Articles By Subject: Drill & Blast Tunnels
MTR awards XRL tunnel contract to Leighton/Gammon JV
Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation has awarded a US$360 million rail infrastructure project to a JV that comprises Leighton Asia and Gammon Construction.Green, getting greener
George Demetri on recent advances in tunnel sustainability, particularly in the use of aggregates and sprayed concrete linings.
Quick job in Quebec
Clair H Murdock and Ron W Glowe discuss the excavation of the Rupert Transfer Tunnel at James Bay, Québec, Canada, finished well ahead of schedule using top heading and bench excavation
Tunnelling through Flysch: some practical experience
V Vesely and O Jandejsek of Arcadis Geotechnika outline their experience of the geotechnical risks encountered in the project phases of survey, data evaluation, design and construction
Playing a defining role
Rick Staples, president of the Tunnelling Association of Canada, has played a defining part in organising the successful World Tunnel Congress in Vancouver last May. Here he reveals more about his career and other topical tunnel themes.
Gotthard closing, Ceneri advancing
The Gotthard and Ceneri Base tunnels in Switzerland will create a 'flat' route through the Alps. Dr Renzo Simoni, CEO of Alp Transit Gotthard, reportsTunnel Alerts
Tunnel Alerts is a new feature that aims to bring you breaking news of tunnel contracts globally.Brisbane Airport pour
Swiss-based Ceresola has announced that two of the eight tunnel formwork units it will eventually supply have been used to pour the first sections on Brisbane’s Airport Link in Australia
Safer subterranean Singapore
LJ Pakianathan (Mott MacDonald Singapore), S McChesney (Land Transport Authority) and M Mannot-Russell (CH2M) report on recent safety legislation in SingaporeFibre-rich tunnel
Benoit de Rivaz reports on the steel-fibre technology used in a high-stress access tunnel on a major rail lineChange of heart over Doha tunnel
A planned US$1 billion subsea tunnel beneath Doha Bay in Qatar could be replaced by a bridge if the oil/gas-rich Gulf state approves plans for an alternative fixed linkLeighton India wins tunnel
Leighton India has been awarded a contract to build and operate what has been hailed as one of the longest road tunnels in AsiaTehran metro set for further growth
The Tehran metro, one of the Middle East’s largest transit systems, is expected to experience even greater growth.Tunnel mooted for Nicosia
The Government of Cyprus is looking at the construction of a 1.7km-long tunnel beneath Nicosia that would relieve the capital’s severe rush-hour congestionEight vie over Baghdad metro contract
Eight foreign firms have been shortlisted as possible contenders for Baghdad’s long-awaited US$3 billion metro scheme.Mining for Oil
Given the recent Deepwater Horizon drilling rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, it might be time to look at other safer, more sustainable methods for extracting oil - such as tunnelling.
New appointment at Normet
Normet International has announced that Dr Roar Myrdal (right) has been appointed “technical director, chemicals, mining and tunnelling”NSW government unveils infrastructure masterplan
The Government of New South Wales in Australia is to invest US$5.9 billion in transport infrastructure from its 2010-11 budget, as part of an overall 10-year, US$42.5 billion Metropolitan Transport PlanBouygues wins HK tunnel contract
Dragages Hong Kong, subsidiary of Bouygues Construction, has signed a US$446 million contract for the construction of two parallel, single-track tunnels, each 3.5km long, in Hong Kong.
Tunnel for Germany-Denmark link?
The proposal for a tunnel for the Fehmarnbelt crossing between Germany and Denmark looks set to be brought back into the frame, following a re-evaluation by two sets of consultant consortia.
