Articles By Subject: TBM-Driven 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.Shell awaiting sea tunnel decision
Shell E&P Ireland (SEPIL), a division of oil giant Shell, is currently awaiting the outcome of a planning application lodged recently for the construction of a tunnel under Sruwaddacon Bay in western Ireland.Four Lovat TBMs for Metrolinx LRT
Metrolinx, formerly known as the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority, has signed a US$52 million contract with Lovat for the supply of four TBMs for use on the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (LRT) project.Aker Wirth bores biggest incline
An Aker Wirth TBM will excavate what has been claimed to be the largest diameter tunnel ever attempted on an incline.Green, getting greener
George Demetri on recent advances in tunnel sustainability, particularly in the use of aggregates and sprayed concrete linings.Murphy wins Kent tunnel contract
UK-based J Murphy & Sons has been appointed by the Volker-Fitzpatrick Hochtief JV to work on a US$1.9 million project that involves the design of two pilot tunnels for a new section of motorway in East Kent, England.
Robbins main beam chosen for Pallisades
PTP Constructors, a joint venture of Schiavone, Shea and Skanska, has selected a Robbins machine to excavate the Pallisade tunnels, which form the New Jersey portion of the ARC project linking New Jersey with Manhattan.
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.
Safer subterranean Singapore
LJ Pakianathan (Mott MacDonald Singapore), S McChesney (Land Transport Authority) and M Mannot-Russell (CH2M) report on recent safety legislation in SingaporeChange 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 linkSELI/Kawasaki link
Japanese conglomerate Kawasaki Heavy Industries has entered into a five-year collaboration agreement with Italian TBM-maker SELILeighton 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.FCC wins major rail and tunnel contract in Algeria
Spanish infrastructure specialist FCC, in a joint venture with Algerian firm ETRHB Haddad, has won a US$1.23 billion contract to build a railway line with major tunnels in AlgeriaEight vie over Baghdad metro contract
Eight foreign firms have been shortlisted as possible contenders for Baghdad’s long-awaited US$3 billion metro scheme.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 congestionBreaking ground in Barcelona
An NFM Technologies tunnelling machine recently broke through on Line 9 of the Barcelona metroFirst tunnel breakthrough in Melbourne
Lucy Loo, a 100m-long TBM that has been excavating a new US$194 million replacement sewer tunnel under Port Melbourne for 10 months, recently broke through into the access shaft at Swallow StreetHerrenknecht begins production on record-breaking TBM
The largest TBM ever is being prepared for the excavation of the Sparvo tunnel on the A1 highway extension between Bologna and Florence in ItalyRobbins in record advance at Niagara
Robbins has announced that its 14.4m-diameter main-beam TBM – the world’s largest hard-rock machine – has completed more than two-thirds of the headrace tunnel beneath Niagara FallsMining 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.
Lovat TBM breakthrough imminent at Brightwater
‘Elizabeth’, the Lovat RME184SE EPB TBM, is expected to achieve an imminent breakthrough at the Ballinger Way retrieval shaft at the end of its 6.4km bore on the Brightwater 4 (BT 4) tunnel contract in the USNSW 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.
Work stops on third Lake Mead intake
Eight foreign firms have been shortlisted as possible contenders for Baghdad’s long-awaited US$3 billion metro scheme
Work begins on Doha airport station
Mott MacDonald’s design role on the New Doha International Airport Terminal metro station has come to fruition as construction started on the first underground metro station in Qatar
Bouygues wins Hong Kong rail contract
Bouygues Construction has signed a US$450 million contract for the construction of a stretch of the MTRC Express Rail Link between Hong Kong and Guangdong
Success at East Side Access project
On June 2, a Robbins TBM was the first of two machines to finish a series of short rail tunnels below Manhattan’s Grand Central Station
Breakthrough under Port Melbourne
The first tunnel breakthrough has been achieved on a US$220 million project to replace a century-old sewer pipeline under Melbourne’s inner suburbs
DART Underground seeks railway order
CIÉ took a significant step towards delivery of the DART Underground rail project on June 30, when the group lodged a formal application for planning approval
Herrenknecht's record breaking TBM
Herrenknecht is developing and building an Earth Pressure Balance Shield with a diameter of 15.5m which will be ready to start work on the A1 highway extension between Bologna and Florence in 2011
Work begins on Bangalore metro
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corp has begun preparatory work to commence tunnelling for the underground corridor at Minsk Square
TBM in place at Brisbane airport link
Premier Anna Bligh joined Brisbane’s Airport Link project team on May 27, to witness the lowering of Australia's largest TBM cutterhead into the ground at Kalinga ParkNFM breaks through on Barcelona metro
The NFM Technologies TBM charged with excavating line 9 of the Barcelona metro has made its breakthrough of the section, using the hard rock cutter head fitted at the beginning of 2010
In perfect alignment
San Francisco-based Dr Glenn Boyce of Jacobs Associates outlines some of the considerations required to achieve successful segment design
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.
