TUNNELLING IN CHINA | WTC 2024


Left, figure 4:


CRHIC equipment to treat EPB excavated materials of Shenzhen Metro Line 14 PHOTO CREDIT: CRHIC


Innovations play a pivotal role in ensuring the fast


and safe construction of these challenging tunnels. In terms of urban tunnelling, conventional methods dominated the 1990s, and then the trend changed to more mechanised methods. Constructing metro and urban underwater tunnels in soft ground using conventional methods proved challenging in sensitive


urban environments. Thus mechanised methods have become the norm, in soft ground being constructed using TBMs, except for those with varying cross- sections. Mainland China currently has around 5,000 TBMs, with some cities employing more than 50 TBMs simultaneously, and the number of TBMs in operation in several cities even exceeds 100.


Above, figure 5: Alignment and geology profile of Qingdao 2nd Undersea Road Tunnel, Shandong Province SOURCE: QINGDAO CONSON December 2023 | 23


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