Learning from Hindhead
Tony Rock and Simon Stephenson of UK-based Mott MacDonald share some experiences gained during the construction of the Hindhead Tunnel in Surrey, UK
A career rich in variety
Toronto-based Boro Lukajic has contributed extensively to both Canadian and international tunnelling. He was president of the Tunnelling Association of Canada from 1993-98
Subway to the future
Jack Burke and Jim Rostek of S3II Tunnel Constructors report on the extension to New York’s 7 Subway Line
All booked up
The North American Tunnelling 2010 (NAT) conference and exhibition arrives in Portland, US, on June 20-23. WT looks at some of the exhibitorsRETC 2011 call for papers
A call for papers has been issued by the committee organising RETC 2011 (the Rapid Excavation and Tunnelling Conference), which will be held in San Francisco, US on June 19-22.Crossrail in the balance
The UK has a new coalition government but will cuts needed to reduce the country's gargantuan budget deficit mean postponement for Crossrail?Sao Paulo wins US$650m World Bank loan
Traffic-choked Sao Paolo, Brazil, has been recently approved for a US$650 million loan from the World Bank to extend its metro Line 5.Strabag wins Swiss tunnel project
European construction group Strabag has won a US$77 million contract for the construction of the Küblis bypass tunnel in Switzerland
Blast-driving Ceneri tunnels begins while Gothard work continues
Blasting work to drive the main Ceneri Base Tunnel (CBT) began recently with a ceremonial first blast in the installations cavern at Sigirino.
Lunar tech to revolutionise tunnel navigation?
A new positioning and locating system to be launched in the autumn, devised primarily for mining, could revolutionise tunnel navigation, whether operators are using TBM or drill and blast.
Key section of NY water tunnel completed
New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has announced the completion of a key phase of work on the Manhattan section of City Water Tunnel No.3 (CWT3).
Sandvik- MEYCO agreement update
In September 2009, BASF’s unit MEYCO Equipment and Sandvik Mining and Construction signed an agreement on a global cooperation in the field of tunnelling and mining.GIA engaged on Hong Kong tunnel
Work has started on Hong Kong’s West Drainage Tunnel to avoid flooding; helping the effort are three GIA Häggloaders and three locomotives.Bilfinger Berger builds Stockholm ring road
German construction group Bilfinger Berger is designing and building a new section of ring road in Stockholm, that will include a number of tunnels.New president for Brookville
Larry J Conrad has been appointed president of tunnel and mine equipment maker Brookville Equipment Corporation.BAM Nuttall begins Glendoe remediation
BAM Nuttall has been awarded the remedial work at the US$247 million Glendoe hydro power station in Scotland.Normet buys 40% of chemical maker TAM
Normet Group has announced that it has acquired 40% of chemicals manufacturer and supplier TAM International.
New tunnel books published
Publisher CRC Press Balkema (Taylor & Francis Group) has recently added two new books to its tunnelling and underground construction series of titles.
Flatiron scoops project award
Construction and civil engineering contractor, Flatiron has been honoured for its work on the Lenihan Dam Outlet Modifications project in Los Gatos, California.
Tunnelling academy gets funding boost
The UK Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has given approval to £5 million funding for a Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy in Ilford, LondonWhat, where, when, why and who?
It's good to get feedback from readers, so I was heartened to hear from an eminent and well-known tunnelling author (see p10-11), responding to a point from the last roundtable.
Latin crossings
South America is seeing a tunnelling boom, including metro, road, stormwater, hydro and mining tunnels, writes Dean Brox
A new station for Sao Paulo
Marco Aurélio A. Peixoto da Silva, Hugo Cássio Rocha and Francisco Ribeiro Neto on the design and construction of the Alto do Ipiranga station in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Bogong hydro scheme goes online
Paul Thomas and Jimmy Molea of McConnell Dowell highlight the tunnelling components of Australia’s largest hydropower project for 25 yearsFirst Crossrail tunnel contract awarded
A joint venture comprising Costain and Skanska has been awarded a US$22.7 million contract by Crossrail.'Challenges for German tunnelling'
Tunnel construction in Germany will face major challenges in 2010, according to STUVA chairman and board member Edgar Schömig.
Halcrow wins ‘milestone’ Hong Kong tunnel job
UK-based infrastructure designer Halcrow has announced that it has won the detailed design for a ‘milestone’ tunnel project in Hong Kong.Hochtief subsidiaries win Prague metro extension
German infrastructure development company Hochtief has announced it has won a contract to extend Line A of the Prague metro.