Rescue chambers help workers flee fire
A fire recently broke out on a TBM being used to excavate the third hydro tunnel under Niagara Falls City in Ontario, Canada.Cavico wins US$11m Song Bac contract
Vietnam-based infrastructure provider Cavico has signed a deal to build tunnels at a Vietnamese hydropower plant located northwest of Hanoi.Brisbane Northern Link tunnel gets green light
A proposed US$1.5 billion road tunnel linking Brisbane’s northern and western suburbs has received conditional approval from the Government of Queensland.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?Seattle light rail tunnel boosted by local council
Seattle's Bellevue City Council has committed US$150 million dollars for the construction of a light rail tunnel through the downtown areas of the city.Seattle mayor issues cost overrun warning
Problems have surfaced despite a recent agreement between the State of Washington and the City of Seattle to replace the ageing Alaskan Way viaduct with a bored tunnel.Pöyry wins contract on Mexican wastewater tunnel
Pöyry has won a US$8 million contract from Mexico’s Conagua to provide advisory services during the construction of Emisor Oriente, Mexico City’s 62km wastewater tunnel.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
Robbins TBMs kick off Xian metro tunnels
Xian is one of China’s most ancient cities, but it is about to enter the 21st Century with the excavation of Lot 12 of its Metro Line 1.
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).
Robbins EPBs go underground in China
Robbins has announced that the first of two 6.2m diameter EPB machines, delivered to Xi’an Metro’s Line 1 project in China, was successfully launched on April 28.
São Paulo Metro gets the go ahead
The World Bank has approved a US$130 million loan to support the second phase of the São Paulo Metro Line 4 project, which will improve public transportation and ease traffic congestion in the city.
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.NFM sends two TBMs to Seville
Two NFM 14m diameter EPB TBMs will help bore part of a new ring road project in Seville, Spain, following the signing of twp supply contracts between French TBM-maker NFM and two Spanish groups.JV drops out of Seattle running
Vinci Traylor Skanska, one of the JVs vying to construct the tunnel to replace the decrepit 1953 Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle, US, has dropped out of the running.Second TBM arrives for Brisbane's Airport Link
Three container shipments from Germany were all it took to deliver a 3,600t TBM to Brisbane for use on the city’s Airport Link tunnel project.Robbins TBM a first for Laos as hydro project starts
Tunnel workers in Laos, SE Asia, recently witnessed the launch of the country’s first-ever tunnel boring machine which will excavate a new hydroelectric tunnel for the Theun Hinboun Expansion Project.Cross River Rail line receives boost
Australia’s Queensland Government has released details of a proposed north-south rail line running through the centre of Brisbane, which will include an under-river tunnel and new underground stations
Herrenknecht's hard bore
The recently opened Clem Jones tunnel is Brisbane’s first major road tunnel and links a complex system of motorways north and south of the city. It has been bored through hard rock. Herrenknecht’s Dr Karin Bäppler reports
EPBs cover more ground
Desiree Willis and Shinichi Konda of The Robbins Company detail the latest improvements in EPB TBM design, highlighting recent examples of their useTunnel boom in Toronto
Brian Garrod gives a rundown of the diverse range of tunnels currently planned or under construction in Greater Toronto.BAM Nuttall begins Glendoe remediation
BAM Nuttall has been awarded the remedial work at the US$247 million Glendoe hydro power station in Scotland.
