i

THESSALONIK I ME TRO / REPORT r,

BALANClNG
THEOLDWlTH
THE NEW
Creating Thessaloniki's first ever metro system means striking a balance betwe~n
preserving historic artefacts and delivering a state of the art public transport system

- Base project
PANORAMA - Kalamaria extension
- Stavroupali extension
Connection with Papo9eorgiou Hospital
Evosmos extension
Extension towards the airport
@ Metro Stotio 11
""""' Railway (0.5.E./

Above: The treasures from the Roman, Byzantine and

Thessaloniki Ottoman eras which must be preserved.
Metro alignment TBM and station excavation work
rates are usually measured in meters per
day. Thesr statistics are compared to the
Bernadette Ballantyne forecasts. the actual ground conditions,
Bernadette is an engineer and the machine wear rates and of course the·
freelance technical journalist overall programme. Contractors and their
clients are of cou rse seeking Lo ma ximise
progress and set up their machines and
site processes to ensure thal the schedule
ONSTRUCTlNG METRO SYSTEMS IS never easy, but is rnel.

C in the Greek coastal city of Thessaloniki contractors

have faced a range of chall enges that have no t only
delayed work, but caused redesigns and major cosl
increases. The 9.6km Lwin tunnel, which runs at a 20-25m depth
below the city, is deep enough to avoid harmin g th histo ric
Archaeologists take a very diffrrenl
approach. "The archeological research
works were proceeding in parallel with
the normal excava ti on ," explains Rainer
Dell 'Onze, project engineer for contractor
artefacts. However the station boxes. which are constructed top Salini lmpregilo which is responsible fo r
down from the surface to the base f:' ncoun Lered a raft of ancient arou nd 42. 50 per cent of the rivil works

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l ri REPORT I THESSALONIKI METRO

on the project. Excavations would always

commence under the supervision of an
archeologist and as soon any findings
were discovered. the archeological services
would take over the continuation of
the excavation with the support of the
contractor. The rate of archeological
excavation was of about 300mm per
month.
"As soon we reached the depth where
protective measures were foreseen to
be installed, the archeological research
works were suspended and the findings
temporary covered to allow the access
of equipment for the installation
of shotcrete, anchors, pre-stressed
anchors, struts, etc. Only after the
protective measures were completed the
archeological research works could be Above: Cut and These two stations are Venizelou and Aghia Sofia which sit at
resumed," says Dell'Onze. cover and shaft the western end of the first phase of the metro project (see map,
Removing the findings once discovered works showing page 29).
was also very time consuming. So, it differing levels The stations are two of 13 which fall under the scope of
is not surprising then that the project of disruption the first phase of the works, which also includes the excavation
timescale has slipped a rather long way. shafts, the 9.6km twin tunnel railway lines, one forestation,
Commencing in May 2006, the new two underground crossovers for future extensions, one depot
metro line was originally scheduled for covering a surface of approximately 540,000sqf (approximately
completion by the end of 2012. The 50,000 square meters) with the operation control centre and
forecast budget at this time was EUR the administration building, as well as all the electromechaAical
798M (USO 930.8Ml with an additional and railway systems including rolling stock formed of 18 ultra-
EUR 15M (USO 17.5M) for archeological automatic and state-of-the-art, fully air-conditioned trains.
excavation and research works. The new line will be completely automated with a transport
But this turned out to be quite an capacity of 18,000 passengers per hour in each direction and a
underestim<ite. As of May, the actual frequency of 90 seconds at peak times.
budget was EUR 1.3bn (USO 1.52bn) Construction is being undertaken by the AlASAjoint venture
with EUR 115M (USD 134.24M) for consisting of Greek firms Aegek/Aktor (28.78 per cent), Italy's
archaeological and research works Salini lmpregilo (26.71 per cent), Italy's Seli (7.19 per cent),
and the final completion date is 2020 Italy's Ansaldo STS (25.84 per cent) and Hitachi Rail Italy (11.49
except for two stations where significant per cent, formerly Ansaldo Breda). Works have been separated
archaeological excavation is currently in into two packages.
progress. Group A which is Aegek-Aktor, Salini hnpregilo and Seli

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-
THESSALONIKI METRO REPORT f"l

Monitoring elements which could lead to partial or total collapse.

