ITA AWARDS 2023 & WTC 2024 PREVIEW | CHINA
WORLD TUNNEL CONGRESS 2024 SHENZHEN, CHINA
SITE VISITS Numerous tunnels have been constructed in China over the past few decades with many innovations along the way, and support from the international tunnelling community, including through the ITA platform. This year, the World Tunnel Congress returns to China for the
first time since 1990. The host city this time is Shenzhen and the international gathering will take place mid-April. The theme for WTC 2024 is ‘Tunnelling for a Better Life’ and the congress is being organised with 21 Topics, arranged across five busy parallel Technical Sessions (see panel: Topics). Some parts of the Technical Sessions will focus on large tunnel projects under construction or newly built, with a special emphasis on having many large tunnelling projects in Shenzhen and its vicinity available which are to be available for arranged Site Visits, such as: 1 Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link Immersed Tunnel (Length: 6.8km; section 46m wide, by 10.6m high; structure of steel outer shell + concrete, and is currently the world’s largest immersed tunnel of its kind. Work started in 2018 for completion mid-2024.
2 Pearl River Estuary Tunnel, which is a 13.7km-long section of the Shenzhen-Jiangmen Railway. The tunnel is being bored by two 13.32m-diameter TBMs as well as conventional methods, and is to finish before 2026.
3 Shenzhen Metro Line 14, the 1st Phase of which is 50.3km-long and completely underground with 18 stations. Construction began early 2018. It has started operations since late 2022.
4 Qianhai Integrated Transport Hub, Shenzhen – which is a
large-scale underground hub with extensive surface properties. Three metro lines (1, 5, & 11) meet at the hub, plus two rail lines.
5 Guangzhou-Dongguan-Shenzhen Intercity Railway is a 14.5km long project being constructed mainly by TBM in central Shenzhen, with complex geology. Construction period is 2021-26.
6 Shatin Caverns, Hong Kong – a large underground project to relocate the Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works. Construction period 2019-2031.
7 Trunk Road T2 and Cha Kwo Ling Tunnel, Hong Kong – tunnelling works involving two 14m-dia.TBMs and cavern excavations, respectively
Focus on other large tunnel projects in China during WTC 2024 are: Qingdao 2nd Undersea Road Tunnel, in Shandong Province: Connecting Qingdao and Huangdao Island, the subsea three-tube tunnel project is to be completed in 2027 with a length of 14.37km, through complex geology, using both Drill & Blast excavation and TBM boring. Deepest point of the alignment is 115m below sea level. No.1 Daliang Mountain Highway Tunnel, in Sichuan Province: The 15.3km-long tunnel is one of mainland China’s longest highway tunnels under construction, has a three-tube arrangement, and employs D&B for two main tubes, and TBM boring was used for the service tunnel. Full project finish is due in 2024. Gaoligong Mountain Railway Tunnel, in Yunnan Province: This 34.5km-long project consists of one main tunnel and one parallel pilot tunnel, constructed by both conventional methods and TBM. The geology poses extreme challenges.
WTC2024 - TOPICS The main theme of WTC 2024 is ‘Tunnelling for a Better Life’, with
focus on sustainability and intelligent construction technology. The Congress has a packed programme and the Technical Sessions are a core part, in this case spread over two afternoons and one full day. The half-days will be preceded by: ● Day 1 – Opening Ceremony and Keynote Lectures; ● Day 2 – ITA 50th Anniversary events. For the Technical Sessions, with total time of over two days, a list of 21 Topics to be covered across the five parallel tracks has been provided by the event organiser. The Topics to be covered are:
● Planning ● Survey ● Design ● Ground Stability ● Support and Lining
● Conventional Tunnelling ● Mechanised Tunnelling ● Waterproofing and Drainage ● Geological Prediction and Geophysical Prospecting ● Instrumentation and Monitoring/ Testing and Inspection ● Ventilation and Aerodynamics ● Maintenance and Repair ● Operational Safety ● Tunnel Renovation and Upgrading ● Occupational Health and Safety ● New Materials ● Digital and Information Technology ● Immersed/Floating Tunnels ● Shafts ● Underground Caverns/Underground Space Use ● Contractual Practices and Risk Management
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