Ozturk Ozgur has over 25 years of expertise in civil engineering design, project management, and construction oversight. His portfolio includes prestigious, record-breaking projects in rail and road infrastructure, encompassing the design and management of multi-billion-dollar ventures. Among his accomplishments are managing design and overseeing the construction of the deepest and longest immersed tube tunnels, as well as large diameter TBM tunnelling projects. Additionally, he has spearheaded technical coordination across various disciplines. Ozturk is Executive Director in AECOM and currently leading Transportation Businessline in Singapore, managing rail, road, airport and underground infrastructure projects. 

At AECOM, Ozturk serves as the global head of immersed tube tunnelling, demonstrating his leadership in this specialized field. He is well-versed in international contract models like FIDIC, with a track record of engagements spanning Hong Kong, China, Japan, Turkey, Singapore, as well as brief stints in the USA, Europe, the Middle East, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.

Recent developments in large scale subaqueous tunnels

Over the last three decades, deeper and longer subaqueous tunnels have been increasingly utilized for underground road and rail transportation projects. Such large-scale tunnelling projects became feasible and competitive with increased technological developments and applying innovative solutions. Notably in recent years, several subaqueous large diameter tunnels have been designed and safely constructed under high water pressures reaching 11bars, some immersed tunnels reaching 6 km long, 60 m deep in challenging environmental conditions and in seismic regions, with the aid of smart technologies and digital tools. 

 

This paper discusses developments of large-scale subaqueous tunnels; focusing on special considerations in design and construction, risk management and sustainable low carbon solutions using key examples from recent projects.