NEWS |


CRCHI prepares TBM for


diversion tunnel CHINA - China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Corporation Ltd (CRCHI) has manufactured an 11.93m-diameter open- type rock TBM to excavate on the country’s South-to-North Water Diversion Project. The TBM, ‘Jianghan Neolithic’ will be


used to excavate the tunnel on the central section of the strategic water conveyance project, which will divert some flow from the Yangtze River to supplement the Han River. The machine is also to excavate the


largest and longest soft rock deformation section of the project, says CRCHI. Together, these are the 3rd Section traffic


tunnel and the main water tunnel, giving a total tunnel boring distance of 16.35km, it adds. Geology on the package is complex with


large overburden, multiple faults, soft rocks, high in-situ stress, and high water pressure. Construction risks include rock bursts, mud inrushes, large fractures, soft rock deformation, and harmful gases. The TBM is approximately 175m long,


weighs around 3,000 tonnes, has a minimum turning radius of 800m and is designed for slopes up 10%. The TBM design features a small spaced,


large cutterhead, double support of steel arch and steel segments, and main drive anti-surge door. It also has a double-speed ratio high-torque reducer, shield lubrication and anti-friction system, with shield strain gauge detection and early warning device.


Site investigation for Shetland subsea tunnels UK - Sonar investigations have been commissioned for the proposed subsea tunnels on Shetland. The milestone move supports plans for


tunnels between the mainland of Shetland and Yell, and between Yell and Unst. The sonar survey is expected to report before the end of Q3 and inform seismic surveys needed to find the best tunnel alignment corridors. The Unst and Yell Tunnel Action Groups


have spearheaded efforts to advance the tunnel project and raising funds for the sonar survey. Tunnels are being considered in Shetland


Islands Council’s ongoing review of its inter-island transport network. Public consultation is underway. The sonar work is being performed


by Norconsult. The seismic surveys are scheduled for 2026 and to be performed


8 | April 2025


by another Norwegian firm, GeoPhysix, as sub-consultant.


Concrete works start at Oosterweel BELGIUM - Concrete works are under way for the Oosterweel Channel Tunnels following joint venture contractor TM Roco constructing work islands in the Albert Canal. TM Roco comprises Besix, Stadsbader


Contractors, Deme Group and Jan De Nul. The JV is building 4.7km of deep walls to create a construction pit for the tunnels. The tunnels for the road project will run


under the Albert Canal and connect the future Oosterweel junction in Antwerp Port with the Oosterweel Ring. The reinforced concrete retaining walls


will be constructed with trenches up to 60m in depth. They are to also protect the environment, including ensuring stability of the groundwater table outside the construction zone. In recent months cofferdams have also


been built to separate the works site and the Albert Canal.


Haweswater preferred bidder UK - United Utilities recently selected Strabag Equitix Consortium as preferred bidder to design, build, finance and maintain the replacement of six tunnel sections of the Haweswater Aqueduct, in north west England. The project is being delivered through a


Direct Procurement for Customers (DPC) model and Strabag Equitix Consortium is the preferred bidder to form the Competitively Appointed Provider (CAP). The project is part of the Haweswater


Aqueduct Resilience Programme (HARP). The original aqueduct, completed in the


1950s, supplies water from the Lake District to communities in Cumbria, Lancashire and Greater Manchester. Six tunnel sections along the 110km-long aqueduct route will be replaced. This is a first use of DPC procurement in the UK water sector.


Mont Blanc renovation progress FRANCE - The Mont Blanc Tunnel recently reopened after a 15-week closure for reconstruction of two 300m-long sections of the tunnel vault that involved new waterproofing. The two sections were located


approximately 2km and 8km, respectively, from the tunnel entrance in France.


The waterproofing work was one of


the first structural renovations of a major European tunnel. Lessons learned from the work late last


year will determine how to proceed later this year with proposed renovation of a further 600m, said French operator ATMB. ATMB said the two sections underwent


‘experimental renovation’ to address wear from water infiltration and to waterproof the areas. The work involved removing equipment, such as cameras, signs and incident detection; installing containment airlocks; injecting micro-mortar at the back of the vault and re-sealing; and, reinstating all tunnel equipment.


CREG marks two tunnelling milestones TURKEY, GERMANY - China Railway Engineering Equipment Group (CREG) has celebrated two TBM achievements with a start in Turkey and finish in Germany, respectively A 13.65m-diameter earth pressure


balance (EPB) machine was launched in late 2024 on Turkey’s 7km-long Sariyer- Kilyos tunnel, which is to provide a direct link between İstanbul’s Third Bosphorus Bridge and southern parts of the city. It has been designed to operate at a maximum depth of 172m and navigate a minimum horizontal curve radius of 190m. The tunnel was designed by Systra and is


to open late 2026. In Hamburg, a CREG EPBM has completed


tunnelling under the River Elbe for the Fernwärmetunnel Moorburg district heating project. The 4.57m-diameter TBM achieved peak daily advance of 20m.


NY gets HDD help for hydro US - Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) has been used to install twin runs of steel pipes to take power cables under the East River in New York, as a key link in a project supplying Canadian hydropower to the area. The Champlain Hudson Power Express


(CHPE) runs from the US-Canada border, south through Lake Champlain, passes under the Hudson River and then East River to reach Astoria, Queens. At East River, two parallel 1,585m-long


HDD pipelines were placed, following after two pilot bores. Contractor is Kiewit, and Michels


Trenchless the subcontractor for the trenchless works. Northwest Pipe Company supplied 345 sections of pipe, in 9m-long sections, with Permalok HDD joints.


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