Contractor Eiffage Civil Engineering has successfully negotiated its re-built 3.5m diameter Robbins Main Beam TBM through an unexpected cavern studded with stalactites and stalagmites and measuring 8,000 cubic meters (283,000 cubic ft) in size on the Galerie des Janots project in La Ciotat, France.

The machine, which was launched in 2017, grazed the cavern on the tunnelling operation’s left side. The crew named the cavern “grotte Marie Lesimple” after their site geologist.

“We hit the corner of it. To cross it, we had to erect a 4m high wall of concrete so the TBM would have something to grip against,” explained Marc Dhiersat, Project Director of Galerie des Janots for Eiffage. A small door allowed access inside the cavity, which formed naturally at a point 60m below the surface. The TBM was started up and was able to successfully navigate out of the cavern in eight strokes without significant downtime to the operation.

“This is certainly unusual, to come across a cavern of this size and significance. It is somewhat related to the geology, with karstic and volcanic formations having the most potential for underground cavities,” said Detlef Jordan, Robbins Sales Manager Europe. Karst cavities were a known risk during the bore, but the cavern was not shown in vertical borehole reports conducted from the surface along the alignment.

A further 1.8km will need to be tunnelled before the 2.8km tunnel is complete. “It is possible there could be more unknown caverns. We have a geotechnical BEAM system on the machine, and are conducting probe drilling, shotcreting, and maintenance in a separate shift,” said Dhiersat. The BEAM system, standing for Bore-tunneling Electrical Ahead Monitoring, is a ground prediction technique using focused electricity-induced polarization to detect anomalies ahead of the TBM.

The crew encountered difficult ground conditions early on in the bore, consisting of limestone with powdery clays. “When the machine is boring it does well. We have good production and it’s a good machine for hard rock. But sometimes it’s not hard rock that we encounter,” said Dhiersat. The weak rock and clay conditions necessitated ground support including resin-anchored bolts and rings in bad ground, topped with a 10 to 15cm thick layer of shotcrete. Despite five months of poor ground conditions, Eiffage is optimistic that conditions will improve and the tunnel will be complete in the next four to five months.

Galerie des Janots is one of the fourteen operations designed to save water and protect resources, which are being carried out by the Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolis, the water agency Rhône Mediterranean Corsica, and the State Government. The future Janots gallery will replace existing pipelines currently located in a railway tunnel—these original pipes have significant deficiencies with estimated water losses of 500,000 cubic meters (132 million gallons) per year.

The completed tunnel will pass under Le Parc National des Calanques, with cover between 15 and 180m, in order to replace the pipes that are currently being utilized for the water supply networks. “The current pipes have a capacity of transit limited to 330 liters per second, which is largely insufficient in the summer period. The objective of the operation is to secure the lines and increase capacity to 440 liters per second,” said Dhiersat.

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Chicago Mayor, Rahm Emanuel has announced the selection of two teams to proceed with competing to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the O’Hare Express operating system. Elon Musk’s The Boring Company and O’Hare Xpress LLC will be eligible to respond to a Request for Proposals (RFP) that will be issued on Friday by the Chicago Infrastructure Trust (CIT).

The project aims to deliver express service from downtown Chicago to O’Hare International Airport (ORD) in 20 minutes or less, cutting more than 50 percent off current travel times.

“Strengthening connections between Chicago’s economic engines will drive our economy into the future, build on the city’s legacy of innovation and pay dividends for generations to come,” Mayor Emanuel said. “Today, we have two teams that have the ability to get the job done and create an express connection between downtown Chicago and O’Hare Airport without a taxpayer subsidy.”

The CIT, on behalf of the City of Chicago, selected the two respondents to proceed to the next phase of the procurement process based on their qualifications and ability to deliver the critical project with no public subsidy. The Boring Company and O’Hare Xpress LLC (Meridiam, Antarctica Capital, JLC Infrastructure, Mott MacDonald and First Transit) are two of the four entities that responded to a Request for Qualification (RFQ) that was issued late last year. Responses to the RFP will be due on May 18, 2018.

“Of the submissions received, these two teams represent the best potential partners to deliver this express service, which will be a key part of Chicago’s continued economic growth,” Chicago Treasurer and CIT Chair Kurt Summers said. “The CIT’s role as a specialized resource to the City focused on infrastructure financing and development involvement makes it the clear choice to take a lead as we seek a partner for this truly transformative and historic project.”

The RFP specifies that the O’Hare Express Service should include a downtown station, an ORD station as well as maintenance facilities. Travel corridors may be above or below ground. Service level goals are travel times of 20 minutes or less with service frequency of at least every 15 minutes for the majority of the day. Premium service fares must be reasonable and less than the cost of current taxi and ride-share services. Any proposal must also address how potential impacts on existing transportation systems and the environment would be avoided or minimized.

