Page 4 - TunnelTalk Annual Review 2013

Reflecting on 2013
machine however was at a standstill after suffering bearing seal damage at 1,000ft of progress, The Seattle Tunnel Partners JV of Dragados/Tutor Perini face a significant challenge to get the TBM moving again.
In Indianapolis rapid progress was made on the 12.2km long Deep Rock Connector, one of a large number of CSO tunnels either under construction or in planning as water authorities in the USA continue to meet the stringent requirements of the Clean Water Act, while in the US transportation sector Los Angeles moves forward with development of a multi billion dollar investment in light-and heavy-rail mass transit services.
In South America, Brazil was counting down to hosting the WTC and the Soccer World Cup in 2014, and the Summer Olympic Games in 2016. Metro extensions in Rio de Janeiro and a new 12.2km metro line in Fortaleza were advanced, although further delays in the procurement process for the first phases of high speed rail, between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, including more than 90km of tunnels, were announced.
Australia awarded contracts for construction of its longest and deepest ever rail tunnel, the North West Rail Link in Sydney, with French-based NFM Technologies making a clean sweep of all four TBMs that arerequiredtocompletetheproject.
In Asia, underground construction continued at pace throughout 2013 on Delhi’s metro extensions, on the second and third phases of Singapore’s Downtown Line, in Thailand, China and Hong Kong - with Hong Kong also awarding a major undersea highway project to link Tuen Mun in the New Territories on the mainland and Chek Lap Kok Airport on Lantau Island. Singapore also began rollout of the next phase of its extensive metro development - the Thomson Line.
Also announced was consideration by the Malaysian Parliament of a new technical engineering and feasibility study for the proposed high-speed rail link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore that would involve a possible tunnel crossing of the Johor Strait between Malaysia and Singapore. A consortium of Aecom and SA Architects of Singapore completed the US$42 million engineering study on behalf of Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) and Singapore’s LTA.
These are the highlights of the underground construction work that progressed during 2013. All are recorded here in this 2013 TunnelTalk Annual Review, having been first reported, as they happened, on our weekly web magazine.
Our extensive Archive links events back to earlier news and developments. n
TunnelTalk reporting
Landmarks of all kinds were recorded in 2013 as growth in the global underground construction industry continued. Short listing of prequalifiers for the construction of the world’s longest immersed combined road/rail tunnel between Germany and Denmark; launch of the world’s largest diameter TBM in Seattle, USA; reaching the half way point on Crossrail TBM excavation in London; finalizing a route for High Speed 2 in the UK; contract awards of major metro systems in Asia, the Middle East and South America; world record excavation speeds on the Legacy Way highway tunnels in Brisbane, Australia; a return for TBM excavation methods in Norway; and advancement of so many other underground projects throughout the world - these take pride of place in an action packed year.
Among all the highs, 2013 will be remembered also for significant changes in the industry’s TBM manufacturing market. Most significant was Caterpillar announcing that, five years after its acquisition of Canada-based Lovat, it was withdrawing from the TBM manufacturing business. In doing so, it brought to an end in Toronto the Lovat manufacturing story after supplying TBMs to more than 700 projects worldwide since 1972.
Acquisitions, reorganizations
Another major change in the TBM manufacturing sector promoted Chinese ambitions to expand TBM supply outside the domestic market and into the global sphere. A strategy outlined in February was implemented by year end through acquisition by China Railway Tunnelling Equipment Co (CRTE) of all intellectual property rights of Wirth TBM and shaft boring technology from previous owner Aker Wirth.
On the contractor side, it was also a year of change. Following the collapse into bankruptcy of Austrian general construction company Alpine Bau and a subsidiary of OHL of Spain, Metrostav of the Czech Republic moved to acquire Alpine’s separate tunnelling division, Alpine BeMo, as part of its bid to gain access to Western markets. In Singapore, the LTA was forced to appoint other contractors to take over the 50% of unfinished Alpine Bau contracts C917 and C918 on the Downtown Line 2 project.
In the USA leading tunnelling company Kenny Construction of Chicago, was bought out by Granite for US$130 million,
while in Europe the merger between Italian construction companies Salini and tunnelling specialist Impregilo (which owns North American tunnelling contractor SA Healy) was completed in April.
2013 Project focus
On the project front there seems to be no let up, with underground solutions the preferred option in both the transportation and utility sectors.
In the UK Crossrail reached a landmark half way point in terms of TBM excavation, while at the same time, progress continued towards two-phase delivery of the High Speed 2 rail link between London and Birmingham and onto Manchester and Leeds. In order to pacify opposition and ease passage of the necessary Parliamentary Hybrid Bill for Phase 1 between London and Birmingham, further key sections were aligned underground during 2013 to take the total TBM requirement to 40km of twin running tunnels.
Meanwhile, and also in London, 16 contractors organised into eight teams to bidinthreelotsforconstructionofthe£2.3 billion 25km Thames Tideway CSO tunnel for Thames Water.
In Europe, Norway progressed a number of ambitious projects - with prequalifiers confirmed for TBM construction of the new Oslo-Ski high speed rail connection, and construction starting at Ryfast on what will be the world’s longest subsea traffic tunnel. But not for long. Also during 2013, more ambitious plans for a 27km subsea link at nearby Rogfast were outlined as preparations for detailed engineering design moved towards tender stage.
At Sparvo in Italy the world’s largest TBM of the moment broke through on the second and final drive of the 15m o.d. highway tunnel to overcome challenging geological conditions and confirm the capacity of large-diameter TBM technology to compete with open face excavation for large cross section excavations.
In Turkey, a new rail connection between East and West was delivered as the first trains began running passengers under the Bosphorus in what is the deepest immersed tube tunnel in the world to date, and one of the most significant civil engineering achievements of our time.
In the USA the world’s eyes were firmly on progress of the world’s largest TBM of the moment as launch of the 17.5m diameter Hitachi Zosen mega-machine under downtown Seattle took place. The
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