WTC on track again
The annual World Tunnel Congress (WTC) opens its doors this year in Vancouver, Canada, on May 14-20. Here follows a selection of the companies exhibitingNew contractor set to resume halted work on Brightwater BT3
Following its suspension in May 2009, due to serious damage incurred by a TBM, work on the Brightwater conveyance tunnel in King County, Washington, looks set to resume
Ontario sewer tackles rocky ground
Murray Malott and Chris Banks of Canada-based McNally Construction describe the construction of a sewer tunnel involving numerous shafts and boulder-laden ground
Indo-Russian JV scoops Kolkatta metro deal
AFCONS, in a joint venture with Transtonnelstroy, has recently won a US$211 million project from the Kolkata Metro Corporation.
Brightwater tunnel- back on track
Efforts to complete construction on a stalled portion of the Brightwater tunnelling project in King County, Washington, US have moved forward with the signing of a new tunnelling contractor on April 5.
New Crystal Springs excavation complete
Jacobs Associates has reported that on March 24, the TBM for the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel reached its termination of excavation at the base of the completed North Shaft
Milestone reached at Brisbane airport link
The Queensland government has announced that one quarter of the tunnelling work has now been completed on the US$4.4 billion Airport Link project.
Pahang-Selangor tunnel gets going
The US$2.8 billion interstate raw-water transfer project from Pahang to Selangor in Malaysia officially began on April 6, with a ground-breaking ceremony attended by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang.
Robbins TBM launches in Laos
In February 2010, contractor CMC Di Ravenna oversaw the launch of the first TBM to excavate in Laos. The 7.6m diameter Robbins Single Shield TBM is digging a new hydroelectric tunnel for the Theun Hinboun expansion project
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, London
Midland Metro extension gets the go ahead
The UK Department for Transport has given initial approval to the £127.1m Midland Metro scheme, which will link the existing Line to Birmingham New Street Station and deliver improvements to the tram carriages
Double celebration for Lovat
The FCC, OHL and COPISA joint venture has announced that one of two Lovat TBMs used in the construction of the Terrassa Railways tunnel project in Spain has broken through, completing its 3.7km drive
Afcons bags Kolkata metro contract
Afcons Infrastructure has won a US$206 million contract from Kolkata Metro Railway Corp to build a critical stretch of the Kolkata East-West Metro lineWhat, 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
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.Morgan Est in contract win
UK-based infrastructure specialist Morgan Est has notched-up a US$6 million contract for the manufacture and supply of a total of 5,420 tapered trapezoidal tunnel rings for a major UK sewer project.Herrenknecht deal on Abu Dhabi plant
German TBM-specialist Herrenknecht has entered into a US$6.8 million joint venture (JV) agreement with Aabar Investments for the assembly and manufacture of tunnel boring machinery and equipment in the UAE.'Challenges for German tunnelling'
Tunnel construction in Germany will face major challenges in 2010, according to STUVA chairman and board member Edgar Schömig.Crossrail expressions of interest invited
Expressions of interest have been invited for the third and final running tunnel contract for Crossrail.
Working on Mexico's Emisor Oriente entrance
Employees from Conagua, Mexico’s national water body, at work on the entrance to the Emisor Oriente drainage tunnel in Mexico City.
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
Mexican TBMs roll off global assembly line
TBM manufacturing is becoming a truly global affair. George Demetri reports on a project in Texas which brings together a world-wide manufacturing and shipping effort
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 Demetri
Robbins TBM turns Mexican heads
Following an official cutter-turning ceremony in January, the largest TBM ever seen in Mexico began excavating the 7.7km tunnel for Mexico City’s Line 12 metro.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.
Master of all he surveys
For more than a decade, Manfred Messing has headed-up tunnel guidance and surveying instrumentation company VMT. He talks to George Demetri
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.Partners picked to deliver Lee Tunnel
Joint-venture partners Morgan Est, Vinci Construction Grands Projets and Bachy Soletanche (MVB) – three of the UK’s leading civil-engineering contractors – have been named as the preferred partners to deliver the Lee Tunnel in East London for Thames Water.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.
