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Toulouse metro Line C drive advances FRANCE - The TBM working on Lot 3 of the Toulouse metro Line C recently completed the first section of a 3.8km-long tunnel. JV contractor Implenia-Demathieu Bard


Construction launched the variable density TBM ‘Marie-Thérèse de Villeneuve-Arifat’ from Raisin station in October 2024 on the first drive, at 872m long to Bonnefoy station. The TBM installed 526 rings. However, Implenia said the tight space in


the launch shaft meant a phased assembly was required for the seven trailers of the 142m-long machine. “It was in January 2025 that this


formidable machine was able to reach its cruising speed once all the equipment and services were installed and operational,” the company said on LinkedIn. The next drive is to the future Matabiau


Gare station. Lot 3 has four underground stations in total, at depths of 24m-39m, and three ventilation shafts. The 27km-long Line C will connect


Colomiers, in west Toulouse, to Labège in the south.


TBM start on Bucharest metro Line 6 ROMANIA - The first of two 6.6m-diameter TBMs that will build the south section of Bucharest metro’s 14.2km-long Line 6 has been launched. TBM ‘Saint Mary’ will excavate one of


the twin 6.6km-long tunnels for the south section of Line 6 between Tokyo and 1 Mai metro stations. There will be six stations along the south section. The machine is 97m long. The average


advance is expected to be 1.5m per hour, during which around about 60m3


of ground


would be excavated. The parallel tunnel in the south section


on Line 6 will be bored by her sister TBM, ‘Saint Anne.’ When fully completed, Line 6 will link to the airport with 12 stations.


Geotech wrap for Fraser River Tunnel CANADA - The Cross Fraser Partnership is expected to complete geotechnical investigation work for British Columbia’s Fraser River eight-lane immersed tube tunnel before Q3-2025. The consortium of Pomerleau BC Inc,


Bouygues Construction Canada Inc and FCC Canada Ltd (FCC) - as the Cross Fraser Partnership - has confirmed the


constructability of the project and is advancing the detailed design and a series of geotechnical investigations. The team was picked as preferred bidder


in July 2024 and awarded the Design Early Works Agreement soon after. The new tunnel will replace the 65-year-old George Massey Tunnel. For the geotechnical investigation works


at end end of the tunnel project, there has been testing of various ground densification methods with sheet piles and crushed stone columns at the site of the new tunnel’s south portal, on Deas Island. Pumping tests within other, excavated,


sheet piles zones are also being done in the area - and also at the tunnel’s north portal, in Richmond. Meanwhile, Phase 2 of the five-lane


Steveston Interchange Project, a key part of the Highway 99 Tunnel Programme, is underway. The interchange is to link with the new tunnel.


Systra on civils design for Santiago metro CHILE - Systra Subterra has the contract for detailed design of civils works, shafts and tunnels for Section 2 of Santiago metro’s Line 8. The Section 2 package, which runs 4.3km


from Chile Spain station to Los Leones station, includes the design and planning of tunnel construction and ventilation shafts; development of galleries to connect different sections of the tunnels; detailed engineering for the excavation and construction of the tunnels; and, complementary civil works, including all structures and systems the operation of the metro line. Designed to improve links between the


north-east and south-east of the Chilean capital, Line 8 will be entirely underground and will pass through six municipalities. It will have a total length of 19km and bring transport closer to almost 2 million residents. “This is a key new project for Systra in


Chile, where our underground and systems experts are carrying out several major assignments on railway lines and five motorway tunnels,” said Systra Subterra CEO José Miguel Galera.


Tangxing small shield FAT CHINA - Tangxing Technology recently had the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) for the small diameter TBM manufactured to bore on the Songxian Second Sewage Relocation East Line Pipeline project.


The shield ‘Hucheng No.1’ is


3.82m-diameter and 65m long. It is to work on the bored tunnel portion of the 2.23km- long project. Geology is mostly composite strata,


including rock, fractured ground and clay. For the project, Tangxing said the shield’s


systems include: a gate-type trolley to improve the TBM’s stability and flexibility; a slurry circulation system to optimise the slurry separation and slag discharge; a multi-mode cooling system to ensure the safe operation of equipment during high loads; a multi-joint segment lifting system to enhance transport efficiency and safety; and, an intelligent monitoring and control system to improve operational precision.


Memphis airport tunnel fill US - A dormant transit tunnel beneath Memphis International Airport has been sealed off with cellular concrete with pours from late April through to June. A set of dewatering pumps from inside


the tunnel had to be relocated to the surface before the concrete infilling of the transit tunnel could begin. Filling the transit tunnel has been


required to help ensure that airport structures above the underground structure meet seismic and safety codes. The tunnel dates from the 1970s when


terminals were added. The concept was for the transit tunnels to hold a tram system, connecting passengers between future remote terminals, or a link to a potential subway. These transport uses did not happen and over time walls and ceilings of the dormant tunnels deteriorated.


Sydney Harbour tunnel TBM passes FAT AUSTRALIA - One of two TBMs to build Sydney’s Western Harbour Tunnel has passed its Factory Acceptance Test (FAT). The 15.7m-diameter shield was


manufactured by China Railway Engineering Equipment Group (CREG). The 6.5km-long tunnel follows an


S-shaped alignment, reaching depths of 52m below sea level, and will pass through complex geological formations including sandstone, silt, and clay, with compressive strengths up to 80 MPa. The slurry TBM, ‘CREG 1459’, is 113m


long and features technology such as an automated cutting tools-changing robot; segment handling and semi-automatic assembly systems; and, real-time monitoring of disc cutter wear and grouting efficiency.


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