15 km-long, 3.5 m-diameter Saavedra-Moron tunnel reaching completion by Wayss & Freytag/Sollazo Hnos for Aguas Argentinas using Herrenknecht EPB. Safege Montgomery Watson are client's engineer. Tunnelling conditions post-evaluation study carried out by team chaired by Mike Kobler of Underground Construction Managers and including Alastair Biggart of Hatch Mott MacDonald and Gary Brierley of Brierley Associates. Visit www.brierleyassociates.com January 2000.   Completion of $65 million Saavedra-Moron reported. The tunnel comprises four drives of 3.56 km, 4.2 km, 3.7 km, and 3.8 km at depth 35 m from five shafts. Ground conditions were variable, ranging from quicksands under 2.5 bar pressure, through green sandy clays to hard consolidated silts with calcareous nodules. Soil conditioning using bentonite or foam, or both. The two Herrenknecht 4.3 m-diameter EPBs averaged 20 x 1.2 m-wide gasketed rings/day with a best performance of 35 rings. Visit www.herrenknecht.com March 2000.

Final bids for a AUD2.3 billion public-private partnership (PPP) toll road project to Brisbane airport in Queensland state were submitted on 14th December. The predominantly underground Airport Link is a 46-year concession contract to design, build, operate and maintain a 6.7 km motorway, 5.7 km of which in tunnel, to connect the North South Bypass Tunnel (NSBT) and Inner City Bypass at Bowen Hills with arterial roads at Kedron and Toombul. It is jointly procured by the Brisbane City Council and Queensland state government. Three teams have been chosen to submit final bids: BrisConnections, comprising Macquarie Bank, Thiess and John Holland (Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, BBVA, BOS International Australia, Depfa Bank, KBC Bank, SG and Suncorp-Metway are competing to fund this bid); NorthConnect Motorway consortium, consisting of Baulderstone Hornibrook, Abi Group, Bilfinger Berger BOT, Portuguese toll road operator Brisa Auto-Estradas de Portugal and Babcock & Brown (Bayerische Landesbank, Fortis Bank, HSBC, Royal Bank of Canada and Westpac Banking Corp are backing this bid); and Northern Motorway consortium, made up of Leighton Contractors and ABN AMRO with debt provided by ABN AMRO, Calyon, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, nabCapital and WestLB. 04/08.The Queensland government announced BrisConnections as the preferred bidder for the 6.7 km Brisbane airport link, the 3 km Windsor to Kedron section of the northern busway and a new 750 m fly-over road above the airport roundabout. BrisConnections is a fully integrated consortium of Macquarie Capital Group, Leighton subsidiaries Thiess and John Holland, Arup and Parsons Brinckerhoff. BrisConnections will design, construct, finance, own and operate the airport link project, design and construct the Windsor to Kedron section of the northern busway and design and construct a direct link between the east-west arterial and airport drive known as the airport drive connection. Visit www.leighton.com.au, www.thiess.com.au, www.johnholland.com.au, www.arup.com and www.pbworld.comThe airport link will be a fully electronic toll road stretching some 6.7 kilometres with 5.25 kilometres underground, and will have one of the lowest per kilometre tunnel tolls in Australia. It will avoid 17 sets of traffic lights and cut travel times between the city and the airport by up to 17 minutes in 2012. By 2022, the travel time savings are estimated to be up to 47 minutes. Design and construction work will be undertaken by the Thiess-John Holland joint venture under a fixed-price, fixed term contract.The northern busway is a 3 km two-lane, two way busway, including 1.5 km underground.In total the three projects will cost AUD4.8 billion, including land costs, of which the state of Queensland will only contribute AUD1.5 billion. The airport link - which is the most complex road and tunnel engineering feat in Queensland’s history - will cost over AUD3.4 billion to build. There will be partial burying of two of the airport link’s three ventilation stations, including at Clayfield, to dramatically reduce noise and visual impacts.Construction is scheduled to begin later this year, following consultation with the public and detailed design. All construction work on the three projects is due to be completed by the middle of 2012. 22/08.BrisConnections, the consortium of Thiess and John Holland, has signed a AUD90 million contract with Herrenknecht on 17th August, 2008 for two tunnel boring machines for the Airport Link road and tunnel project. They will be the two largest tunnel boring machines, at 12.48 m in diameter, to ever operate in Australia. Each cutting head features 80 off, 42.5 cm disc cutters. Each disc cutter features 80, 42.5 cm cutters. Both machines will travel 55 m below the surface at the deepest section. Each machine will install a full circle concrete lining continuously as part of the excavation process. The first TBM is expected to arrive from Germany by the end of next year and begin tunnelling around mid 2010. The second is expected to arrive in early 2010. When complete, the 6.7 km Airport Link, of which 5.25 km underground, will allow motorists to bypass 18 sets of traffic lights between Bowen hills and the Brisbane airport, cutting the trip to as little as nine minutes. Visit www.herrenknecht.com 36/08.

