the cross section and many interventions to clean the
cutter head. Modifications to the excavation tools of the TBM’s were made to reduce clogging and
increase production.
Launch of the first TBM, was June 6th, 2016. Breakthrough was December 4th, 2017 when 4830
meter tunnel was driven. Maximum daily progress was 34 meter, which was a world record for a large
diameter slurry TBM. Best weekly performance was 206 meter. The reception shaft was flooded
during the breakthrough to avoid uncontrolled inflow of groundwater along the TBM when it passes
through the sealing block (fig 6). When the tail void was fully grouted, and a watertight connection
was created in the front wall of the shaft, the reception shaft could be drained.
 Figure 6 Breakthrough of the first TBM

6. INSPECTION AND VENTILATION SHAFTS

To allow inspection of the cutter wheel in atmospheric conditions deep shafts were constructed
before and after the Suez Canal. Four deep shafts, with a depth of up to 85 meters and a diameter of
23 meters using diaphragm wall technology were built, to allow inspections and maintenance to the
tunnel boring machines, just before and after the Suez Canal crossing. The shafts will also be used for
installation of ventilation ducts for the traffic tunnels.
The shaft was excavated until the final depth with water inside. The bottom was sealed-off
with an underwater concrete slab and backfilled with sand-cement over the full cross section of the
TBM. The diaphragm wall circular shaft was designed using an 2D axisymmetric model to calculate
the hoop forces in the ring and bending moments in longitudinal direction as shown in figure 7.
Maximum hoop stresses were checked considering maximum deviation of the diaphragm wall
panels. The shaft wall at the entrance of the TBM was reinforced with glass fiber rebar, whereas the

Figure 7 Global view of axisymmetric 2D Plaxis Finite Element Model

exit was unreinforced to avoid inspection of the TBM after passage of the shaft wall and possibly
remove remainder of rebars. Ventilation shafts, each with a diameter of 5 meter will be built up with
precast concrete lining segment, bolted together between segments in one ring and between rings.

7. APPROACH RAMP STRUCTURES

Ramp structures, concrete boxes for the deep sections and U-shaped open approach ramps for
shallow sections, were constructed in a trench supported by temporary diaphragm walls as shown in
figure 8. The excavation also included the construction of a soft gel blanket covering 20 hectares and
the installation of temporary anchors supporting the diaphragm wall panels.

Figure 8 Approach ramp structure

Structures are mostly under groundwater level and are provided with waterproof membranes.
To prevent uplift, structures were ballasted by either ballast concrete or ground cover. Shallow
sections have cantilever walls and deep sections were provided with struts to limit section forces in
the walls and floor slabs.

8. STRUCTURAL DESIGN APPROACH STRUCTURES

The structure is subject to the following loads:

 Self-weight of the structure
 Resting load of the track structure and cable ducts
 Earth pressure
 Water pressure
 Live loads
o Direct and indirect traffic loads
o Loads during construction i.e. excavators etc.
o Loads from the TBM, jacking loads and weight of the machine and backup train
o Loads caused by annual and daily temperature variation.
 Seismic action

Due to the severe climate in Ismailia with intense solar radiation and large temperature
variations it was not appropriate to simply apply Eurocode. The Uniform Temperature Component
and Temperature Difference Components of a buried structure cannot be fully assessed by the
procedure of EN 1991-1-5. A non-stationary heat flow analysis was performed to assess the
temperature distribution in the structure due to non-linear effects, in effect daily temperature
variations and solar radiation. The temperature variations would lead to deformation of the
structure, which is partially restrained by the surrounding soil, leading to increased earth pressure
against the walls. The approach ramps with a width of 44 meter can experience relatively large
deformations due to temperature variations.
Temperature flow is calculated with the program PCTempFlow. This program calculates the
time dependent temperature distribution in a layered structure as a function of time. The considered
geometry is one-dimensional. Input is the air temperature and incoming radiation. The extreme air
temperature (47°C) is applied to the left boundary combined with radiation (1050 W/m2) as shown in
** Half SINE like radiation distribution **
1

0.9

0.8

0.7
Radiation [kW/m2]

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 11000 12000
Tim e [m in.]

Figure 9 Solar radiation

figure 9. The surface temperature rises 28°C to 75°C, which is good agreement with BS EN 1991-1-5
Table 5.2 which indicates a surface temperature rise for light colored surface of 30°C. In 24 hours the
air temperature varies from 37°C to 47°C in a 10-degree range and radiation in a half sine shape curve
from 0 to 1050 W/m2.

Temperature distribution at 12000 [min.]

72 Time: 12000 [min.]
Transition planes
64 Mean equivalent temperature
Equivalent temperature gradient

56 ** Equivalent temperature distribution **

Equivalent mean temperature [°C] : 12.833
Equivalent temperature gradient [°C/m']: 33.121
48 ** Total restrained force distribution **
Stresses [N/mm2]

Reference point [m] : 0.500

Normal force [kN] : -3883.005
40
Moment [kN.m] : 849.627
Normal force original E-mod [kN]: -3883.005
32 Moment original. E-mod [kN.m]: 849.627

24

16

0
1 2
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Place [m ]

Figure 10 Temperature distribution in 1000 mm structure in open air

It is calculated that the linear temperature gradient is 33.1°C/m in a 1000 mm wall. With a wall
thickness of 1.0 m the linear temperature difference is 33.1°C. The equivalent temperature rise is
12.8°C. Maximum uniform temperature component is 27+12.8 -14.8 = +25.0°C.
Temperature variations and gradients lead to deformations of the structure which lead to an
increased lateral earth pressure. To obtain a better insight in this effect a FEM Plaxis model was built
of the structure using volume elements. These volume elements were given a strain corresponding
to the temperature strain. Assuming a displacement towards the subsoil the surrounding subsoil will
oppose the free movement of the structure, thus leading to an increased earth pressure. Analysis
showed that soil pressure can be doubled from at rest soil pressure due to temperature expansion.
The loads working on the approach structures were applied on a 3D FEM model. It was found that
seismic action would be not in the normative load combination. Earth pressure, increased by
temperature effects were the dominant load case.

Figure 11 The loads applied on the wall and slab

9. CONCLUSION

Design and construction of the Ismailia twin road tunnel in less than 3 years from the first line on
paper until breakthrough of the fist TBM was quite an achievement which was only possible with close
cooperation between the designer, supervisor and the client. Effective decision making helped in
making this project a success. As a principle, robust technical solutions were chosen, as these were
most unlikely to cause delays. Still this project pushed the limits for instance in lining segment design,
depth of the inspection shafts and daily progress of the TBM.