Detroit River Tunnel
Windsor, Ontario
| Client: | Hatch Associates |
|---|---|
| Owner: | CP Rail |
Tunnel Enlargement – Caso Subdivision Mile 225.10
The Detroit River Rail Tunnel is one of the oldest sunken twin tube tunnels in North America. The tunnel is used to transport goods vial rail car beneath the Detroit River to and from Canada and the United States. The tunnel enlargement project was required to allow double stacked rail cars to pass through the tunnel. The work was performed in the northbound tube from Windsor, Ontario to Detroit, Michigan and crossed an international border.
ACT was awarded the grouting contract to perform consolidation grouting of the invert exterior tremie concrete and sub-base utilizing cement based grouts.
All grout holes were diamond drilled through the concrete rail bed and steel liner into the original tremie concrete surrounding the tunnel. A multiple hole cement grouting operation utilizing portland and microfine cement grouts was conducted to provide support and consolidate the deteriorated tremie concrete. The grouting was recorded in real time using an xy-recorder and extensive quality control testing was performed on every grout mix batched.
Other work performed by ACT included:
- Contact grouting along tunnel crown to reduce water seepage and consolidate the internal concrete shell.
- Installation and insulation of aliva drainage channels to control water seepage.
- Shotcrete strengthening repairs to tunnel overt and at the tunnel entrance portal.
All work was completed in a confined space environment.