Trio of firms bid for Brisbane's Northern Link
Northern Direct, Transcity and a joint-venture comprising Leighton, Baulderstone and Razel, are the three companies chosen to bid for Brisbane’s US$1.84 billion Northern Link twin-tube road tunnel. Bids must be submitted by May.Contract awards mark first step in Hudson river tunnel construction
NJ Transit’s US$8.7 billion Mass Transit Tunnel – the rail project designed to double commuter capacity between New York and New Jersey – has got off the starting blocks with the recent approval of the first two of three tunnelling contracts.
Robbins EPB sets record and installs innovative PVC liner
Having recently broken through ahead of time on a 5.7km-long sewer tunnel in Sacramento, US, a Robbins TBM is claimed to have achieved rates of up to 210m/wk, which, claims the company, sets new standards for progress in soft ground tunnelling.AECOM wins US$20m Canadian rail job
AECOM Technology Corporation recently announced that it has been awarded a US$20 million contract to provide programme management services for the extension of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) system in Edmonton, CanadaShortlisted bids for Crossrail tunnels revealed
Five JVs have been featured on the recently published shortlist of bidders for two of the main tunnelling contracts for Crossrail.Four teams for Alaskan Way job
Washington State Department of Transportation has listed four consortia on its website with an interest in the SR99 Bored Tunnel Design Build project,also known as the replacement tunnel for the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle, USIranian TBMs continue steady march
Hamed Moammeri (Amberg, Iran) and Reza Ghaffarzadeh (Panah Saz Alvand Engineering) outline some recently completed TBM projects in IranNew 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 DemetriHerrenknecht in German-Chinese trade event
Germany-based TBM-maker Herrenknecht recently participated in the German-Chinese ‘esplanade event’ held recently in the city of Wuhan, ChinaSTUVA 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 DecemberThree JVs commence battle for Sydney Metro Stage 1
Sydney Metro has received tenders from three international consortia bidding for the right to build the tunnels and station caverns on Metro Stage 1Tunnel talks between Chile and Argentina bear fruit
A recent agreement between Chile and Argentina could result in the construction of a series of road and rail tunnels across their common border.Lovat sells system
Lovat has sold a new hard-rock cutting head and main-drive system to The Kassouf Company for use on Fairfax Water’s Corbalis to Fox Mill Water Main Project 1859 Division 4 in Fairfax, Virginia, USBreakthrough for first Lovat TBM at Terrassa
One of two Lovat TBMs has achieved breakthrough after completing its first drive on the current phase of the Terrassa Railways Project in Terrassa, Spain.ALS shifts TBM from Canada to Buenos Aires
UK-based Abnormal Load Services (ALS) recently transported a 7.8m-diameter Lovat soft-ground EPB TBM plus back-up system from Canada to ArgentinaBrisbane 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.
Robbins' TBM trio head to Malaysia
Robbins is to supply three 5.2m-diameter, main-beam TBMs for use on Malaysia’s Pahang-Selangor Raw Water tunnel
Keeping Kentucky clean
Jack Burke looks at a sewage tunnel project in Kentucky, US, designed to improve local water quality and increase storage capacityUniversity rail link to go ahead
Sound Transit’s plan to build the University Link light rail extension in Seattle now looks certain to go ahead, following a decision by ST’s board of directors to proceed with the projectInnoTrans 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 BerlinNFM reveals nuclear capability
NFM Technologies does more than just make tunnel boring machines, it seems. The French-based manufacturer has designed and manufactured handling equipment that will be used to load and unload M51 intercontinental ballistic missiles (IBM) onto French nuclear submarinesChengdu contract bears fruit for Robbins
A commissioning ceremony for a 6.26m-diameter TBM was held by US-based The Robbins Company in Chengdu, China, last monthKoralm 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 tunnelBouygues 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, USMorganEst lowers TBM into Barry shaft.