Your ITA needs you
The recent WT Roundtable raised serious questions about the function of the International Tunnelling Association (ITA). Here is an edited transcript of the debate
The big fair with the best ware
With Bauma just around the corner on April 19-25 at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre in Munich, Germany, we take a look at selected exhibitors from the tunnelling sector
Free as a bird
A geologist and civil engineer by training, Boston area-based geoconsultant Dr Peter J Tarkoy is a controversial and self-styled visionary in the tunnelling industry. He talks to George DemetriPositive start for Normet
Normet has announced a promising start to 2010 with a capacity expansion in Finland, a new spare-parts centre in Holland and a big order from Hong Kong
New appointment at Normet
Normet International has appointed Odd-Bjørn Kleven as director of tunnelling and special projects, a position which he has already taken up.UK tunnel/shaft lining spec nears
British Precast, the trade body for the UK concrete products industry, has started preparing a new specification for precast tunnel and shaft linings.New blood needed
WT's roundtable event held in Hamburg in November threw up some interesting questions, one of which was how to attract young new recruits into the industry.
Water caverns a first for Hong Kong
Providing underground salt-water caverns for the University of Hong Kong proved an environmental and engineering challenge. TH Chan, Derek Arnold, Edwin KF Chung and Chris CW Chan report
Poor rock is tough luck at Dakmi 4
Drill and blast tunnelling on Vietnam’s Dakmi 4 hydropower station is well under way, despite the difficult rock conditions being experienced
Talking jumbos
Carly Lovejoy spoke to Pekka Nieminen of Sandvik Mining and Construction, Mathias Edhammer of Atlas Copco, and Witold Hnat of MineMaster
World Tunnelling Industry Leaders' Round Table
Welcome to the second World Tunnelling roundtable. We invited some of the top minds in international tunnelling from engineering consultancy, contractors and equipment manufacturers to meet last year in Hamburg on November 30 – the eve of STUVA – to discuss some of the most talked about issues in tunnelling. It turned out to be a memorable discussion.Cavico announces breakthroughs
Vietnam-based infrastructure development firm Cavico has announced that its subsidiaries, Cavico Mining and Cavico Power and Resource Construction (CPRC), have broken through at two major tunnel projects.Skanska to build Kvis Tunnel
Scandinavia-based construction group Skanska has been awarded a US$60 million contract by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens Vegvesen) for the construction of an 8km stretch of road and tunnel in the country’s central regionNew CEO at Parsons Brinckerhoff
Parsons Brinckerhoff has appointed George J Pierson as chief executive officer, effective on January 1, 2010. He is currently president and COO of the firm’s Americas division, and succeeds Keith J Hawksworth, who becomes chairmanA man for all seasons
San Francisco-based Dr Glenn Boyce, senior associate at Jacobs Associates, is one of few engineers to specialise in tunnelling and trenchlesss. By George DemetriSTUVA bangs the drum for safe tunnelling
STUVA organisers have expressed satisfaction at the success of their recent tunnelling event in Hamburg, Germany, on 1-3 DecemberLaserShell paper wins engineer award
A UK-based engineering manager working for infrastructure provider Morgan Est has won a prestigious prize for a paper he wrote on LaserShell, the sprayed-concrete lining methodPEAB scoops yet another Swedish railway project
Leading Scandinavian contractor Peab is to build a 1.8km-long tunnel as part of a newly won US$78 million contract involving the construction of a section of the Hede-Älvängen railway between Gothenburg and Trollhättan in SwedenBrisbane looks down under for transport improvements
Proposals for an underground rail network to be built in Brisbane, Australia, form part of sweeping plans to modernise public transport in the city, which were unveiled recently by the Queensland State Government.Sandvik-BASF tie-up gets off the starting blocks
Further progress has been made on the recently-announced co-operation between Sandvik and BASF-MeycoNormet establishes Canadian base
Normet, the Finland-based manufacturer of underground construction and mining equipment, has announced the formation of Normet Canada, the 15th country in which the company has gained a permanent presence
Good progress on Indian underground caverns
Excavation is progressing well on India’s first underground crude oil-storage caverns at Visakhapatnam in the south of the country.
