| NEWS
CRL review reveals NZ’s expertise shortage NEW ZEALAND – Auckland’s City Rail Link (CRL) project has exposed a shortage of people skilled in delivering large and complex projects, according to an interim review by New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga. The review looking at lessons found the
expertise shortage issue was illustrated by how the governance and oversight of the project had needed to continually evolve and be developing ‘workarounds’. “This was time consuming and created
additional pressure on teams that needed to be focused on delivery,” said the Infrastructure Commission’s delivery general manager, Blake Lepper. The interim review, led by Graeme
Joyce and Peter Spies, also queried why more than NZ$1bn (US$580m) of essential upgrades were omitted from the business case. It was recommended that business cases be reviewed when expectations, scope or costs change on future infrastructure projects. The review also calls for stronger procurement planning, in light of the challenges working with local and international contractors. “It is important to reflect on what
we have learnt so far from this project, particularly around business case processes, as we contemplate a significant number of new major transport investments,” said Lepper. “There is no doubt the City Rail Link will
be a tremendous asset for Auckland City, delivering significant travel time, safety and urban intensification benefits. However, it is projected to cost more than double what was estimated in 2015, with many billions more to be spent across the Auckland rail network in years to come to realise the full design capacity of the project.” The need to build the capability of major
project leaders one of the recommendations in the New Zealand Infrastructure Strategy released in 2022. CRL is New Zealand’s biggest
infrastructure investment to date and the country’s first large-scale integrated transport-urban development project. It comprises a 3.45km-long twin tunnel underground rail link, running up to 42m below Auckland city centre. Link Alliance, a consortium of City Rail
Link Ltd, Vinci Construction Grands Projets, Downer NZ, Soletanche Bachy International NZ, WSP NZ, Aecom New Zealand, and Tonkin + Taylor, has used three tunnelling methods on the project. The TBM made the
final breakthrough on the twin tunnels in September 2022, connecting to almost 1km of cut and cover tunnels. The SCL mined section was completed in June this year.
Granite wins Ohio tunnel US – Granite Construction has won the contract the Northside Interceptor Tunnel (NSIT) contract in Akron, Ohio. Contract value is US$215m. The entire project is scheduled to be completed in mid 2027. NSIT is designed to prevent combined
sewer overflows (CSOs) from entering the Cuyahoga River during typical storms. It will be financed by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Pollution Control Loan Fund. The 2.03km-long (6,660ft) interceptor
tunnel is the project’s primary structure and will collect, store – and attenuate, overflows at four locations. The precast concrete, segmental lined 5.03m i.d. (16.5ft) sewer will have storage capacity of more than 37,850m3
(10 million gallons) and run
up to 100ft (30.5m) below ground, into rock. Granite’s subsidiary, Kenny Construction,
completed the Ohio Canal Interceptor Tunnel for the City of Akron, designed to reduce CSOs into Little Cuyahoga River. That 1.9km-long (6,240ft) long tunnel is 8.2m i.d. (27ft), controlling overflows at nine locations and capable of storing more than 94,635m3 (25 million gallons). Tunnel boring for the sewer was undertaken with a 9m-diameter Robbins Crossover TBM and completed in 2018.
India hydro TBM launch INDIA – Tunnel boring has commenced on India’s 444MW Vishnugad Pipalkoti hydropower project with a 9.86m-diameter Terratec hard rock double shield TBM. The main contractor, Hindustan
Construction Co Ltd, is building dams and headrace, tailrace, diversion and spillway tunnels on the project, as well as vertical shafts and a powerhouse. The hard rock double shield is to bore a
13km-long low pressure headrace tunnel. Geology along the alignment comprises Dolomitic limestone (33%) and slates (64%), with the remaining 3% passing through critical geological sections – thrust zones, with shallow overburden of 150m; five shear zones; and three fault zones. The TBM cutterhead features 19in disc
cutters and 12 large bucket openings. The 4,200kW electric main drive is designed to help the TBM to excavate through the expected hard rock, delivering a torque of
over 22,000kNm. The TBM also features a high-speed regripping system, single- shield advancing mode, high-pressure emergency thrust, and flood control doors. Key components of the TBM were
manufactured in Australia and Japan, while the assembly took place at Terratec’s facilities in China. As the TBM progresses, universal
reinforced concrete lining rings (5+1), measuring 1,500mm wide and 350mm thick, will be erected. Terratec has also supplied a continuously
advancing tunnel conveyor for the run-of- river hydro scheme, which is located on the Alaknanda River, a major tributary of the Ganga River, in the state of Uttarakhand.
Brenner river underpass complete ITALY – The main works have been completed for the Eisack River crossing of the Brenner Base Tunnel. Ground-freezing was used for the river underpass, where the presence of groundwater made it one of the most challenging sections of works on Lot H71. Brenner Base Tunnel will be a 55km
railway tunnel across the Alps from Innsbruck in Austria to Fortezza in Italy. At the southern end of the Base Tunnel, in northern Italy, the Eisack Underpass works were undertaken along with other tunnelling on Lot H71. Under the contract, a consortium of
Webuild, Strabag, Collini Lavori and Consorzio Integra excavated approximately 6km of tunnels on the lot, including 240m under the Eisack River. In July, the EU pledged a further €700m
(US$760m) for the project. Total EU funding has now reached €2.3bn (US$2.5bn) – around half the cost of the main tunnel.
ITA Tunnelling Awards entries INDIA – The ITA has received 53 entries from 15 countries for this year’s Tunnelling Awards, which will take place in Mumbai in India, on 24 November. The ITA Tunnelling Awards immediately
follow the Tunnelling Asia Conference, over 22-23 November – which has a theme of ‘Climate resilience and sustainability in tunnelling and underground space’. Held since 2015, the international
competition rewards achievements in tunnelling and the underground industry. The latest Awards have eight categories covering projects by size, innovation, engagement and young tunnellers.
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