| NEWS


TBM finish on inclined hydropower shaft CHINA - The first diversion inclined shaft at the Pingjiang pumped storage hydropower project, in China, saw TBM breakthrough achieved in early summer. The inclined hard rock tunnel boring


was undertaken with a large, variable diameter TBM, named ‘Tianyue’, that was manufactured by China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Co (CRCHI). Excavation was performed on a 50° slope, the manufacturer said. The TBM’s excavation diameter was


adjusted from 6.5m to 8m during the almost 1338m-long drive. Different widths on the inclined shaft


were designed to reduce water flow velocity and cavitation risk at one end, and reduce the need for so much steel to handle high pressures at the other. The design and TBM tunnelling solution also reduced construction risks for such a large excavation. The TBM had three sets of grippers


anchored to the shaft wall. During boring, the mid and rear grippers provided counter- thrust while alternating re-gripping every 1.5m.


Implenia win on Frankfurt rail project GERMANY - Deutsche Bahn’s infrastructure construction arm, DB InfraGO, recently awarded a more than €200m contract to Implenia for construction of an underground section of the Nordmainische S-Bahn in central Frankfurt. The section extends from


Konstablerwache via the new Frankfurt (Main) Ost S-Bahn station to Fechenheim. Deep shaft excavations and 1.2km-long twin TBM bored tunnels are required for the construction work, which also calls for extensive groundwater control measures. The Nordmainische S-Bahn project


involves building two extra tracks between Frankfurt. Detailed design work is to be completed by the end of 2025 for construction to commence in in early 2026. The project is due for completion by 2031.


TBMs launched on Singapore’s Cross Island Line SINGAPORE - TBMs were launched recently on separate sections of Singapore’s Cross Island Line (CIL) project. A consortium of Gammon Construction


Ltd, Bachy Soletanche Singapore and Bessac started tunnel boring with a CREG slurry TBM, in May, on the CR116 package. The lot


includes the construction of Ang Mo Kio interchange station and twin tunnels. The tunnels connect the future Teck Ghee and Ang Mo Kio interchange stations. In a post on LinkedIn, Bachy Soletanche


Singapore tunnel manager Mark Merrie said the TBM’s inaugural drive stretched 200m through challenging granite ground conditions. The TBM passed its FAT in July 2024. The


shield is to be launched and relaunched four times on the project. Shortly after the launch another


milestone event took place on a different lot when Samsung C&T launched a TBM for the CR112 package on CIL. Its TBM, ‘Artemis’, is 7.28m-diameter and


is to bore a 1.79km-long tunnel. The launch marks Samsung C&T’s 20th TBM operation, it said.


Main works start on T2D AUSTRALIA - Main construction works officially started recently on the River Torrens to Darlington (T2D) road project, which will call for TBM boring. The Aus$15.4bn (£8.4bn) South Road


project is to allow motorists to bypass 21 sets of traffic lights and cut nearly 40 minutes off journeys at peak hour. The Southern Precinct will see TBMs


launched to construct the southern tunnels. Three Herrenknecht shields are to be used to work on the main tunnels: two will build the twin 4.5km-long Southern Tunnels; the third machine will bore the twin 2.2km- long Northern Tunnels. For the latter, at Central North Construction Precinct at Richmond, work has started on diaphragm walls for the launch pit. The TBM components are being


manufactured in Germany and China, before being assembled and factory tested in China. The first TBM is expected to arrive in Adelaide in late 2025. Two smaller TBMs will excavate the cross passages between the main tunnels.


Skanska to build on Norway’s new E6 road NORWAY - Skanska has signed a contract with the Norwegian Public Road Authority (NPRA, or Statens Vegvesen) to build the new E6 highway between Sommerset and Megården in Nordland County, including three tunnels. The tunnels account for about two-


thirds of the total length of the road in the contract. The NOK4.4bn (£370m) contract consists of approximately 21.5km of new road,


including the design and construction of the three tunnels which have a total length of approximately 13.8km. Detailed engineering began immediately,


followed by early construction mobilisation. The section of E6 is due for completion by mid-2031. The E6 Sommerset-Megården section


is the southernmost and first stage of the overall project E6 projects extending from Megården to Mørsvikbotn. Skanska in JV with Syltern also has


the Design and Build contract for the 15km of new E6 road between Berkåk and Vindåsliene. The works include an 800m-long tunnel.


Dubai plans three tunnels in roads upgrade UAE - Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced a road project requiring construction of three tunnels as part of a masterplan. The project include the three tunnels and


four bridges. The road section is from Umm Suqeim Street, from its intersection with Jumeirah Street, to Al Khail Road. The tunnels are to be located at three of


the six key intersections along Umm Suqeim Street to improve traffic flow. The works are part of a major upgrade


to Umm Suqeim Street from its intersection with Al Khail Road to Emirates Road, ultimately providing 20km of uninterrupted traffic flow from Jumeirah to Al Qudra Road.


Fehmarnbelt immersed tube tunnel goes Lego DENMARK - Fehmarnbelt Tunnel, to be the world’s longest immersed tube tunnel and currently under construction, has had a Legoland display opened in Denmark to show its modular, factory-based production in the country. The display has been developed as a


small scale model of the key structures and concrete casting factory being used to make the sections of the combined road and rail tunnel, which is to be almost 18km long at full-scale. The Fehmarnbelt exhibition has been developed in collaboration with Sund & Bælt and uses more than 800,000 Lego bricks. Part of the rationale for the display by


Sund & Bælt and Legoland is to interest young people in vocational training and, in the longer term, attract more apprentices to the construction industry. The Lego-built scale display covers an area of more than 250m2


. September 2025 | 7


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