Between a rock and a hard place
The Halcrow-designed Shis-Diftah road tunnel, currently on site in Sharjah and being drilled and blasted through the UAE’s highest mountain range, faces an array of challenges. George Demetri reportsInnoTrans organiser claims healthy bookings for 2010 exhibition
Display space at the rail-transport-technology fair InnoTrans 2010 is almost all booked up, according to organizer Berlin-based Messe BerlinNCC wins road and tunnel construction deal
NCC Construction Norway has won a US$93.6 million road contract in Norway that includes the construction of a 300m tunnel
Sandvik opens largest production facility
Sandvik Mining and Construction has opened a new 24,000m2 plant in Shanghai, China, which it says is the largest production facility it has opened to dateBouygues triumphs in Miami
France’s Bouygues Travaux Publics has won a US$656 million contract to build the long-awaited Port of Miami tunnel in Florida, USKoralm phase two bids invited
Austrian Federal Railways is expected this month to invite bids for the construction of Phase 2 of the US$3.5 billion Koralm tunnelStrabag bags US$222 million Indian tunnel contract
One of Europe’s largest construction companies, Strabag AG Austria, has been awarded the tender for the construction of the 8.8km Rohtang Pass Highway Tunnel in the western Himalaya region of northern IndiaBlast off with Orica eDevTM
Orica, one of the world’s leading developers of electronic blasting systems, recently launched its newest – eDevTMLiebherr crane conveyor handles hoisting
Liebherr has developed the KFA Crane Conveying System for the Machine Technology Service Centre in Germany, operated by Bilfinger Berger, to handle hoisting during tunnel projectsSpray-applied membranes
Dr Wolfgang Aldrian of BASF Construction Chemicals and Robert Giefing of IAT, Vienna, discuss some recent spray-applied waterproof membrane projects
Carry on tunnelling
Scandinavia is one of the world’s busiest tunnelling regions. George Demetri takes a look at some of the work in progress
Atlas Copco rolls out ROC T35M
The new ROC T35M surface-crawler drill rig is equipped with a highly productive, well-proven COP 1840 rock drill with 18kW drilling power for a high penetration rate
NATM flies to Delhi airport
Johann Brandl of Salzburg-based Geoconsult ZT in Austria checks the progress of NATM tunnelling works to Delhi Airport – only the second time it has been used in India
World's biggest tunnel project ends
Imagine cities without cars, where carcinogenic dust and noise are confined to below ground and city parks form the refreshing, clean oases that they are meant to beCivils 2009 ready to roll
On November 25-26, Earls Court 2 in London, UK, opens its doors for the Civils show, hailed as the UK’s definitive civil engineering showcase comprising manufacturers, suppliers, contractors and consultants from all areas of the industry.More education please - CSM-style
Three days at the Colorado School of Mines have impressed George Demetri.UAE's longest road tunnel emerges
The first of two tunnel breakthroughs has been hailed as a milestone as Sharjah’s – and the UAE’s - longest rock tunnel, located on the Diftah-Shis highway.Rock-solid proposition for high-stress environments
Erich Neugebauer outlines the principles behind Atlas Copco’s Roofex – a flexible, supporting and yielding rockbolt aimed at high stress conditionsVeidekke wins Norwegian tunnels and motorway contract
Scandinavian contractor Veidekke is to build a stretch of motorway in Norway that includes an assortment of road tunnelsAre you ready for 2010?
Starting in January 2010, World Tunnelling will be giving its readers the chance to promote their tunnel projects in our ‘Project 2010’ feature. Projects can be recently completed or near completionRapid drill and blast with fast muck
Stig Eriksson, of Skanska Infrastructure Development, describes a high-speed drill and blast project in Switzerland and details the innovative mucking system usedDeadline extended for Prague 2010
The deadline for receipt of abstracts for the Underground Constructions Prague 2010 conference has been extended to September 15.Golden short course ready for take-off at CSM
‘Breakthroughs in Tunnelling’ is a three-day short course (September 23-25 2009) to be held at the Colorado School of Mines, US.
