Guangzhou CAN Airport Tunnel Project

Large red tunnel segment with Chinese text, part of a construction project, surrounded by red banners with more Chinese writing, and safety railings and equipment visible around the construction site.

Φ 11.76m CCCC EPB TBM

Project Year: 2024

Aerial view of an airport layout with labels indicating the terminal, west runway, east runway, and tunnels connecting them.

Project Overview

Project Summary

Tunnel Location

  • The shield tunnel passes beneath the runway, located on the east and west sides of the airport.

  • The tunnel's outer diameter is 11.3 meters.

  • Geological and design considerations:

    • The tunnel must pass through a soft upper layer and a hard lower layer to avoid the tunnel being in uneven strata.

    • The tunnel is shallow, with cover thickness at the crown ranging from 6 meters to 9.8 meters.

Construction Difficulties

Runway Settlement Control Requirements:

  • Vertical difference within a 3-meter range must not exceed 10 mm.

  • Joint displacement between panels must not exceed 5 mm.

  • The differential settlement rate of the runway should be no greater than 1‰.

  • Additional Challenges:

    • The tunnel must also withstand the impact of heavy aircraft loads above it.

    • During construction and operation, the tunnel will experience frequent dynamic loads from aircraft movements, including takeoffs and landings.

    • The maximum load from an A380 aircraft during taxiing can reach nearly 600 tons.

    • The design must account for the additional loads exerted by the aircraft on the tunnel structure.

Jello-Mud Result

  • Stable pressure is established at the tunnel entrance.

  • During the sequential opening and closing of the reserved holes in the portal, Jello-Mud is fully extruded without any gas or liquid leakage.

  • When the ball valve at the observation port of the backfill grouting hole is opened, Jello-Mud is extruded without any gas or liquid leakage.

  • Jello-Mud exhibited void-filling, sealing, and water proofing capabilities

  • Contractor was able to save on costs compared to using high-cost tail-seal grease to seal the entrance ring

  • For more information on how Jello-Mud assisted in lubrication and settlement control in this project, please contact us for more details.

Diagram showing water leakage testing with a reinforced area, sealing box with jello-mud, and no water leakage, as well as a grade scale from +3 to -1.

Illustration of Jello-Mud sealing the TBM entrance ring

A large pile of wet, brown mud or clay on a surface with some small debris around it.

Site image of surplus Jello-Mud exiting through observation port, a good indicator that Jello-Mud has formed a complete seal and blocked off soil and water ingress.