UK infrastructure provider Morgan Est recently lowered an 18t Iseki Unclemole TBM into a shaft in Barry, near Cardiff, WalesMaking a difference
Born in the Netherlands, Hans Greve is executive vice-president of mining & construction at TBM-maker Aker Wirth. He spoke to George Demetri about his achievements and aspirations
Tsurumi pumps up Bosphorus
Tsurumi Pump, a Japanese manufacturer of pumps and generators, has supplied 90 pumps, including 40 of its LSC ‘Puddle Sucker’ models and 50 KRS and KTZ units, to contractor Parsons Brinckerhoff for work on the US$3 billion Marmaray project in Istanbul, TurkeyLiebherr 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 projectsCompact Cat roars ahead
A dedicated tunnel-constructor version of the Caterpillar 328D LCR compact radius excavator is proving highly productive at the A9 Autoroute project in Switzerland
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 beEquity partners sought for Bosporus
The Korean-Turkish consortium that will build and operate the US$1 billion Bosporus road tunnel is seeking new capital from interested parties.Alpine surfaces at Delhi airport
After ten months of tunnelling, Alpine, the second biggest construction group in Austria and part of the FCC Group, has announced that it has competed the final breakthrough on the Airport Metro Express Line in New Delhi.HCC to build NE India hydro plant
Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) has secured a US$59 million contract from the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) for the construction of Pare Hydro Power Project in Arunachal Pradesh, North East India.Civils 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.US$1.6bn EIB loan boosts Crossrail
The importance of London’s Crossrail scheme has been affirmed by the recent agreement between Transport for London (TfL) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) for a US$1.6 billion loan to finance part of TfL’s contribution to the scheme.More education please - CSM-style
Three days at the Colorado School of Mines have impressed George Demetri.Herrenknecht crosses under Yangtze
Herrenknecht recently announced that two of its mixshield TBMs, each with a diameter of 14.93m, have crossed beneath the Yangtze River to reach Nanjing after bores of almost 3km.Impregilo scoops US$243m Abu Dhabi tunnel contract
Italy’s largest construction firm Impregilo has won a US$243m contract to build a waste water tunnel in Abu Dhabi as part of plans to upgrade the capital’s infrastructure.Tyne and Tyne again
A new tunnel utilising immersed tube and cut and cover technology is being constructed in North East England to augment the existing road tunnel beneath the River Tyne. George Demetri visited the site to assess progress.Seven TBMs in 15 months
Geoff Archer, business development manager of Melbourne-based John Holland Tunnelling, reports on current and recently completed water and sewer projects in Melbourne and SydneyTunnellling for Gold
Constructing a dewatering tunnel at one of the world’s largest copper and gold mines saw Papua New Guinea’s first use of a TBM under inhospitable and difficult transport conditions. Desiree Willis of The Robbins Company reports.Continental to join Joy
Continental Crushing and Conveying, the UK-based manufacturer of belt conveyor systems and belt conveyor components, is being integrated into Joy Mining Machinery (JMM)LTA awards two Downtown Line contracts
Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded contracts C913 and C920 for stage 2 of the Downtown Line (DTL2), together worth a total of around US$545 millionBlack & Veatch wins design deal for Chicago reservoir tunnel
Global engineering consultancy Black and Veatch has been selected by the US Army Corps of Engineers as design engineer for the McCook Reservoir Main Tunnel in ChicagoBASF TBM conference announced
BASF Construction Chemicals, a supplier of underground construction technical solutions, has confirmed that its annual TBM conference will be held this year in Singapore on November 5-6Tentative start to Sydney's West Metro project
Rock and soil testing on Sydney’s West Metro route began last month in preparation for tunnelling, despite uncertainty as to where exactly US$7 billion of funding will come from for the 24km-long underground rail routeQingdao approves subway spend
China’s picturesque coastal city of Qingdao (TsingTao) is to build a 54.7km subway line across the city, following the approval of a US$4.2billion plan that is scheduled for completion around 2016NFM in Cairo Line 3 deal
French TBM manufacturer NFM Technologies has signed a contract for the supply of a 9.46m-diameter EPB tunnel boring machine for the second phase of Line 3 of the Cairo MetroLondon-based JV prepares bid
Competition is heating up for Crossrail contracts – the east-west London rail line that will include around 21km of tunnel under central LondonLone TBM from Robbins battles on in Sino water tunnel
