Experimental study on the mooring tension of tunnel element during immersion standby

Based on the project of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Link, an experimental study was carried out on the mooring tension of tunnel element during immersion standby. There are two key objectives in the present study. One is to investigate the effect of the sea states on the mooring tension of the tunnel-pontoons system under various mooring configurations during immersion standby. Pure wave and combined wave and current conditions were applied in the tests. The experimental results show that both wave and current play key roles on the mooring tensions of the tunnel-pontoons system, which was not highlighted in the past. After comparing the maximum mooring tensions of the tunnel-pontoons system under various mooring configurations, the second objective is to recommend the optimal mooring configuration for the tunnel-pontoons system, which help to minimize the sinking risk of the tunnel element during immersion standby.