The concrete tunnel elements were built in a dock by the northern approach to the tunnel. One element at a time is moved to intermediate storage at Suezhaven and then transported by four tugs and one pusher tug to the location where it will be immersed. Four tunnel elements have been constructed. Their dimensions are approximately 140 m long, 12 m wide and 8 m high.
The first of these elements was installed last year, immediately after Mammoet's work on the Second Coentunnel project. Last year our client built a transition structure underneath Central Station to connect the bored tunnel to the immersed tunnel.
We started by placing the 6 foundation units for the tunnel (photograph 1) with our AMSTERDAM sheerlegs. On Tuesday 25 September we moved tunnel unit IJ-3 from the Suezhaven dock to the location where it was to be lowered down onto the foundations. We then positioned it and immersed it, using Mammoet's tugs and pusher tug, sheerlegs, workboats and other equipment.
The schedule for the installation of the remaining elements is as follows:
IJ-1 Tuesday 2 October 2012.
IJ-2 Tuesday 09 October 2012.