Probability-Based Durability Design for the Western Scheldt Tunnel

Developed in an European Brite-Euram research project, a new service life design concept for reinforced concrete structures has been established. This new concept allows the design of reinforced concrete structures for a defined lifetime related to limit state formulations. The result of the durability design is a limit state-based fallure probability of the structure. This new design approach has been used for abored tunnel construction in The Netherlands (the Westerscheide project). The whole construction consists of two different elements, the ramp and the bored tunnel itself (reinforced concrete and steel members). The tunnel has two tubes with an external diameter of 11.0 m and a length of 6.5 km. All elements have been designed according to the new performance-based durability design procedure.     «

Developed in an European Brite-Euram research project, a new service life design concept for reinforced concrete structures has been established. This new concept allows the design of reinforced concrete structures for a defined lifetime related to limit state formulations. The result of the durability design is a limit state-based fallure probability of the structure. This new design approach has been used for abored tunnel construction in The Netherlands (the Westerscheide project). The whole...     »