Robbins EPB to Excavate Chengdu's New Metro
 The 11 million inhabitants of Chengdu, China, will soon have a reduced commute time thanks to an extensive new metro system. Five lines totaling 78 miles will be constructed using multiple TBMs. Robbins signed a contract with China Railway Construction Corp Ltd. (CRCC) in January 2009 for a 20.5 ft-diameter EPB and back-up system on Line 2, Lot 18 of the Chengdu Metro. A commissioning ceremony was held in Chengdu on Oct. 14.
Geology will include a matrix of weathered rocks found nowhere else in China, consisting of highly permeable pebbles, sand and clay. Subsidence will be intensively monitored — crews will utilize probe drilling and ground consolidation if settlement is detected.
A mixed ground cutterhead, mounted with 17-in. diameter disc cutters and carbide bits, will be utilized to excavate the variable geology. Cobbles averaging from 0.8 to 3.1 in. in diameter are predicted, with diameters of as much as 4.7 in. possible. Muck will be removed using a 31-in. diameter shaft-type screw conveyor and battery-operated rolling stock.
Assembly of the TBM was completed in a manufacturing facility in Chengdu. The machine was due for launch in the fall, and will bore two 0.8-mile long sections in a suburban area of the city. The tunnel alignment will allow the machine to pass 82 ft below residential buildings, and includes several curves with a minimum 1,300 ft radius. Active articulation will be utilized to prevent ring deformation in curved portions of the tunnel.
The Chengdu Metro will open in three stages, with Line 1 operational by 2010. The 16.6-mile long Line 1 will provide service between Honghuayan and Shiji Square stations at speeds of 50 mph. The 31.4-mile long Line 2, for Chengdu Metro LLC, (with 10.9 miles of underground tunnels) will include 26 stations between Longquandong and Shiniu areas. Seven lines totaling 170 miles are planned to be in service by 2035, servicing 13.1 million daily passengers.
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ISTSS Planned for Frankfurt, Germany
Tunnels are an increasingly important part of the infrastructure network. They create challenges for incident prevention and management, fire protection and security against attacks or sabotage. The International Symposium on Tunnel Safety and Security (ISTSS) offers an excellent opportunity for experts working with transport, infrastructure security systems, manufacturers and technical organizations to exchange their experience in an international forum.
The 4th ISTSS will be held at the Frankfurt am Main Fire and Rescue Services Headquarters, Feuerwehrstrasse 1, Frankfurt am Main, Germany March 17-19, 2010.
ISTSS began in Sweden in 2003 as the International Symposium on Catastrophic Tunnel Fires. Interest for the first Symposium identified the need for a conference dealing with safety and security issues related to tunnels. In response to overwhelming interest, the scope of the Symposium was broadened and the event was renamed the International Symposium of Tunnel Safety and Security. The first ISTSS was held in Washington, D.C., in 2004 and has continued biennially since then attracting more than 250 delegates each meeting.
Conference organizers have created a program with leading experts from a variety of fields within the following themes: risk and security, human behavior, passive fire protection and construction, active fire protection and fire fighting, ventilation and fire dynamics. Each day is opened by two invited keynote speakers, leaders in their field, providing an overview of their topic of expertise as an introduction to the themes of the day.
For more information, visit www.istss.se.
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Herrenknecht TBM Mines Wuhan Subway
 Rapidly growing megacities and overused traffic and transportation systems are concomitant effects of economic growth and urbanization in China. Only infrastructure that grows together with the population can guarantees the quality of life in the cities. Therefore, the extension and modernization of traffic tunnels and efficient supply and disposal systems are a top priority in China.
With mechanized tunnelling technology, Herrenknecht is providing the key technology to create new links within densely built-up cities. Tunnel construction takes place almost completely underground, without noise and impact on aboveground traffic and people. At the same time, mechanized tunnelling is faster, more environmentally friendly and safer for tunnel workers than conventional procedures such as drill and blast).
Mechanized tunnelling technology from Herrenknecht is opening up new transport and supply channels for several large cities in China. The new construction of Wuhan’s Subway Line 2 is being carried out using Herrenknecht tunnel boring machines. Seven machines are excavating almost 17 km of tunnel. Five earth pressure balance (EPB) shields are crossing beneath inner-city areas, while two Mixshields, which specialize in multi-layered, highly water-bearing grounds, will cross beneath the Yangtze River.
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Shanghai Hosts 4th International Symposium on Tunneling
ITA president Martin Knights and secretary general Claude Berenguier, together with Eivind Grov, Soren Eskesen, Bai Yun and Harald Wagner, were invited to China’s 4th International Symposium on Tunneling held in Shanghai on Oct. 28-29, 2009. The symposium was mainly sponsored by the China Civil Engineering Society, the Chinese representative in ITA, and by the Shanghai authorities, including Shanghai Municipal Government, Shanghai Society of Civil Engineering and Shanghai Tunneling Engineering Company (ITA member); it gathered around 500 participants. ITA members delivered lectures on “Important Issues That ITA Must Influence in the Tunneling Industry” (M. Knights), on “The Role of ITA Regarding Safety in Tunneling” (C. Berenguier), on “Sprayed Concrete as Permanent Support for Qingdao Subsea Tunnel” (E. Grov), on “Infrastructures Underground – Global Society’s Risk, Chance and Future” (H. Wagner) and on “Urban Tunneling Challenges and the Need for Risk Management” (S. Eskesen).
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Robbins EPB to Excavate Chengdu's New Metro