Request for expressions of interest, deadline 4th August, 2005 for reverse osmosis desalination plant and ancillary work consisting of tunnels, ocean intakes and outlets, pumping stations and distribution infrastructure. The underground works involve tunnels of between 3 m and 4 m diameter with a total length of 10 km to 20 km, and which may need to be constructed in up to four concurrent sections to meet the construction time frame; smaller tunnels that may require microtunnelling and directional drilling; and ocean inlet and outlet works and associated tunnels of between 3 m and 4 m diameter with lengths of 1 km to 2 km. Visit www.sydneywater.com.au or https://tenders.nsw.gov.au/sydneywater or contact Sydney Water, Sydney, fax +61 293504321. E-mail mike.watts@sydneywater.com.au 29/05.The Blue Water joint venture, consisting of John Holland and Veolia Water, will design, construct, operate and maintain the Sydney desalination plant for 20 years. John Holland's interest in the project is valued at approximately AUD600 million out of a AUD960 million contract. The project includes microtunnelling in residential areas, an intake tunnel between the sea and the screening facility, and an outlet tunnel between the filtration and reverse osmosis facilities and the sea. The intake tunnel is 2,579 m long, 4,150 mm bored diameter and 3,400 mm finished internal diameter. The outlet tunnel is 2,579 m long, 4,100 mm bored diameter and 3,400 mm finished internal diameter. A 14 m TBM burial chamber will be constructed for each tunnel. Two double shield hard rock Herrenknecht TBMs will be used. Launch tunnels for the TBMs will be excavated using a Mitsui S200 roadheader. Click here. Visit www.johnholland.com.au and www.herrenknecht.com 12/08.

  $1 billion road and rail tunnel under the Brisbane river under planning. The 5 km North South Bypass Tunnel would link the southeast Freeway at Woolloongabba with the Inner-City Bypass at Bowen Hills. Pre-feasibility study completed in September, 2001. 01/02.The Brisbane City Council proposes to construct the north-south bypass tunnel which is intended to connect the M1 (Pacific motorway) and Ipswich Road to the south with the Inner City Bypass to the north of the Central Business District / Fortitude Valley. The proposed route will generally follow the alignment of Ipswich Road/Main Street at Woolloongabba in the south, cross under the Brisbane River beneath the Story Bridge and the river bank at Kangaroo Point and then proceed through Fortitude Valley and exit at Bowen Hills northeast of the city, where it would connect with the Inner City Bypass. The project, which will consist of twin 4.7 km two-lane tunnels, is part of the implementation of the Transport Plan for Brisbane 2002-2016. Given the length, a TBM is the most likely technology to construct it. The project is in the detailed feasibility stage. More in E-News Weekly 38/2004. Read E-News Weekly 10/2004, 11/2003, 30/2002 & 16/2002. Visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au 37/04.The Brisbane City Council invites qualified groups to express and register their interest in bidding for the North-South Bypass Tunnel project. Deadline 29th April, 2005. The successful bidder's responsibilities will include financing, design, construction, operation, maintenance and repair of the NSBT during the concession period (about 35 years). Toll collection will also be required. The project would have two parallel road tunnels, with the main tunnels approximately 5.2 km in length and each with two lanes. The project would be constructed in rock below the city and under the Brisbane River. It would link the Inner City Bypass and Lutwyche Road in the north with Ipswich Road and the southeast Freeway in the south. There will be connections to the Inner City Bypass and Lutwyche Road at Bowen Hills, the southeast Freeway and Ipswich Road at Woolloongabba, and Shafston Avenue at Kangaroo Point; cross passages connecting the tunnels for emergency exits; a ventilation system for managing in-tunnel air quality; two ventilation outlets, one in Woolloongabba and one in Bowen Hills, and a ventilation fan station adjacent to each ventilation outlet; a fire and safety system, supported by CCTV surveillance; in-tunnel traffic management and control centre; and emergency service facilities. Download the expression of interest document from Brisbane City Council tenders at https://olr1.brisbane.qld.gov.au/etendering/app/ProjectDetails?id=2871or e-mail nsbtinfo@brisbane.qld.gov.au or cliff.chidlow@brisbane.qld.gov.au for more information. Also visit www.nsbt-eis.com 11/05.The three bidders for the 2 x 5.2 km north-south bypass tunnel are RiverCity Motorway including Leighton Contractors, Baulderstone Hornibrook and Bilfinger Berger Concessions, with consultants Maunsell, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Golders and EDAW Gillespies and bank ABN Amro; BrisConnections including Thiess, John Holland and Hochtief, with bank Macquarie Bank; and Brisbane Express Motorway including Bouygues, Egis and McConnell Dowell. Visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au 27/05.Two teams are bidding for the DBFO contract for the 2 x 5.2 km north-south bypass tunnel (NSBT) on the east side of Brisbane. RiverCity Motorway (Leighton Contractors, Baulderstone Hornibrook and Bilfinger Berger Concessions) and BrisConnections (Thiess, John Holland and Hochtief) will submit their bids in December. The 12 m-diameter tunnels will pass through sedimentary and metamorphic rocks as well as Brisbane tuff. The SKM-Connell Wagner JV is the city's technical adviser. The contract is scheduled to be awarded next May, with construction expected to end in late 2009. Visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au 39/05.RiverCity Motorway consortium of Leighton Contractors, Bilfinger Berger's Concessions and Baulderstone Hornibrook arms, and ABN Amro has won the bid to build, own and operate a 45-year concession on the 2 x 5.2 km North South Bypass Tunnel (NSTB) project in Brisbane. The contract, awarded by Brisbane City Council, is valued in excess of AUD2 billion. The exact cost of the project or council contribution cannot be revealed until the end of the financial year after the contract with the winning consortium is actually signed. The contract is expected to be finalized in late July, with works to begin as early as August with the tunnel due to open 49 months after. Two tunnel boring machines, roadheaders, and blasting would be used to build the tunnel, which will carry two lanes per tube. The tunnel will be operational by 2010. Click au/21. View video here. Visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au, www.nsbt-eis.com, www.leightoncontractors.com.au and www.bh.com.au 19/06.The JV of Leighton Contractors, Baulderstone Hornibrook and Bilfinger Berger will receive two Herrenknecht hard rock TBMs (machines S-375 and S-376) for the NSBT (North-South Bypass Tunnel). They are 12,340 mm-diameter double shield machines, with respective lengths of 4,348 m for the first TBM and 4,067 m for the second, each featuring a cutterhead power of 4,200 kW and a cutterhead torque of 17,974 kNm. The geology is Brisbane tuff, Neranleigh-Fernvale beds and rhyolitic ignimbrite. The first stone was officially laid on 26th August on the entry points to the NSBT which will link Woolloongabba to Bowen Hills. The first delivery is expected in September 2007 with excavation starting in December 2007. Read E-News Weekly 29/2006. Visit www.herrenknecht.com 44/06.Infrastructure and engineering company United Group has finalised terms worth about AUD300 million for new works linked to the North South Bypass Tunnel (NSBT) in Brisbane. United Group has been nominated as mechanical and electrical subcontractor to the tunnel's builders, the Leighton Contractors and Baulderstone Hornibrook/Bilfinger Berger joint venture. United Group will look after the design, installation, and commissioning of all electrical, mechanical, controls, communications and fire services, as well as looking after ongoing maintenance of the tunnel for five years. Read E-News Weekly 29/2006. Visit www.unitedgroupltd.com and www.rivercitymotorway.net.au 06/07.