Bibra forms key high-speed rail link
Drill and blast from both ends is driving Germany’s horseshoe-shaped, twin-tube Bibra tunnel as part of German and European high speed rail networks. Former World Tunnelling editor Lawrence Williams reports.Staffing in difficult times
A tunnel engineer for over 40 years, Barrie Willis has worked mainly on major international projects, including the UK’s twin Mersey tunnels, before taking up his post managing the tunnel department at Netherlands-based personnel supplier IPS Group."Avant-garde" proposal
Chilean architects have proposed the construction of a 150km tunnel from landlocked Bolivia to an artificial island in the Pacific Ocean.Minova expands resin production
Mining and construction consumables producer Minova has expanded its Minetek plant in Hyderabad, India.CzTA calls for papers on transport and city tunnels
The Czech Tunnelling Association (CzTA) has announced a call for papers for the 11th International Conference of Underground Construction, held in Prague, Czech Republic, on June 14-16, 2010.Hindhead A3 tunnels update
Early contractor involvement and leading edge design and construction thinking have delivered flexibility and programme wins, says Tony Rock of consulting engineer Mott MacDonald.Leading on risk
Professor Arnold Dix of Queensland University of Technology and an independent consultant, is a technical/legal expert advisor and world authority on managing the risks associated with tunnels and underground infrastructures. He also specialises in operational safety, as well as in contractual, political and insurance issues for complex tunnel projects.Saudi tunnel will boost tourism
Saudi Arabia is looking into the possibility of constructing an 11km tunnel that would drastically reduce the travel time between the cities of Mecca and Taif in the western part of the Saudi kingdom, reports Syed Rashid Ali.Classy tunnel offering
Mining engineer Pekka Nieminen is global product line manager of tunnelling and underground civil engineering at Sandvik, Finland. He joined Tampella Tamrock, now Sandvik, in 1987 and has been with the company ever since. With ten years’ tunnelling experience, Pekka has headed Sandvik’s tunnel division since 2006
Paving the way for a talc mine
MAIN contractor Skanska BS is using drill and blast to excavate a 4.2km access tunnel for the development of a talc mine in Slovakia.Tunnel or bridge?
Linking Denmark and Germany, the Fehmarnbelt marine crossing will, when complete, be the world’s longest combined road and railway tunnels.Indian infrastructure wheels start to turn slowly
Infrastructure spending may be starting to have a beneficial effect on the Indian economy, given the recent flurry of activity on the hydro-electric front.The art of drill plan design
DRILL plan design and drilling equipment accuracy play a significant role in the overall control and productiveness of a tunnelling construction site.Brookville advances
Brookville Equipment Corporation (BEC), manufacturer of custom underground haulage locomotives and personnel carriers, has announced it continues to make improvements to the efficiency, safety and comfort of its rail-mounted units.Putzmeister's wet spray
Two of Putzmeister’s SPM 500 PC wet-spray concrete machines are being used to apply shotcrete on the B29 Schwäbisch Gmünd by-pass road tunnel in Germany
Budapest opens its doors to WTC
Budapest, Hungary, will be hosting the 2009 World Tunnel Congress and 35th ITA-AITES General Assembly between May 23 and 28.Dix optimistic on stimulus packages
Despite the global economy almost going into free fall, opportunities for tunnelling consultants are better than ever, according to Professor Arnold Dix, chairman of the Contractual Practices Group at the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association.Norwegian tunnel scholar dies
Tor Brekke, viewed by many as a leading light in the US tunnelling firmament, died recently, aged 75.'Imitate or Innovate' theme for tunnel symposium
Anyone involved in tunnel ventilation may be interested to know that BHR Group is inviting registrations for its 13th International Symposium on tunnel aerodynamics & ventilation, to be held in New Brunswick, US, on May 13-15.Wayss & Freytag share Silbertunnel contract win
German tunnel specialist Wayss and Freytag Ingenierbau, owned by the Dutch Royal BAM Group, is part of a JV awarded the contract to build the 7.4km-long Silberberg rail tunnel near Grossbreitenbach, Germany.In Charge and Upbeat
Marek Grocholewski trained as a civil engineer in his native Poland and now heads Minova’s tunnelling division. Based in Germany, he has experience of both the tunnelling and mining sectors. Here, he speaks to George Demetri about his current role and some of the issues facing the industry.Immersed in discussion
You may notice that a substantial part of this magazine (pp21-31) is taken up by the World Tunnelling round table, held in Sargans, Switzerland on September 16.Site Search
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