By rosebell
Commencing the concrete pour process last week, a dormant transit tunnel beneath Memphis International Airport is being sealed with cellular concrete and it is scheduled to be completed in June.
While the quantity of concrete that is due to be used to complete the task is almost 50,292m3, the goal is to pump 91.4m3 per week.
Before sealing off the tunnel, a set of ground water pumps from the tunnel to the east had to be relocated above the tunnel.
Considering that ensuring the airport structures that sit above it meet seismic and safety codes is required, filling the transit tunnel is important.
The 1970s was the date that this tunnel was built and Memphis International Airport added Terminals A and C. As the future home of a tram system linking passengers between future remote terminals, the sub-basement transit tunnels were imagined as a connection to a future subway system. As time went on, expansion plans changed for remote terminals, the subway system connection did not materialise, and no alternative uses for the sub-basement transit tunnels were found.
The plan of airport for working on the Terminal Modernisation and Seismic Program has been started due that the walls and ceilings of the tunnels have deteriorated significantly and the tunnel system must be addressed because of its inability to withstand seismic activity.
Considering that Memphis and the surrounding areas are placed within the New Madrid Seismic Zone, making the aiports 1960s and 1970s structures vulnerable to potential earthquake damage. The construction of the terminal, including the tunnel system, predates building code requirements for seismic resilience.
