ALovat EPBM is being supplied to help excavate part of Line 9 of the Beijing Metro, and is the first TBM the firm has supplied to the Chinese tunnelling market.
The 6.3m diameter mixed face shield will be used on Lot 6 of the metro line to bore a total of 3593m over four drives. The customer, Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG), is due to commence excavation with the EPBM in mid-2008.
Geology along the alignment of the section of Line 9 is mainly cobbles with gravels and conglomerate, plus some silty clays and sands. Depth of cover is 9m-21m. Groundwater height above the invert is estimated at 23m and maximum EPB pressure of 4bar is anticipated.
Lovat said that steel structures for the TBM will be manufactured in China through a partnership arrangement, and that Lovat China would provide technical assistance and on-site support.
Elsewhere in China, the Jinfeng road tunnel in Zhuhai is to be developed as part of a new highway contract in Guangdong, which has been won by CRBC International.
The Shanghai-quoted firm, formerly known as China Road and Bridge Corp, was awarded the US$71M design and build road contract by the provincial highway construction bureau. The cost of the tunnel element was not broken out.
CRBC’s design partner is China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group. The project is located on the western side of Pearl river, about 60km west of Hong Kong.
* In Singapore, Gammon Construction has been awarded a contract to design, build and commission the new Chinatown Interchange Station in Singapore. In addition to new station construction, the contract involves excavating overrun and connecting tunnels.
The US$110M contract is part of the first stage of the Downtown Line scheme, which is scheduled for completion in 2013.