Although cost estimates for the project are not yet known, the RFQ and RFP clearly stipulate that the O’Hare Express Service will be funded solely by project-specific revenues (like fares or advertising) and financed entirely by the developer. At this point in the competitive process additional information about the bids will not be released.

The express service stands to offer a myriad of benefits to the City, travelers, and residents: providing a faster commute between the airport and downtown; helping to mitigate congestion on the region’s roadways; fostering economic growth, and creating jobs throughout the lifetime of the project. The current total daily number or air passengers traveling between ORD and the Chicago Central Business District is approximately 20,000 and is forecast to grow to at least 35,000 daily air passengers in 2045.

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In early March, the Senbay Madencilik-Kolin-Kalyon JV (SKK-JV) achieved what is claimed to be a record-breaking TBM production shift of 19 rings, or 26.6m in 12 hours, during excavation of the Dudullu-Bostancı Metro Line, in Istanbul.

The impressive advance was made using one of two TERRATEC 6.56m diameter EPBMs employed on the Metro Line project in Turkey. The TBM worked non-stop – alternating between 20-minute mining and ring building cycles – to accomplish this claimed new production record for a TBM of this size and class in Istanbul.

The TERRATEC TBMs are being used by the SKK JV – along with two other machines – on the Dudullu-Bostancı Metro Line, which runs approximately north to south under the densely-populated Anatolian side of the city. The 14.2km-long line, along with its 13 new stations, is located entirely underground at an average depth of about 30m.

The TBMs have mixed-face dome-style cutterheads with an opening ratio of about 35% that have proven to work extremely effectively in Istanbul’s mixed geology – which includes sandstones, siltstones, limestones and shales – as well as other state-of-the-art features such as VFD electric cutterhead drives, tungsten carbide soft ground cutting tools that are interchangeable with 17’’ roller disc cutters, high torque screw conveyors and active articulation systems.

Assembly of the TERRATEC S50 and S51 machines took place at the project’s central shaft site at Kayışdağı station, in February 2017. By early March, the S50 machine had been launched on its 3,980m journey south-west to Içerenköy station and shortly thereafter the S51 machine began mining north-east on its 4,377m drive towards Türk-iş Blokları station. Once the TBMs’ conveyor systems had been fully installed, the machines quickly got up to speed and have maintained consistent advance rates since then.

As the TBMs have progressed, they have been installing a tunnel lining consisting of reinforced concrete trapezoidal segments (5+1), with an outer diameter of 6,300mm, an inner diameter of 5,700mm and a width of 1,400mm. These are being produced by SKK JV at its factory in Ferhafpasa, which is located about 10km from the project worksite.

“While planning the logistics and TBM supply, we had to consider the traffic in Istanbul,” says Enver Koc, Chief Tunnel Mechanical Engineer for SKK JV. “Traffic jams are inevitable in a city of 17 million people. So, with the need for on-time segment delivery and muck removal from site, 70 percent of our operations are performed during the night shift.”

The record-breaking 19-ring shift was completed by the S51 machine, which has currently mined about 75 percent of its alignment and is due to reach its final destination this June. Slightly ahead of its sister machine, the S50 TBM is due to complete its final drive for the project in the next two weeks.

The Dudullu-Bostancı Metro project is one of five new metro lines currently being built by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM).

Due for completion in 2019, the new lines will increase the city’s current 145km Metro network to more than 480km.

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The four 7.2m diameter TBMs that will build the $11bn Melbourne Metro’s 9km long twin tunnels have been ordered from Herrenknecht. The TBMs will be designed in Germany where key components will be manufactured, then transported to Herrenknecht’s facility in China. Here, the TBMs will be assembled with remaining components and then factory tested before their arrival in Australia.

The TBMs are expected to arrive in Australia by early next year. Two will be transported to the Arden precinct and two will go to the Domain precinct, where they will be re-assembled, lowered into a shaft and then launched.

In July 2017, the Cross Yarra Partnership (CYP) – a consortium led by Lendlease Engineering, John Holland, Bouygues Construction and Capella Capital – were selected to build the Metro Tunnel and five new underground stations following an extensive competitive tender process with the world’s most experienced construction and tunnelling contractors.

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On March 28 the second of Perth’s Forrestfield-Airport Link’s two tunnel-boring machines was temporarily halted. TBM Sandy stopped when it came within 40m – the minimum distance – of the stationary TBM Grace.

Grace stopped tunnelling on February 14 after encountering some minor ground disturbance issues when travelling through difficult terrain, the Ascot formation.

Though Sandy has not experienced the same ground disturbance issues, it is widely-accepted best practice that two TBMs should not be positioned side-by-side during tunnelling.