China’s Pinglu tunnel, which is part of the ambitious Yellow River Water Diversion Project, has seen the installation of its 15,000th ringExpressions of interest invited on two key tunnelling contracts
Expressions of interest for two principal tunnel contracts totalling 18km on London's Crossrail have been invited through notices published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).Mott MacDonald wins US$16 million design packages
Design contracts totalling US$16 million have been awarded to the Mott MacDonald engineering consultancy for the development of London’s Crossrail project, the east-west rail project running through London that is one of the world’s biggest and most complexBlocked tunnel forces power station closure
Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) has stopped power generation at the recently opened Glendoe Hydro power plant in Scotland following internal rockfalls that have partly blocked the top of the headrace tunnel carrying water from the reservoir to the power stationLovat TBMs to excavate York, Ontario sewer
Lovat will supply four of its RME 142SE EPB mixed-face TBM’s to the regional municipality of York, Ontario, Canada, for use on the construction of the Southeast Collector Trunk Sewer (SeC)Breakthrough on London mains extension
Morgan Est, one of the UK’s leading infrastructure specialists, has broken through on the US$63 million extension of London’s Thames Water Ring MainCavico to build hydro tunnel
Hanoi-based infrastructure company Cavico and its joint venture partners General Construction and Infrastructure Development Company and Song Da Corporation have signed a US$16 million contract with Dakdrinh Hydropower Company for the construction of a water tunnel at a hydro-power plant in central VietnamAre 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 completionBreakthrough marks end of Circle Line tunnelling
Following a TBM-breakthrough on August 17, tunnelling work on Singapore’s 33.3km-long Circle Line has been completed after seven and a half years and a tragic collapse in 2004A steady progress
Mining engineer Lok Home has progressed from mine development project manager, through field service, international sales and finally to president and owner of TBM-maker The Robbins Company. He spoke to George Demetri about his career, the outlook for tunnelling and TBM developments in generalAll in a year's work
Jack Burke visited the South Cobb Tunnel Project and was impressed by the site’s productivity and safety record
Tyne Tunnel dredging passes environmental test
The UK’s Environment Agency has given the go ahead for the dredging of the River Tyne in northeast England for the construction of the second Tyne Tunnel (TT2) to start on September 26
Expressions of interest invited on two key Crossrail tunnel contracts
Expressions of interest for two principal tunnelling contracts totalling 18km on London’s Crossrail have been invited through notices published in the Official Journal of the European UnionContract signed for Cairo metro 3
VINCI Construction Grands Projets has announced that it has recently signed a contract, as consortium leader, with Egypt’s National Authority for Tunnels (NAT) for the civil engineering works package of Cairo’s metro Line 3.Thames Tideway boreholes sunk
Boreholes have been sunk into the river Thames to probe ground conditions that lie along the alignment of the proposed Thames Tunnel.Robbins TBM completes first leg of sewer tunnel
Good progress is reported on Melbourne’s Northern Sewerage Project, involving a series of deep sewer tunnels designed to reduce the city’s propensity for huge wastewater overflows.Herrenknecht breakthrough
Herrenknecht announced recently that one of its TBMs has broken through six months ahead of schedule on the Erstfield-Amsteg leg of the eastern tube of the Gotthard Base Tunnel(GBT) project in Switzerland.Lovat makes headway
Seattle’s Brightwater Conveyance System (West tunnel construction) is making excellent progress, according to recent reports from the Jay Dee, Coluccio, Taisei JV.Deadline extended for Prague 2010
The deadline for receipt of abstracts for the Underground Constructions Prague 2010 conference has been extended to September 15.Dhaka seeks Chinese aid for river tunnel
Bangladesh is seeking Chinese support for the construction of a tunnel running underneath the Karnaphuli river.NFM launches Kazan-bound TBM
NFM Technologies will transport a 5.89m diameter Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) tunnelling machine for use on the westward extension of Kazan’s Line 1 in the Russian Federation.Thessaloniki metro benefits from EIB loan
Thessaloniki, Greece, has seen its much-awaited metro system take a further step to fruition following the recent approval of a €250 million (US$353.6 million) European Investment Bank loan.
