GROUND INVESTIGATION CHALLENGES AT THE PORT OF MIAMI TUNNEL PROJECT, MIAMI, FLORIDA

摘要

The Port of Miami Tunnel will connect PortMiami directly to the surrounding highways,alleviating traffic congestion. The project comprises two 11.3-m-internal-diameter,1.27-km-long tunnels bored under the main shipping channel in Biscayne Bay. Theseare the first large-diameter tunnels constructed through Florida’s challenging carbonategeology, and because of the heterogeneous ground conditions, the baseline investigationleft many geotechnical uncertainties. To reduce these uncertainties, a phasedcomplementary ground investigation was performed, adopting numerous techniques,the integrated interpretation of which allowed development of a realistic ground model.The ground investigation, which proved to be one of Florida’s most comprehensive,had a major impact on the tunneling methods that were adopted.