| NEWS


CRCHI TBM launch on Santiago metro CHILE - A 9.8m-diameter EPB shield manufactured by China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Corporation Ltd (CRCHI) has been launched on Santiago metro’s Line 7. The TBM is 105m long, weighs 1400


tonnes, has an installed power of 5700kW and its compound cutterhead is fitted with 19” discs. Santiago metro’s Line 7 is 26km-long


with 19 stations. The CRCHI TBM will be deployed on a 7.9km section, which includes 6.7km of tunnel. During tunnelling, the TBM - ‘Matukana’,


meaning brightness and hope - will bore through sandy soil layers, limestone and other strata. There are strict settlement control requirements for passing beneath densely populated residential areas. Formation boulders are expected to be a


challenge for tunnelling and the machine’s cutting tools are to be changed every 2km of excavation.


Implenia JV signs Norway subsea lot NORWAY - A joint venture of Implenia and Stangeland Maskin (Implenia 77%, Stangeland Maskin 23%) has signed a second contract on the giant Rogfast road tunnel project from Statens Vegvesen (Norwegian Public Roads Administration - NPRA). The JV’s second contract is for the E02


Kvitsøy lot, which is located at the middle of the subsea tunnel. It is deemed to be one of the most complex parts of the Rogfast project and involves constructing twin tunnels of approximately 8.8km length, working below Kvitsøy island at approximately 230m below sea level. Works on the lot also include providing


the complete interior finishing, technical buildings, pumping stations and further installations for the mid-section of the world-beating subsea road tunnel. Additionally, the project includes two


ventilation shafts, an interchange in the tunnel with ramps and roundabouts, 1.6km of road in the day zone, along with two bridges and a large marine fill that will be used to create a commercial area. Implenia will be responsible for


tunnelling and the interior completion, while Stangeland Maskin will be in charge of the transportation of materials, including sea fill, ground works as well as road construction in the tunnel and day zone.


Implenia is already building the E03


Boknafjord lot together with Stangeland Maskin, which means that the JV is building around 70%t of the entire Rogfast project. Work is to get underway on the E02 Kvitsøy lot by Q3 for completion in 2030.


Dig for Bolton storm tunnels UK - The TBM to build stormwater tunnels below Bolton for United Utilities was launched recently. United Utilities is constructing a network


of stormwater storage tunnels under the city, and the TBM - Jane’ - is building a section under Bolton Arboretum and Longsight Park. The TBM is expected to spend almost


three months boring a 900m-long drive from Firwood industrial estate toward the arboretum before making a turn to its final destination in Longsight Park. Maximum tunnelling depth is 38m. An above ground control centre and laser laser guided navigation is to steer the machine. The pre-made sections of pipeline will


be automatically installed behind Jane and the excavated spoil will be crushed and brought to the surface using a suction system. Where possible the excavated earth will be recycled and used to backfill the excavations. When complete, the tunnels will store more than 3,000m3


of storm water. They


will play a vital role in improving water quality in Bradshaw Brook, a tributary of the River Irwell, by reducing the frequency of storm overflows.


Adit set for Mumbai main tubes INDIA - A 394m-long adit has been completed for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project, paving the way for main construction work on the 21km-long tunnel between Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and Shilphata in Maharashtra. The inclined adit will facilitate


simultaneous access for set up for main tunnelling, during which it will enable vehicular access. Excavation began at the end of 2023. During the excavation, a total of 214 controlled blasts were carried out using 27,515kg of explosives. While 5km of the main tunnels will


also be constructed by NATM, the majority (16km) of the tubes are to be bored by 13.6m-diameter TBMs which will erect concrete rings (9+1). Shafts are now being built at BKC,


Vikhroli and Sawli for the bored section of the tunnel. A 7km-long stretch will extend


under the sea at Thane Creek. The casting and stacking yard is located


in Mahape.


Scope change on Melbourne SRL AUSTRALIA - Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop Tunnels South works have undergone a change of scope to reduce disruption around job sites. Four TBMs, rather than six, will be used


to build the 16km of twin tunnels and the initial launch will be from a recycling facility in Clarinda instead of the nearby train stabling facility at Heatherton. These changes will reduce the impact of tunnelling on residents near the stabling facility. Ground freezing will also be used to


build most of the safety cross passages between the twin tunnels. This will reduce the need for using large construction machinery above ground in residential areas, which should reduce disruption for residents and local road traffic by 90%. Last year, the Tunnels South contract to


build the twin tunnels between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley was awarded to Suburban Connect, a consortium of CPB Contractors, Ghella and Acciona Construction. Tunnelling is to start in 2026 with the line opening nine years later.


Hyperbaric work on Italy rail tunnel ITALY - Webuild is to carry out hyperbaric tunnelling on a section of the Casalnuovo tunnel on the new Naples-Bari high-speed railway line. The tunnelling method is to be employed


on approximately 650m of the Casalnuovo tunnel. Excavation will continue around the clock, under a densely urbanised area. Construction of the Casalnuovo tunnel is


scheduled for completion next year. Webuild is responsible for four lots


on the high-speed rail project: Naples- Cancello, Apice-Hirpinia, Hirpinia-Orsara and Orsara-Bovino. Overall, it is building 74km of the line, including six tunnels – using eight TBMs – 10 viaducts and six stations. TBMs are currently being assembled


for the 6.4m-long Rocchetta tunnel on the Apice-Hirpinia lot and the 10km-long Orsara tunnel on the Orsara-Bovina lot. They are due to be launched this summer. Excavation of the 2km-long


Grottaminarda tunnel on the Apice-Hirpinia lot is about 60% complete.


September 2024 | 7


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