The tunnelling contractor is undertaking a detailed review of their operating procedures as a result of the incidents with Grace.  Specialist advisers from the TBM manufacturer have visited the site to review tunnelling operations.

An independent international expert has been engaged to review tunnelling procedures and ensure lessons learned are incorporated into operations.

The Public Transport Authority, contractor Salini Impregilio – NRW and Perth Airport are working closely to allow full tunnelling operations to resume as soon as possible.

It is expected that Grace – and subsequently Sandy – will be able to resume tunnelling in the coming weeks, once a number of investigations into the earlier ground disturbances are complete.

Meanwhile, work continues on the construction of Airport Central Station and the dive structure at Bayswater Junction.

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Sirius Minerals has entered into a design and build contract with STRABAG AG for the construction of the first drive on its 37km long, 4.7m diameter mineral transport system (MTS) tunnel between Wilton and Lockwood Beck on the York Potash Project in the UK. The initial 13km long section to be built by STRABAG is part of a low environmental impact tunnelled conveyor system to transport the mined polyhalite from Woodsmith Mine near Whitby to Wilton on Teesside for processing. Site mobilisation is to begin immediately.

The actual tunnelling works will include 150m to be built via cut-and-cover construction, 800m through conventional tunnelling and 11,900m using a TBM.

STRABAG was closely integrated in the project design through an early contractor involvement (ECI) process. This has allowed the company to develop efficient new solutions that convinced the client of its capabilities. “We are very proud to have acquired this project. It shows that the early involvement of the contractor in the preconstruction phase offers many advantages and can make a decisive contribution to the success of the project. Early contractor involvement makes it possible to recognise potential for optimisation at an early stage and to use this potential over the entire duration of the project,” says Thomas Birtel, CEO of STRABAG SE.

Sirus Minerals has stated that the project remains on track to deliver first polyhalite and commercial production on time and on budget.

Chris Fraser, Managing Director and CEO of Sirius, commented:

“We are now looking forward to adding progress on our mineral transport system to the impressive progress we have already made on early works and mine shafts.”

Sirius continues to work closely with a number of parties in relation to the second and third drives of the MTS (Lockwood Beck towards Woodsmith and Woodsmith towards Lockwood Beck respectively) with a view to having these scopes of work awarded in conjunction with the completion of the stage 2 financing later this year. The Company is aiming to achieve first product from the mine by the end of 2021, ramping up to an initial production capacity of 10 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) by 2024.

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Turner & Townsend has been appointed to provide commercial services for Highways England’s flagship $2.2bn A303 Stonehenge scheme. The project includes plans to build a 2.8km long road tunnel near Stonehenge.

It is part of a series of planned upgrades to A303/A358 corridor to improve  connectivity between the south east and south west of England.

The three-year contract will see Turner & Townsend provide commercial services including estimating, benchmarking performance, commercial reporting and cost management taking the scheme into construction. The project is currently undergoing consultation on Highways England’s preferred route.

Gary Healey, Director at Turner & Townsend said: “The A303 upgrade is one of the most significant schemes set to be delivered under the Government’s Road Investment Strategy – creating a better experience for road users, improving economic connectivity across the south, and reducing the visual impact of this key arterial route on Stonehenge itself.

Our previous experience working on major programmes, including smart motorways, sets us in good stead to support Highways England in delivering these schemes in a way that optimises commercial performance and drives productivity on site.”

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On Sunday, March 25th, Tunnelling Journal’s friend, Jan Babendererde, was badly hurt in a dirt bike accident in his home state of Washington, USA. He was air-lifted to hospital with a serious spinal injury and immediately underwent surgery. He has since been transferred a hospital, in Puyallup, Washington, which specialises in Acute Spinal Injury Rehabilitation.

Jan and his family remain optimistic and positive, but he faces a long and hard recovery, with many expenses. His friends have therefore set up a GoFundMe site to help raise funds for rehabilitation and therapy. If you would like to make a donation please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/jan-badenererde

Jan Babendererde is a tunnel specialist at BASF, based in Kent, Washington. He has previously worked with Bilfinger Berger Civil, Herrenknecht USA, Impregilo Healy and The Robbins Company on numerous tunnel construction projects. Brother to Lars and Tim (of tunnel engineering and consultancy firm Babendererde Engineers), Jan and his wife Kris are well-known and much loved in the industry.

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The board of directors of California’s Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has voted to provide the additional financing necessary to proceed with the full California WaterFix project, green lighting the construction of the scheme’s two mega-tunnels, totalling some 60km of large diameter bore.

The board authorized $10.8bn for the project to modernize the state’s aging water delivery system, making Metropolitan the primary investor in the project and more than doubling the agency’s initially planned investment to ensure the project is completed as originally proposed and studied.