6. Control parameters: The control parameters perm it the correlation
Project engineer for Salini lmpregilo, Rainer Del/'Onze, explains of settlements affected by tunnel excavation with potential
the geo-mechanical and structural monitoring being used on the damages to buildings. For each building the con trol parameters
Thessaloniki project are calculated at foundation level and the identity value (IV) of the
building is identified. Knowing the control parameters, the IV index
In the JV organization, a special geo-mechanical and structural and the correct risk classification, allows to define the risk category
monitoring (GSM) department was created at the start of the project of a building. For various risk categories, there are different
to face all the challenges expected within the contract, the design and corresponding preventive measures:
the construction. • Aesthetic: Monitoring of building. Does not require preventive
At the beginning the GSM department carried out supplementary measures
geotechnical work such as drilling boreholes and undertaking • Functional and structural: Preventive measures to be taken prior
laboratory tests, as well as further geological and hydrogeological to tunnel excavation (consolidation of ground of building) and
design. This alongside the earlier data at disposal of the client Attiko monitoring of building to check the effectiveness of the preventive
Metro, allowed us to determine the geological and hydrogeological measures. Preventive measures could be protection of the
conditions, prepare reports, maps and longitudinal sections and asses structure through vertical or crossed micro-piles; ground condition
finally the design. improvement through consolidation grouting; reinforcing the
In addition concerning the buildings and the monuments, we structures (struts or ties); addi tional foundation treatment and
needed a risk analysis, alert and alarms limits, to guarantee that the compensation of settlements using compensation grouting.
effects on the project are within the specified limits. The objective
of the risk analysis is to reduce and control the risk of a building Trigger limits for an alert are 80 per cent of the predicted value
against structural damage in normal buildings and aesthetical and/or and the alarm limit is 100-120 per cent of the predicted value. The
functional damage to important buildings. In other words, to minimize maximum settlements allowed by the contract are 15-24mm and
the potential impact caused by the excavations and particularly by the depend on the importance of the buildings above.
tunnel excavation. Our approach to this was in six stages: Monitoring of the ground and buildings is required to measure,
analyse and assess the data. This includes verification of the design
1. Design phase: Identify the building vulnerability to settlements, input data, for the verification of the provisions made at the time of
eventual optimization of TBMs advance mode, design mitigation design, for control of the advance of the tunnel excavation and control
measures (preventive measures) and controls (monitoring) for of the effect of the tunnel excavations on the buildings. We were
building at risk monitoring the TBM, the tunnel lining and the buildings and all this
2. Building survey: Determine the actual conditions of buildings in data was stored on a database.
the tunnels' influence zone In terms of instrumentation this meant that piezometers were
3. Project data input: Alignment, geotechnical and geo-mechanical installed to measure the water table and the variation of hydrostatic
characteristics of ground and eventual settlement forecasts from pressure and pore pressure. Inclinometers were used for monitoring
the design and from numerical analysis. lateral movement parallel and perpendicular to the tunnel's axis.
4. Method of analysis and phases of the process: Type of damage, Extensometers were used to measure vertical movement at selected
definition of control parameters, classification of risk damages, depths and sliding micrometers were used to measure vertical
identification of the buildings potentially at risk, evaluation of movement in the area around the project. Pressure cells and load cells
control parameters for affected buildings, determination of measured loads and stresses. Strain meters monitored the concrete
damage risk for affected buildings and the definition of measures and crack meters measured cracks on the buildings and structures.
to be adopted The data acquisition system and GSM Kronos Software was
5. Types of damage: Aesthetic - minor cracking or minor movement designed and adapted exclusively for the Thessaloniki metro project
of finishing which is easily reparable. Functional - loss of by Geodata Loeben of Austria. This Software solution allows the
functionality of part of the structure, without danger for collapse. contractor to follow all the phases of the project from the design
Structural - intense cracking (concrete structures) or excessive through to its operation. In addition, the software can produce
deformations (structures with load bearing walls) of structural diagrams of how parameters change over time.

