Study on Structural Design of Final Joint Construction Scheme of Shenzhen‐Zhongshan Link

Abstract The Shenzhen‐Zhongshan Link contains a 6,845m‐long undersea tunnel with a 5,035m‐long immersed tube, which adopts the steel shell‐concrete structure. Due to the complex sea conditions and geological conditions, the construction of the final joint becomes a major difficulty of the project. Referring to Kawasaki channel tunnel and Tama River tunnel, the terminal block method is applied for Shen‐Zhong link. A steel shell‐concrete sleeve is designed at the end of the last tube, in which the prefabricated joint is placed. After sinking the tube, the joint is pushed out to complete the initial crimping of GINA water‐stop, and final crimping is completed with hydraulic pressure by drainage. The simulation with FEA software ABAQUS in each working stage is conducted to demonstrate that the design of the terminal block method is reliable and has a large safety margin.