“For decades, we have sought a solution to the problems of the Bay Delta, problems that put Southern California’s water supply at risk,” Metropolitan board Chairman Randy Record said. “We finally have that solution, California WaterFix. We simply could not jeopardize the opportunity to move this long-sought and much-needed project forward.”

WaterFix will be paid for by the people and businesses that use the water it helps deliver via the retail water agencies and cities that serve those customers. Metropolitan’s financing of the full project is expected to cost households on average up to $4.80 a month, though that average cost would be reduced as Metropolitan recoups some of its investments from the agricultural sector. Metropolitan will be selling or leasing capacity in the tunnels to allow water deliveries or exchanges for other parties.

About 30 percent of the water that flows out of taps in Southern California comes from Northern California via the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. But the Delta’s delivery system is badly outdated, its ecosystem is in decline and its 1,100-mile levee system is increasingly vulnerable to earthquakes, flooding, saltwater intrusion, sea level rise and environmental degradation.

Attempts to help the Delta have led to regulatory restrictions that have reduced water exports from the region. California WaterFix would modernize the state’s water delivery system by building three new water intakes in the northern Delta and two tunnels to carry the water under the Delta to the existing aqueduct systems in the southern Delta that deliver water to cities and farms.

In October 2017, Metropolitan’s board initially voted to participate in WaterFix and contribute up to 26 percent of its $17bn cost, or about $4.3bn.

But the majority of federal agricultural contractors who also import supplies via the Delta have yet to commit to investing in the project, leaving part of the project’s costs unfunded. In February, the state proposed building the project in stages instead–starting with two intakes and one tunnel, with a capacity of 6,000 cubic feet per second. An additional intake and tunnel would be added when funding allowed.

In today’s action, Metropolitan’s board chose between supporting this staged construction of the project or helping finance the full 9,000 cfs project all at once, with the hope of recouping the investment from agricultural interests once the project is completed. Staging the project also would result in potential permitting delays associated with the change in approach.

Under the staged approach, the cost of building one tunnel would be about $11.1bn, with Metropolitan’s share of those capital costs coming in at $5.2bn. The board ultimately voted to support building the full project all at once at an estimated cost of $16.7bn, with Metropolitan’s investment at about $10.8bn in today’s dollars.

“Two tunnels better accomplishes WaterFix’s co-equal goals of improving the environment and securing supply reliability,” said Metropolitan General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger. “With them, we’re better able to capture the high flows of big storms that climate change is expected to bring. We’ll better address the reverse flows that disrupt the Delta’s ecology. And we’ll have more flexibility to operate the water delivery system.”

Kightlinger added that investing in WaterFix does not change Metropolitan’s commitment to local supply development and conservation.

“This investment is just one part of ensuring Southern California and its $1.3tn economy has a reliable water supply in the age of climate change,” he said. “We need a diverse portfolio, including water recycling, storm-water capture, and increased conservation. We will continue to work hard and invest in those projects.”

WaterFix scope halved in DWR first phase proposal

MWD approves $4.3bn in funding for California's WaterFix tunnel project

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The Scottish Court of Session has, by a majority of two-to-one, allowed a reclaiming motion by power company, SSE against a previous Court ruling that contractor Hochtief was not liable for the tunnel collapse at its Glendoe Hydropower scheme in 2009. The decision effectively means that SSE has now won some £107M in compensation on appeal, after having previously lost its case for £130M in damages claimed against Hochtief in the Commercial Court.

For a full article on the earlier ruling, and collapse see http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/1d5963a6#/1d5963a6/13

Martin Pibworth, SSE Wholesale Director, said:  “SSE welcomes the positive decision of the Court of Session today concerning the tunnel collapse at our Glendoe Hydro Scheme near Fort Augustus. The Hydro Scheme had to be shut down for nearly three years whilst rectification works resulting from a defect which existed prior to take over of the scheme by SSE were carried out.”

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PORR has secured the largest tunnelling project in Austria’s history – lot H51 Pfons-Brenner on the Brenner Base Tunnel,

with a length of around 18km. The works will begin in early summer 2018, headed by PORR/Hinteregger, with completion planned for 2024. The contract cost is in the order of €1bn.
The construction phase for lot H51 involves building the twin running tunnels between Pfons and Brenner, plus around 9km of exploratory works, and the emergency stop and transfer point at St. Jodok. In total, about 50km of tunnel will be built.

The two main single-track tunnels will be primarily driven using TBMs with an excavation diameter of 10.37m – aiming for up to 30m progress per day per machine. The excavation of the exploratory works will be by drill & blast and shotcrete. The entire lot will be supplied via a single access shaft.
PORR’s has already built multiple exploratory and access tunnels for the Brenner Base Tunnel.