is undertaking the civil works, track works and auxiliary This was the commercial centre of the
electromechanical works. Group B consisting of the remaining Jewish population at this time.
partners is responsible for design and detailed design, supply, "Then digging further down, we start
testing and commissioning, training, operation and maintenance to find relics from the Ottoman period,"_...
organisation of the main electrical and mechanical systems and explains Dell'Onze.
rolling stock. Under the Ottoman Empire which took
control of Thessaloniki in 1430, the city
PRESERVATION STATION had a central role as main harbour of the
The ongoing construction of Venizelou station highlights the Balkans, building on its heritage as the
challenging nature of this project. Here as the team worked Co-Capital of the Byzantine Empire when
down through the layers of ground, they moved through almost it was considered to be second only to
two thousand years of Greek history. Constantinople.
ln the first couple of metres were the remains of the city's Not only did the team find Byzantine
commercial centre, which had been buried following the relics but it also found the Roman
great Thessaloniki fire in 1917. "As soon as the Arst 2m were remains that preceded this.
excavated, we started to find the remains from the 19th century. Roman planners made their towns

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 r"I REPORT/ THE SSA LONIKI M ETRO

rectangular with two through roads, the

Decumanus Maximus running east lo
west, and the Cardo Maximus running
north to south.
"At Venizelou we found exactly these
lwo roads and the same thing at Aghia
Sofia. We also found the drainage system,
the water supply system in this period."
So well preserved are the remains that
I wheel tracks are visible in th e marble that
constituted the Byzantine roads. The
I question now is how to build the station
as the usual top down method, where
I soil is excavated above the new roof slab,
~ would no longer be acceptable.
"Last week we received the fin al
decision of the archaeological council for
the municipality of culture who took the
decision to maintain the findings so now
we are trying to find a technical solution
that enables us to keep the archaeologica l Both: Aerial view The original time schedule had planned that the 6m diameter
findings in situ and enable the excavation of lifting Herrenknecht EPB machines passed through five stations before
of the station," explains Christos Panou operations at their excavation was completed, and eight already excavated
project manager of Salini - lmpregilo. two of the stations. lnstead, due to delay in the expropriation of the area of
The most likely methodology will see worksites so me stations, some changes in design and delay in the works
completion of the archeological research due to the unexpected huge amount of archeological excavation,
works followed by careful construction the TBMs only broke though in lo two completed stations during
of a wall around the findings thal then their journey.
enables the station roof slab lo be The archaeological findings have not been the only challenge
cast above. The eastern and western for the project. Some station sites were handed over late due lo
ventil ation shafts will then be excavated issues around expropriation of land.
and from here (the shaft bottom) the "We had two major problems. One was the Archeological
team will be able to excavate the 80m x findings which were beyo nd all the provisions of the time and
20m station box in many phases. the second was the expropriation of the areas which was not on
For temporary support of the shafts, ti me from the client.
300mm diameter concrete micropil es will "For these reasons the project was stopped for a long period
be concreted (or constructed) into place to find a new solution and to cover the expenses," explains
an d metal struts will be placed to support Panou.
the micropiles. Pipe jacking will then be Work was put on hold following an arbitration process
used to create the tunnels (many phases). between the contractor consortium and its client Attiko Metro
This process is expected to take around which ran from 2014 and 2015. Once resolved the project
three yea rs. restarted again on 1 January 20 16. -
"The positive decision of the arbitration allowed us to cover
MOVING FORWARD most of expenses we were suffering," explains Panou.
Today 80 per cent of the civil works The revised budget will now see the first phase of the project
for the project are finish ed, but mu ch through to partial opening in 2020 with the outstanding work at
remains to be done with over half of the Venizelou and Aghia Sofia following on 202 2. rt
total project work still to be completed.
"The TBM tunnel excavation is complete, ..
says Dell'Onze, "as well as the excavation
works on 11 of the stations. Rema ining
excava tion work is underway in the lwo
stations in parallel with the archeological
research works. "
"Concrete works are completed in
all the excavated stations and finishing
works such as mason ry, plastering and
pain ting works escalators and doors
installation have started already in these
stations as well as in the depot," explains
Dell'Onze.
Ground conditions alo ng the route
have been as expected in soil comprised
of formations of red day, sandstone-marl
;me! quatern ary deposits with sensible
variation in the soil permeability.

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