SUBMERGED FLOATING

TUNNELS

S.ROHITH REDDY (1602-13-732029)

B.SUKUMAR REDDY (1602-13732-045)
BE 3/4-I (CIVIL)
VASAVI COLLEGE OF
ENGINEERING.

CONTENTS: Introduction
Structural components of Submerged Floating

Tunnels(SFT)
Case study on a SFT: Transatlantic tunnel
Competitive features of SFT
Conclusion

WHAT IS A SUBMERGED FLOATING TUNNEL??

The submerged floating tunnel is a tunnel

which runs under the water utilizing the law

of buoyancy.
The SFT is a tube like structure made of Steel

and Concrete .
It utilizes lakes and waterways to carry traffic

under water and on to the other side, where

it can be linked to the rural network or to the
underground infrastructure of modern cities.

WHY TO USE SUBMERGED FLOATING

TUNNEL??
When the depth of water bodies is high ( 3-8 km)
To provide route for ships
Rocky sea beds
When immersed tunnels cannot be used

PRINCIPLE:It works using Archimedes Principle and Law of Flotation.

Archimedes Principle:- Archimedes'principleindicates that the upward buoyant
force that is exerted on a body immersed in a fluid, whether fully or partially
submerged, is equal to the weight of the fluid that the body displaces .
Law of Flotation: -TheLaw of Flotationsays that for a floating object, the weight
of the object equals the weight of the liquid displaced by the object.

There are two ways in which SFT can be floated. That

is positive and negative buoyancy :POSITIVE BUOYANCY:-

An object that floats in the water is known as

beingpositively buoyant.
In such a case SFT is fixed in position by anchoring
either by means of tension legs to the bottom or by
means of pontoons on the surface.
NEGATIVE BUOYANCY:An object that sinks to the bottom is

negativelybuoyant.
In this case the foundations would be piers or
columns to the sea or lake.

STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS OF SFT :The three basic structural components are:

Tube
Anchoring
Shore connections

TUBE
It should accommodate the

traffic lanes and the equipments.

External shape can be circular ,
elliptical or polygonal.
It may be constructed of steel or
concrete.
Corrosion protection is the main
issue

ANCHORING
1.SFT supported on columns:
It is an underwater bridge with foundations on
the bottom.
The maximum depth of the water body is
upto100m

2. SFT with pontoons:

It is independent of water depth.

The system is sensitive to wind, waves, currents and possible

ships collision.

3.SFT with tethers to the bottom : It is based on tethers being in tension in all future

situations.

The present practical depths for this type of crossing

may be several hundred meters

4.SFT unanchored: It has no anchoring at all except at landfalls and is then

independent of depth.
There is obviously a limit to the length.
It can be used as an alternative for light traffic (possibly 100 or
200 meter long)

CONNECTION TO SHORES
Connection to the shore should be able to restrain tube movements,

without any unsustainable increase in stresses.

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.

Case study:TRANSATLANIC TUNNEL

This project is going to be most massive and
expensive project under taken ever.
Route :-New York-Greenland-Iceland-NorwayEngland
Tubes:-54000 prefabricated tunnel segments
placed at 160ft below sea level using pontoon
ships.

Anchoring:Tethering cables
These cables would be anchored into the
seafloor with the help of submersibles or
anchors
Transportation:Maglev trains
Speed:500-8000 kmph
Magnetic suspension in midair

CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE TUNNEL

Location:South-eastern Virginia &the Delmarva peninsular

(95 miles)(April 15,1964)
Anchoring:SFT is supported on columns

Monitor Merrimac Bridge

Tunnel

Oresund Bridge Tunnel

COMPETITIVE FEATURES OF SFT

Invisible: 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

Very low gradient: An SFT crossing may have a very gentle

gradient or being nearly horizontal giving

considerable savings in energy used by
traffic.

Surface just above shoreline: An SFT may be positioned at any depth very near the shoreline.
This may be an advantage for connections to new or existing road
systems
It gives the planners freedom to locate connections in a very flexible
way

Easy removal at end of life: All structures will have to be removed or replaced sooner or later.
Removal, recycling or reuse of materials or parts of the structures is

necessary in the future

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 reused

CHALLENGES
1.Cost: - Due to lots of material and machinery involved in

project, the cost of construction is relatively high.

2.Fire: - It is difficult to rescue people if fire breaks out in the
tunnel.
Also the smoke emitted will be a problem
3.Collision: - If in case of collision of two trains took place, it
is very difficult to rescue the people.
4.No Stoppage: - It is very difficult to stop the trains
travelling on such a high speed.

CONCLUSION
It sets up new trends.
It reduces the time for travelling.
Beauty of landscape is maintained.
Less energy consumption
No air and noise pollution.
In some cases only feasible link.

THANK YOU