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Keller and Hayward Baker have acquired New Jersey-based Moretrench, a a geotechnical contracting company operating predominantly along the east coast of the US, from its employee shareholders for US$90.0M. Moretrench will operate as a division within Hayward Baker. The enlarged entity will be very well-positioned for the expected long run renewal of infrastructure.

Moretrench has a strong heritage of complex geotechnical projects and in the year ended 31 December 2017 had revenue of US$168.3M, operating profit of US$11.3M and EBITDA of US$15.8M (both excluding US$2.8M of charges relating directly to the Employee Share Ownership Plan and the transaction).  Moretrench’s net assets as at 31 December 2017 were US$66.4M.

Eric Drooff, President of Hayward Baker, noted that “Having worked closely with Moretrench on several key projects, we were impressed with the quality of the company and expertise of its people. We are excited to welcome Moretrench to Hayward Baker and look forward to developing new synergies.”
Hayward Baker and Moretrench both enjoy a strong and well-established presence in the tunnelling and underground construction industry and each has worked extensively on major subway and other tunnel construction projects throughout North America.
Tom Tuozzolo, President of Moretrench, adds “As a division of Hayward Baker, we can now offer additional geotechnical solutions and resources to our established clients as well as extending our dewatering and ground freezing techniques to Hayward Baker’s clients. This translates to more comprehensive and even better customer service for both our companies. I am excited to lead the Moretrench team forward into this new venture.”

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Client body for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (‘KL-SG HSR’),MyHSR Corporation Sdn Bhd (‘MyHSR Corp’), has completed its Project Delivery Partner (‘PDP’) tender and selected two consortia to assist project’s civils works portion.

The Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad-Gamuda Berhad consortium (‘MRCB Gamuda Consortium’) has been selected for the northern portion of the alignment while the Syarikat Pembenaan Yeoh Tiong Lay Sdn Bhd-TH Properties Sdn Bhd consortium (‘YTL-THP’) has been selected for the southern portion of the KL-SG HSR project alignment. The contracts will be awarded upon the satisfactory conclusion of negotiations between MyHSR Corp and MRCB Gamuda Consortium and YTL-THP consortia respectively.

The PDPs will be responsible for designing and delivering the civil works for the KL-SG HSR project at an agreed cost and schedule. It shall carry out all necessary activities throughout the planning, construction, testing, and commissioning phases, amongst others.

MyHSR Corp estimates that the KL-SG HSR project will comprise of 14.9km tunnels, out of its 335km HSR alignment within Malaysia. The tunnels are predominantly located in urban areas along the HSR alignment with approximately 8.8km bored tunnel and 6.1km mined tunnel.

“We are pleased to have selected two very capable consortia to work on the project. The PDPs will bring both local and international experience, through their own experience in building railways in the country and through partnerships with HSR experts, and together, we will build the KL-SG HSR project,” said Dato’ Mohd Nur Ismal bin Mohamed Kamal, Chief Executive Officer of MyHSR Corp. “We look forward to emulating the success of previous iconic projects in the country,” he added.

The PDP tender that was called on 22 November 2017 was conducted via an open tender by MyHSR Corp. The tender was open to parties with experience in railway design and construction, familiar with Malaysian Railway construction practices and regulatory requirements, as well as the Malaysian supply market conditions. The tender also promoted involvement of Malaysian firms consistent with the Government’s procurement objectives to stimulate and encourage the growth of local industries through optimal usage of local resources and materials.

The Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR is a strategic project between the Governments of Malaysia and Singapore that aims to facilitate a 90-minute travel time between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. The project is expected to enhance business linkages and bring the people of both countries closer together. The iconic project includes domestic services within Malaysia that will improve intercity connectivity and promote economic agglomeration under the Socio- economic Development Programme (SEDP) intended to benefit local communities along the corridor.

The Governments of both countries signed a Bilateral Agreement on 13 December 2016, which captured the key points of agreement on the project, including the technical parameters, commercial model, customs, immigration and quarantine clearance, safety and security matters, regulatory framework and project management approach.

Eight stations are currently planned for the Kuala Lumpur–Singapore HSR: Bandar Malaysia, Sepang-Putrajaya, Seremban, Melaka, Muar, Batu Pahat and Iskandar Puteri stations in Malaysia and the Jurong East station in Singapore, with operations of the KL-SG HSR service between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore targeted for commencement by 31 December 2026.

MyHSR Corp is a company incorporated in 2015, wholly owned by the Minister of Finance Incorporated. As the Government of Malaysia’s project delivery vehicle for the Kuala Lumpur – Singapore HSR project, MyHSR Corp is responsible for the development and implementation of the project.

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On April 17^th 2018, the Salini-Impregilo (SI-NRW) JV restarted TBM Grace on Perth’s Forrestfield-Airport Link, with the project’s second TBM, Sandy due to follow shortly ‘at a safe distance behind Grace’. Operation of the two Herrenknecht Variable Density TBMs being used to construct the project’s 8km long, 7m diameter twin tube tunnels was ceased temporarily on 14^thFebruary and 28^thMarch, 2018 respectively following ‘ground disturbance issues’ associated with the leading TBM.