Family presence ends at Lovat
Having purchased TBM-maker Lovat just over a year ago, Caterpillar announced recently that both Lovats – father and son – have voluntarily left the company.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.Jacobs sub wins Chinese rail-link contract
A subsidiary company of Jacobs Engineering Group has won a US$3 million contract to provide engineering services for the design and site investigation phase of the US$5 billion Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL).Jacobs sub wins Chinese rail-link contract
A subsidiary company of Jacobs Engineering Group has won a US$3 million contract to provide engineering services for the design and site investigation phase of the US$5 billion Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL).A ringside view
Steve Skelhorn and Laura McNally of Canadian contractor McNally Construction look at the evolution and design of segmental lining systems in a technical paper first presented at RETC in June.Health and safety underground
Martin Vogel of Suva digests the lessons learnt from the Alp Transit projects in Switzerland and proposes a pragmatic safety management system designed to ensure increased health and safety on tunnel projects.Uetliberg premieres new boring extender
S Maurhofer, overall project manager and director of the tunnelling division at Swiss-based Amberg Engineering, describes the excavation of the recently opened Uetliberg tunnel in Switzerland, which included the use of a tunnel boring extender.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.Federal support for New Jersey ARC tunnel
President Obama has designated US$200 million towards the construction of the ARC Mass Transit Tunnel in New Jersey.RETC to rendezvous in Vegas
Held bi-annually in North America, the Rapid Excavation and Tunnelling Conference (RETC) will be held in Las Vegas this month, covering every aspect of tunnel design and construction. George Demetri takes a selective look at what will be on offer.Morgan Est finishes National Grid work at Croydon
UK infrastructure firm Morgan Est has announced the breakthrough at its 10km, US$98.3 million Croydon electricity tunnel for National Grid.Robbins aids Baku irrigation project
Robbins has completed the assembly of an EPBM machine in Guangzhou, China, for use at the Samur-Apsheron Irrigation Project in Baku, Azerbaijan.Lovat's Olympic training
LOVAT has begun a series of TBM deliveries that will play a vital role in building infrastructure tunnels for the 2014 Russian Winter Olympics.Robbins to deliver TBM to Laos
Robbins has announced that it is to deliver a TBM for a new hydroelectric project in Laos.Crossrail construction begins
The first of almost 400 18.5m-deep, steel, tubular piles, have been placed, signalling the start of construction on London's Crossrail project.Heathrow to get biggest baggage system
Work has begun on Heathrow Airport’s world-beating integrated baggage system.Water-recycling project scoops prize
A Singapore water-recycling scheme has won ‘Water Project of the Year’ at the annual Global Water Awards.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.Herrenknecht's Bosporus break
On April 13, a Herrenknecht TBM reached its target shaft on the Asian side of Istanbul having tunnelled under the Bosporus.Big clean-up
Work to bore a 3.3km-long tunnel beneath West Ham, East London, began on April 28 as part of a US$106 million scheme that will be in place by next spring to protect over 600 homes from sewer flooding.Victory in sight
Jack Burke reports from Colorado, US, on the Arrowhead East and West tunnels, a part of the Inland Feeder conveyance system which will have a 28.3m3/sec water capacity when completed in 2010.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.
Gautrain hits the 90% mark
Dr Barbara Jensen, a spokesperson for Gautrain, has confirmed that 13,552m – 90% –of the 15km tunnel, which will form part of the Gautrain network, is now complete.German company to survey Bosnian HEP site
Essen-based technology services provider DMT has been commissioned to carry out a geodetic survey for a feasibility study for a new hydro-electric power plant near Vrelo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.A sprinkling of good sense
Carly Lovejoy’s article in this issue concerns the recent fire and associated repair work to the Channel tunnel linking the UK and France.MRT project to face tunnel challenge
Indonesia’s first mass rapid transit (MRT) project in the capital Jakarta will face some big challenges, especially from the tunnel construction element, reports Syed Rashid Ali in Pakistan.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.More hydro power tunnel contracts for Cavico
Hanoi-based Infrastructure company Cavico has announced it has won a US$4.9 million contract for the construction of a diversion tunnel and coffer dam at the Hua Na hydro-power plant in Vietnam. The award was made by the state-owned Lilama company.'Tunnelling Academy' for London
Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced details of a Crossrail ‘tunnelling academy’ that will offer a variety of courses considered essential to the delivery of the US$21.9 billion rail projectTunnel or bridge?
Linking Denmark and Germany, the Fehmarnbelt marine crossing will, when complete, be the world’s longest combined road and railway tunnels.Jacobs wins major Crossrail role
Following a competitive tender process, Jacobs Engineering has been appointed project representative for Crossrail, the 118km east-west rail link to stretch across Greater London and include 21km of tunnels.Testing times for bentonite
Ian Morrison takes an altogether more critical view on the use of bentonite as a TBM slurryIndian 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.
