Proceedings of the Institution of

Civil Engineers
Bridge Engineering 162
June 2009 Issue BE2
Pages 63–74
doi: 10.1680/bren.2009.162 .2.63
Paper 800012
Received 15/02/2009
Accepted 06/03/2009 David A. Smith Chris R. Hendy
Keywords: Group Manager— Head of Bridge Design
bridges/concrete structures Special Structures, and Technology, Atkins,
Atkins, Epsom, Surrey, Epsom, Surrey, UK
UK

Design of the Dubai Metro light rail viaducts—substructure

The Dubai Metro light rail scheme is a flagship project in The £1?5 billion, 52 km long Red line connecting Rashidiya to
the United Arab Emirates which is currently one of the Jebel Ali port comprises 42 km of elevated viaduct with 22
largest civil engineering projects under construction and, overground stations, 5?5 km of tunnels with four underground
when completed, will be the longest fully automated rail stations, 2?5 km of at-grade section and two depots. The £800
system in the world. The first section of the rail system is million, 24 km long Green line runs around the city centre
due to be opened in September 2009. This paper connecting Festival City to the airport free zone and comprises
describes the scheme outline and contractual set-up for 16 km of elevated viaduct with 12 overground stations and 7 km
the viaduct design and discusses the design and con- of tunnels with eight underground stations (of which two are
struction of the viaduct substructure. In particular, the shared with the Red line).
design methodologies used for the piled foundations,
single reinforced concrete columns and prestressed This paper discusses the design and construction of the viaduct
concrete pier heads are discussed as well as the design of substructure. A further paper1 covers the design and construc-
elastomeric bearings that were used extensively for most tion of the viaduct superstructure.
of the viaduct spans. Seismic loading governed the design
of many of the foundations and the seismic analysis and
design methodology adopted is discussed, together with 2. VIADUCT FORM
specific reinforcement detailing requirements. Rail– The proposed form of the viaduct was architecturally-led in
structure interaction analysis and design is also covered. appearance. Figure 4 gives an artist’s impression of the proposed
Other critical design issues resolved included the fatigue viaduct at the conceptual design stage and much of this form
performance of cranked reinforcement and the treat- was retained in the final detailed design.
ment of the onerous construction loading from overhead
gantries used to erect the precast deck segments. The viaduct superstructures were typically formed from U-
shaped cross-sections as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. The post-
tensioned precast segmental deck segments were cast using
1. INTRODUCTION AND PROJECT BACKGROUND either long-line or short-line moulds.
In July 2005, the Dubai Road and Transport Authority (RTA)
awarded a design-and-build contract to the Dubai Rapid Link The following superstructure forms, all of post-tensioned
(DURL) consortium for the construction of the first and second segmental construction, comprised the majority of the scheme.
stages of the Dubai Metro Red and Green Lines. The DURL
consortium comprised the Japanese companies Mitsubishi (a) One-span (single span) decks: simply-supported U-section
Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Corporation, Obayashi Corporation decks constructed by the span-by-span method from an
and Kajima Corporation together with Yapi Merkezi of Turkey. overhead gantry.
Construction of the infrastructure and stations was the (b) Two-span (twin span) continuous decks: U-section decks
responsibility of a joint venture between Kajima, Obayashi and constructed by the span-by-span method from an overhead
Yapi Merkesi (Japan–Turkey–Metro joint venture or JTMjv). gantry and made continuous over internal supports by
JTMjv appointed Atkins as their designer in 2006. This project subsequent in situ concrete stitching of adjacent decks.
organisation is illustrated in Figure 1. (c) Three-span continuous decks: comprising a combination of
U-section and box-section decks, erected by crane using the
The Dubai Metro will be a driverless, fully automated metro balanced cantilever method.
network and will be the longest fully automated rail system in (d) Station spans: three- or four-span continuous U-section
the world. Completion of the first section of the Red line is decks constructed by the span-by-span method from an
planned for September 2009, followed in 2010 with the first overhead gantry, subsequently made continuous over
section of Green line. A further Blue line (along Emirates Road) internal supports by stitching adjacent spans together.
and Purple line (an airport express route) are planned for (e) Single-track decks: simply-supported U-section decks con-
subsequent years. The metro route map is illustrated in Figure 2, structed by the span-by-span method from an overhead
with a more detailed Red line route map shown in Figure 3. gantry (similar to one-span decks). These decks are used at

Bridge Engineering 162 Issue BE2 Design of the Dubai Metro light rail viaducts—substructure Smith N Hendy