Though Sandy has not experienced the same ground disturbance issues, it is widely-accepted best practice that two TBMs should not be positioned side-by-side during tunnelling, so she was halted 40m behind the first TBM.

The temporary suspension was to allow for the processes associated with the tunnelling to be independently reviewed and validated. The review is now complete with the issues having been, “comprehensively investigated and changes made to reduce the risk of further disturbances,” according to the Public Transport Authority (PTA) of Western Australia.

A statement from the PTA says,  “The Ascot formation (through which boring was taking place), comprises non-cohesive granular material that makes tunnelling more complex. And this presented issues for the project team.

“Since the minor ground disturbances and subsequent investigations a number of changes have been made including;

• Changes to the pressure in the excavation chamber when excavating in the Ascot formation.
• Continuous operation (no weekend stoppages) especially when tunnelling beneath airport infrastructure.
• Slurry and bentonite quality to be adjusted to reduce potential slurry losses.”

The $1.86bn Forrestfield-Airport Link is jointly funded by the Australian and Western Australian governments and will deliver a new rail service to the eastern suburbs of Perth – with three new stations at Redcliffe, Airport Central and Forrestfield via 8km long twin tunnels.
In April 2016 the PTA awarded the $1.176bn single-package, lump sum design, construct and maintenance contract to the Salini Impregilo – NRW Joint Venture.

TBM Grace began tunnelling in July 2017, with TBM Sandy following in September. Their underground journey is scheduled to take almost two years with breakthroughs slated for April 2019 and June 2019 respectively.

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DSI Underground Australia and Fero Group Pty Ltd (Fero) have signed an agreement under which DSI Underground Australia will acquire 100 per cent of privately owned Fero.

“The acquisition of Fero will add  galvanizing and mesh manufacturing processes into DSI Underground Australia’s manufacturing capability, allowing us to better serve customers, continue to invest in R&D, and increase exports to African and Asian mining services markets,” CEO of DSI Underground Australia, Mr Derek Hird, said.

The owners of Fero, the Franco family of Perth, have agreed to invest part of the sale proceeds into DSI Underground Australia’s parent company, DSI Underground Holdings S.a.r.l. and will become a shareholder in DSI Underground’s global mining business.

Michael Reich, Group CEO of DSI Underground International said the aim was to provide customers with a broader range of products, allow for continued R&D investment; and adapt to the digitalization of products and services.

“I am very pleased that the owners of Fero, the Franco family, will become shareholders in DSI Underground and Fero’s Managing Director, Michael Franco, will continue to support DSI Underground at an operational level and as an advisor to the global DSI Underground Board. I look forward to welcoming Michael and the entire Fero team to DSI Underground.”

Fero’s Managing Director, Michael Franco said the Franco family was extremely proud of the entire Fero team and the leading business it had have built together.

“We now look forward to working closely with the DSI team to support the continued growth of the combined businesses. Personally, I look forward to becoming part of the DSI global team,” Mr Franco said.

Terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed and the transaction is conditional on regulatory approval.

Employing 300 people, DSI Underground Australia is an Australian manufacturing success story. It supplies high quality Australian-made strata reinforcement and ground support products essential to safety and efficiency in the underground mining, infrastructure and construction sectors.

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At the end of April, TERRATEC celebrated the successful Factory Acceptance Test of a new 4.27m diameter EPBM destined for the Chidlom Cable Tunnel Project in Bangkok, Thailand. The event was attended by representatives of Bangkok’s Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) and contractor Italian-Thai Development PCL (ITD).

Designed to accommodate a new high-voltage cable system, the Chidlom Cable Tunnel Projectis one of a series of tunnelling projects being undertaken by the MEA, which are being built to meet increased power demands in the Thai capital.

Running from the Central Embassy mall and MEA’s Chidlom Electrical Facilities southwards to Lumphini Park, the project is located in one of the busiest and most built up areas of downtown Bangkok, and is subject to tight alignment constraints including the need to carefully navigate the foundations of the Chit Lom BTS Skytrain Station. To achieve this, the TERRATEC EPBM has been designed with an extreme X-type articulation system, which can accommodate very tight radius curves.

“We have worked closely with TERRATEC on a number of projects in the past and were keen to work with them again,” says Supak Khunviriya, Project Manager for ITD.“TERRATEC has past experience of similar projects with tight radius curves in Bangkok and the TBM has been designed to achieve a high level performance in difficult circumstances.”

