Harefield to Southall Tunnel Segments Solely Reinforced with Barchip’s Synthetic Fiber Concrete Reinforcement
Click here to download the Harefield to Southall Case Study from the ITATech Guidance for Precast Fiber Reinforced Concrete Segments- Vol 1: Design
Harefield to Southall Gas Pipeline Tunnel
Tunnel Segments Reinforced Solely with Barchip’s Synthetic Fiber Concrete Reinforcement
Project Details
The Harefield to Southall Gas Pipeline is a 27 bar, 18.5 km, 1.2m diameter gas pipeline in Middlesex, UK, commissioned by National Grid to meet rising gas demands in West London. Murphy Pipelines Ltd was contracted to design and construct the pipeline which became operational in 2009.
Construction was in a substantially urban environment and required over 2.3km to be constructed in four 2.5m diameter segmentally lined TBM driven tunnels, approximately 21 m below ground level.
BarChip synthetic fiber was the sole reinforcement in 976 m of the segmental lining.
Design Details
The synthetic fiber reinforced tunnel was driven by TBM through London Blue Clay. The lining was a wedge block lining made up of seven (7) segments and one (1) key. The ring had an ID of 2.59 m and each segment was 180 mm in thickness by 1.0 m width.
The concrete was specified at 45MPa with 7kg/m3 of BarChip synthetic fiber reinforcement.
The lining was comprehensively designed and checked using the Finite Element Analysis modelling program ATENA.
Segments were produced at a local precast factory where synthetic fiber was mixed into the concrete then poured into vertical moulds. The initial segments were preassembled at the plant to form a trial ring to ensure that the correct tolerances were achieved. The segments were then horizontally stacked and trucked to site.
Project Benefits
The use of BarChip synthetic fiber in these segments proved very effective in meeting all the design requirements as well as ensuring that the segments sustained minimal damage from the jacking rams during installation. The segments have since performed to the specified design criteria.
The use of BarChip fibers has lowered the overall carbon footprint of the project, negated any corrosion either of the internal steel gas pipe through cathodic protection and of the segment reinforcement itself.
Barchip’s experienced team can guide you through the design process, providing comparative analysis, structural design and where appropriate complex finite element analysis (FEA). When you design with Barchip, you design with confidence.