Strukton Civiel constructed an immersion tunnel between the major South Korean city of Busan and the island of Geoje. This tunnel is part of the permanent cross-channel connection Busan-Geoje Fixed Link. This connection, which traverses a couple of other islands off the coast, consists of cable bridges, ramps and an immersed tunnel. The tunnel starts at the island of Gaduk, crosses a strait at a depth of 52.20 metres and is about 3.2 kilometres long. Eighteen immersion elements were used with an average length of 180 metres.
Immersing the tunnel
Strukton Afzinktechnieken, a subsidiary of Strukton Civiel, was responsible for immersing the tunnel. In three years’ time, the team of Strukton Afzinktechnieken and Geocon (another subsidiary of Strukton Civiel) placed a total of eighteen tunnel elements, each of which was 180 metres long. The deepest elements go down as far as 60 metres below sea level, exceptionally deep for an immersed tunnel.
Owner of the immersion operation was Daewoo Engineering & Construction, a subsidiary of the public-private consortium for the project, GK Fixed Link Corporation. This was an especially large contract for Strukton Afzinktechnieken: the contract amount for the immersion operation was 70 million Euro.
Megastructures: Korean Superlink
On Sunday 25 September Megastructures: 'Korean Superlink' had its premiere on the Dutch National Geographic Channel. Read more about this special episode of Megastructures.
Book: ConnectingDreams
ConnectingDreams tells the story of a unique operation: the immersion of one of the deepest en longest immersed tunnels in the world by Strukton Afzinktechnieken. The nautical conditions under which the work was to be completed, the tight deadlines to avoid typhoons, and the innovations used all transformed the project into an excited and unprecedented 'Star Wars at Sea'. The book is multilingual (English, Korean and Dutch).
You can order this book at the (Dutch) website of publisher Orange House.
Nominated for Tunnelling Contractor of the Year
Strukton Afzinktechnieken has been shortlisted for one of the International Tunnelling Awards 2011: Tunnelling Contractor of the Year. For more information on these awards please go to the International Tunnellling Awards 2011 website.
Nominated for the Betonprijs 2011
Strukton Afzinktechnieken has been shortlisted for the Betonprijs 2011 in the category 'Hydraulic Constructions'. The winner will be announced on 16 November 2011.