Aecon JV to complete Vancouver filtration tunnels
Canadian infrastructure specialist Aecon announced last month that it is part of a joint venture that has been awarded a US$181 million contract by Metro Vancouver to complete the twin tunnel component of the Seymour Capilano Filtration project in the Greater Vancouver area.Accolades for Rhode Island CSO scheme
One of the largest civil works projects in the history of Rhode island, US, has been awarded UCA 2009 ‘Project of the Year’ by the Underground Construction Association.RETC in Vegas
RETC (Rapid Excavation and Tunnelling Conference) will be held this year in Las Vegas, US, on June 14-17.Antonov flies tunnelling equipment into Sochi
An Antonov AN-124-100 freighter belonging to Volga-Dnepr Airlines delivered the first 94t consignment of tunnelling equipment to the Russian city of Sochi on behalf of tunnel-construction specialist OAO Bamtonnelstroy.DLR Extension picks up ICE award
An ICE (Institution of Civil Engineers) London Merit Award for Infrastructure has been awarded to the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) Woolwich Arsenal Extension in East London, UK.Designs for Mixshields
In this abridged paper, Dr Martin Herrenknecht and Dr Karin Bappler review the progress of mechanised tunnelling technology, focusing on current design approaches to soft-ground TBMs.Black & Veatch win award for Charleston
Global engineering consulting and construction company Black & Veatch, in association with consulting engineer/architect Hussey, Gay, Bell and de Young, has received the 2009 Engineering Excellence Honour Award for its work on Charleston Water System’s Sewer Tunnel Replacement Program in Charleston, South Carolina, US.'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.Robbins trio dig deep in Mexico
Mexico City’s wastewater problem will be eased by a TBM-bored tunnel through unique geology, reports Desiree Willis of The Robbins Company.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.
Transcend confirmed for Crossrail project
A further sign that progress is being made on London’s US$21.9bn Crossrail project is the news that Transcend – a joint venture between AECOM, CH2M Hill and Nichols Group – has been confirmed as ‘programme partner’.Miami tunnel put on hold for now
It has been years in the making, but the Port of Miami tunnel is once more in the doldrums. Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) secretary Stephanie Kopelousos recently recommended abandoning the existing arrangement due to serious questions over the funding provided by Miami Access Tunnel (MAT), the project’s private partner.Nanjing bore passes Yangtze mid-point
Good progress is being made on Nanjing’s cross-river development – a project seen as representing the pinnacle of Chinese underwater construction technology.Euroform segment order for Laos hydropower project
Herrenknecht subsidiary Euroform has won a contract to supply segment moulds and related carousel equipment for the US$240 million Theun Hinboun hydro project in Laos.Lovat breaks through on Auckland sewer tunnel
On January 30, a Lovat RME170SE Series 23700 TBM broke through on the Orakei Main Sewer Hobson Diversion (OMSHD) tunnel project in Auckland, New Zealand – 17 days ahead of schedule.Edison, Einstein, Hawking...and now Robbins
Richard Robbins (pictured), former president and CEO of TBM maker Robbins, has been awarded the 2009 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Engineering by the Philadelphia-based Franklin Institute.
Robbins TBM sets Delhi Metro record
One of 14 TBMs used on the excavation of the New Delhi Metro in India has surpassed its fellow machines in operational performance by achieving a best weekly advance rate of 202m, which equates to 168 rings.NFM enters the subcontinent
It looks as if French TBM-maker NFM Technologies is to supply the rapidly expanding Indian underground infrastructure market.Madrid metro branches out
The first line of the Madrid Metro was the central section of Line 1, which opened in 1919, since when many extensions and new lines have been built, but over the last few years it has been extended considerably.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.Global steel woes gather momentum
In a further escalation of the global economic downturn, the World Steel Association recently announced that world crude steel output fell by almost 25% in December; a dramatic contrast to the 1.2% slide recorded for the whole of 2008.
Hallandsås beset by more problems
Unforeseen complications with rock and water conditions have added even further costs and delays to the troubled Hallandsås tunnel project. Swedish railway admini-stration body Banverket announced last month that the project would be ready for traffic in 2015, not in 2012 as originally planned.Site Search
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