The TBM’s soft ground cutterhead features an open spoke design with the addition of knife bits to assist break-in and break-out of the concrete shaft eyes. Universal tapered precast concrete segments will typically be installed as the machine progresses, with shorter steel segments utilised during the course of the sharp radius curves.

Geological conditions along the 1.35km tunnel alignment consist of stiff to very stiff clay with lenses of sand and a groundwater head of about 2 bars.

Due to heavy traffic and the physical limitations of this built up area – which includes numerous high-rise buildings and the skytrain viaduct – logistics during the launch and operation of the TBM will be extremely challenging, especially during the transportation and delivery of oversize TBM parts for assembly at site. TERRATEC’s highly-experienced Field Service staffhave therefore been working closely with ITD from day one in order to ensure every aspect is planned in advance.

Following the successful factory acceptance test, the machine will be now shipped to Thailand and is expected to arrive in early-May. The TBM will then be transported to the project site and lowered down the main shaft in a carefully-planned operation that will take place in a single night.

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Three private-sector teams will be invited to submit technical proposals and prices to design and construct the Interstate 64 Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has concluded its evaluation of Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) with the shortlisting of private-sector teams, with three submitting SOQs to the department on March 2, 2018, in response to a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) dated Dec.15, 2017.

“These three candidate teams are strong contenders for the next steps in the competitive process,” said Stephen C. Brich, VDOT commissioner. “We are looking forward to learning more about each team’s specific plans and capabilities to deliver this vital project.”

The RFQ gave the teams the option of submitting an SOQ under both or either a Bored Tunnel construction method or an Immersed Tube Tunnel construction method. Both construction methods are currently under consideration by the department. The shortlisted teams are below in alphabetical order:

1. Hampton Roads Capacity Constructors

Lead contractors: Fluor Enterprises Inc. / The Lane Construction Corp. / Traylor Bros. Inc. / Dragages Civil Works Virginia Inc.
Lead designer: AECOM Technical Services Inc.
Design support: Michael Baker International / Royal HaskoningDHV and Witteveen+Bos Joint Venture / Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers

*Shortlisted for Bored Tunnel and Immersed Tube Tunnel construction methods.

2. Hampton Roads Connector Partners

Lead contractors: Dragados USA Inc. / VINCI Construction Grands Projets SAS / Dodin Campenon Bernard SAS Joint Venture
Lead designer: I-64 Design Joint Venture (HDR Engineering Inc. / Mott MacDonald)
Design support: Whitman Requardt and Associates LLP / Harris Miller Miller & Hanson Inc. / Precision Measurements Inc. / AI Engineers Inc. / GET Solutions Inc. / Mattern & Craig / Athavale Lystad & Associates Inc./ Diversified Property Services Inc.

*Shortlisted for Bored Tunnel and Immersed Tube Tunnel construction methods.

3. Skanska Kiewit Joint Venture

Lead contractors: Skanska USA Civil Southeast Inc. / Kiewit Infrastructure Co.
Lead designer: WSP USA Inc.
Design support: COWI / Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc / CAPITA

*Shortlisted for Immersed Tube Tunnel construction method

All three teams will be invited to submit detailed technical proposals and binding prices in fall 2018 for one tunnel construction method. Further information on the procurement will be provided in a draft Request for Proposals (RFP) targeted for release in May 2018.

The HRBT expansion construction will build a new four-lane bridge-tunnel and widen the existing four-lane segments of I-64 between Settlers Landing and I-564, to ease congestion between Hampton and Norfolk. The contract award is anticipated in early 2019 with project completion targeted in 2024.

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San Francisco’s VTA has reached a significant milestones for extending the BART system that will include a 5 mile (8km) tunnel section to downtown San Jose and into Santa Clara with a $730M shot in the arm from California’s Senate Bill 1, the newly passed gas tax. Announced April 26^th, in Sacramento, the California State Transportation Agency funding now helps pave the way to a $1.5bn request for federal funding to be made this summer for the $4.8bn project.

“The magnitude of today’s announcement cannot be understated, nor can the regional significance of this project,” said VTA General Manager and CEO, Nuria Fernandez, during the press conference held at the State Capitol.
Fernandez thanked State Senator Jim Beall, chair of the State Transportation and Housing Committee, for his leadership in helping to transform mobility in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In addition to the state funding, BART’s Board of Directors moved the Silicon Valley Extension project forward by approving a single-bore tunneling methodology for the 5-mile (8km) subway through downtown San Jose, and the two station options including Downtown San Jose West (between Market and Fourth Streets in downtown San Jose) and Diridon Station North (adjacent to the south side of In a West Santa Clara Street, between Autumn Street and the San Jose Diridon Caltrain Station.) The single bore is envisaged as being a 45ft (13.7m) diameter TBM driven tunnel.

