Freight Traffic tunnel under runway 06-24 Schiphol

As Schiphol continues to grow, so does the need for proper freight handling. Schiphol Group initiated a new area for handling freight operations, and asked Tunnel Engineering Consultants to provide a project study and design for a new freight handling area located just south-east of the runway 06-24.

Project description

To connect the new freight area with the center of Schiphol, a tunnel was built. The tunnel has a width of 13-m and a total length of 850-m, with an enclosed tunnel length of 550-m. The tunnel crosses the runway and two taxi-ways. At the northern entrance of the tunnel, a connection with an existing tunnel, running perpendicular, had to be constructed.
The tunnel crosses the runway and two taxi-ways.  At the northern entrance of the tunnel, a connection with an existing tunnel, running perpendicular, had to be constructed.  In order to reduce the time in which the runway 06-24 is not in use, in relation to construction costs, a number of construction methods were evaluated. Amongst these different methods, are the cut & cover method, an immersed tunnel, a bored tunnel, and the “wall roof” method.
The method that appeared to be the most suitable was the “wall roof” method. This is a method in which the walls and the roof of the tunnel are constructed first in order to restore the runway as soon as possible; after this, the soil in the tunnel is excavated and the base slab of the tunnel is constructed. The walls are made up of steel tubes with sheet-piles in between (combi-wall). The roof is made with pre-stressed prefabricated beams and the base slab is made up of reinforced in-situ concrete.

Airview of roads

Scope of work

  • Studies of construction methods, with cost estimates and time schedules
  • Civil design calculations and drawings (preliminary design, final design)
  • Contract specifications for a Design Bid Build DBB contract as well as for a "design and build" contract
  • Electrical and mechanical installations
     

Project facts

  • Client
    N.V. Airport Schiphol
  • Duration
    1993 - 1997
  • Country
    The Netherlands
  • Project phase
    Completed
  • Location
    Schiphol Airport
Hans de Wit - Managing Director / Senior Consultant

Hansde Wit

Managing Director / Senior Consultant