Üsküdar / Istanbul
Site Conditions
- A major potable water transmission main passed beneath the roadway alignment.
- If the roadway embankment had been constructed using conventional compacted soil fill, the resulting stress increases could have created a risk of structural damage and service disruption in the buried pipeline.
- Relocation of the pipeline was difficult due to its diameter and burial depth, as well as the dense urban utility network surrounding the alignment.
- Implementation of a potential pipeline relocation scheme would have resulted in extended service interruptions.
- The conventional alternative of crossing the alignment with a bridge was disadvantageous in terms of overall project cost and construction duration.
- The project site was located in a busy urban area surrounded by a shopping center, residential buildings and public transportation stops; prolonged conventional construction activities would therefore have caused considerable disruption to the surrounding area.
Designed Solution
- Construction of the roadway embankment using geofoam block technology.
Advantages of the Applied Geotechnology
- The roadway embankment could be constructed without creating a risk of structural damage or service disruption in the buried water transmission main.
- Compared with relocating the pipeline or constructing a bridge over the alignment, the geofoam solution enabled substantially faster construction and provided a more economical alternative in terms of overall project cost.
Performance Under Service Loads
- A comprehensive instrumentation program using settlement plates was implemented.
- Periodic measurements have been collected since the roadway was opened to traffic on April 14, 2017.