In a recent VTA statement, the single-bore design was described as meeting industry and BART facility standards for operations and safety, and that it would reduce impacts to street level activities and underground utilities that would occur with twin-bore construction. More specifically, the single-bore tunneling methodology, compared to the twin-bore option, will:

Result in limited excavation within the public street right-of-way, resulting in less construction impacts to businesses and the community during construction;

Reduce impacts to auto traffic, bicyclists, and pedestrians because it would not require the closure of Santa Clara Street and adjacent roadways during construction;

Eliminate impacts to VTA’s light rail service because the tracks crossing Santa Clara Street at 1st and 2nd streets would not have to be temporarily closed due to street-level excavation while constructing the downtown subway station; and

Provide greater operational flexibility, allowing for the ability to provide multiple crossover tracks and areas to store train cars within the tunnel for emergencies, special events, or regular maintenance activities.

A spokesperson for VTA told Tunnelling Journal, “The recent successful partnership between VTA and BART in analyzing and evaluating tunneling methodologies for the downtown San Jose Segment of the extension demonstrates that the two agencies can work together to improve mobility for the Bay Area.

“Both agencies are committed to ensuring that the single bore alignment will be a safe and reliable extension of the existing BART system.

“Specifically, VTA has assured BART that a single bore tunnel can be designed in a fashion that addresses safety concerns related to ventilation, braiding design, evacuation procedures and other life/safety issues.

“VTA has put in writing its commitment to guarantee BART final sign off on design.”

This vote was the last step before a federal funding request can happen.

Construction of the project is anticipated to begin in 2019 for completion in 2026

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COWI North America (COWI) has announced that it will welcome the addition of tunnel professionals from the US operating company of ILF Consultants, Inc.

The addition of key staff to its North American operation continues to strengthen COWI’s tunnel expertise. Currently, COWI has one of the largest tunnel engineering groups in the world with over 600 tunnel engineers. Its new additions bring complementary skills in tunnel and bridge; and design with noteworthy experience on several projects in California. Current projects include preliminary engineering design for the California High Speed Rail Authority for the section between Bakersfield to Palmdale.

Among the new staff members, we welcome two highly respected tunnel professionals, Jim Morrison, PE and Zuzana Skovajsova, PE.

Jim Morrison, who will join COWI as a Vice President, is a well-recognized manager and engineer with extensive experience delivering successful tunnel design and construction projects across North America. He has over 36 years of engineering expertise and has worked both in consulting engineering and as Engineering Service Manager for Kiewit.  His career has covered a broad spectrum of large and complex projects including tunnels, bridges, dams, hydroelectric generating plants, highways, deep excavations, transportation, water/sewer systems, and environmental management.

Zuzana Skovajsova will join COWI as Chief Tunnel Specialist. Zuzana is a leader in the design of Tunnels and Underground Structures, and has extensive knowledge of the application of sequential excavation and ground support systems, as well as geotechnical instrumentation and monitoring. She is actively involved in multiple design project from conceptual/preliminary engineering to detailed/final design phases of major tunneling projects, both in soft ground and hard rock.

Steven Kramer, Senior Vice President comments “These additions to the COWI team are a sign of the continued success and development of COWI’s Tunnel business in North America and worldwide. With their experience working on a variety of tunnel projects across the country they add engineering strength and invaluable knowledge and expertise to our group.”

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Jacobs Engineering Group Inc in consortium with Idom, has been appointed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) as Employer’s Designer for the development and implementation of Ireland’s first metro system central to a new multi-modal transport strategy to support Dublin’s continued economic growth.

Working collaboratively with the National Transport Authority (NTA) and TII, the Jacobs Idom consortium will take the scheme from emerging preferred route status through evaluation and selection of preferred route, including all business case and environmental support work. It will then develop and promote the scheme railway orders, execute the planning process through  An Bord Pleanála and attend the subsequent oral hearing. Pending a successful oral hearing, the consortium will also lead the development of the contracting and delivery strategy and the construction delivery partner engagement. The team will then continue to support TII and NTA providing technical and commercial assurance throughout the construction delivery phase.

“With a forecast of economic and population growth, the new metro service will play a vital role in improving Dublin’s mobility, unlocking much-needed transit capacity and improving air quality at the same time,” said Jacobs Buildings and Infrastructure Europe Senior Vice President and General Manager Donald Morrison. “Continuing our long history in supporting TII with major infrastructure implementation across Ireland, we look forward to working with Idom to bring a global team and depth of metro experience from both organizations to this potentially transformative project.”

The new 19km high frequency, high capacity metro service envisages some 11km of tunnel through the city, with 10 below-ground stations and five above-ground stations. It will integrate other transport options across the city to maximize user capacity and functionality. Running from Swords, via Dublin Airport to Dublin’s south city center, the scheme will also look to upgrade the existing LUAS green line to Sandford to increase capacity and fully integrate with the new metro.

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