Fraser River – George Massey Tunnel

Arcadis | Design Build team Cross Fraser Partnership (CFP)
Metro Vancouver, British Colombia
2024-2026 

SIMCO was sub-contracted by the Design Build team Cross Fraser Partnership (CFP) as durability consultant for the Progressive-Design-Build Fraser River Tunnel project. This new immersed tube tunnel will replace the existing George Massey Tunnel on Highway 99 between Delta and Richmond in British Columbia, Canada. This project also includes the construction of new bridges on both sides of the tunnel with project wide targeted service-life ranging from 100 to 150 years. 

Complete Service-Life Modeling and Analysis 

Through the preliminary design (Design Early Works Agreement phase) to the detail design phase, SIMCO completed service-life modeling & analysis for several elements of the project; reinforced concrete elements, post-tensionings, steel elements, waterproofing membrane, sheet pile wall, ballast & infill concrete, immersed tunnel joints and the design of the passive fire protection.   

• Review and durability analysis of the design concept
• Service-life probabilistic modeling, in compliance with fib Bulletin 34, for different type of concrete (reinforced, mass-concrete, precast and shotcrete)
• Service-life modeling for steel elements
• Durability design for joints & passive fire protection
• Assessment of the impact of thermal & restraint on the risk of early age cracking for mass concrete
• Support for the concrete mixture development

Broadening the durability approach of the project 

SIMCO has extended the durability analysis basis of the project by doing a detail analysis in cfull compliance with Fib bulleting 34 using a more realistic software. Using our proprietary software , STADIUM®, SIMCO integrated local material properties and site specific exposure conditions to predict the material performance. SIMCO provided durability specifications for materials and conformity validation methodology to be applied during the construction. 

• Material performance modeling and calculations integrating site-specific exposure and local material properties
• Degradation mechanism calculations and projection (sulfate attack, leaching, chloride penetration, de-icing salt loading)
• QA/QC thresholds & specifications

The proposed methodology for the conformity validation has been built to be consistent with the project schedule and aligned to the mixture qualification methodology.  

SIMCO’s approach for this project has reduced the risk of potential non-conformities, lowered the uncertainty level of service-life prediction, and will allow for validation of the as-built and design assumptions.

Image credit: British Colombia Government