  To be extended northwards 4.6 km with 5 stations. Start scheduled for 2001 on 5 year project. Possible further extension southwards for 5.12 km with 8 stations. May 1998.   Preannouncement by Wiener Linien of intention to extend line 1. Contact by fax +43 17 9096 1090 or visit http://ted.eur-op.eu.int 02/01.   Invitations to tender, value $480 million, expected in May 2001 for 4.6 km-long northern extension to line 1 from Kragraner Platz to Leopoldau with five stations, of which 2 km will be underground with two cut-and-cover stations. Design by Schicki with Eggenfellner. Work on 5-year programme to start August, 2001. Visit www.metropla.net/eu/vie/wien.htm and www.wien.gv.at 12/01.   Open invitation to tender, deadline 12th April, 2001, for construction of metro line 1 extension. Contact Wiener Linien, fax +43 1 7909 61090, or visit www.wien.gv.at 13/01.   Award of construction contract for Line 1 extension to Universale, Bilfinger & Berger, Alpine Mayreder consortium. Visit www.bilfingerberger.com 42/01.   Trevi Group appointed as subcontractor by a jv of Habau, Held & Franke and Holzmann for Line U1 extension between Kagran and Leopoldau awarded for ATS63.3 billion. Continuous background walls and artificial tunnel. Work to begin in November, 2001 with completion targeted for August, 2003. Visit www.trevispa.com 47/01.   1.29 km of 1.76 km metro extension under construction by Ostu Stettin in saturated gravel and sand using combination of 20 sheet piling caissons, each 60 m-long x 10 m-wide, with watertight, back-anchored subaqueous concrete base. Piles 15.5 m-deep are driven to set caissons. Completion expected November 2004. Visit www.oestu-stettin.at 30/02.

  Denys is building 7.6 km of sewers on the left bank of the Canal of Willebroek and the Senne River in North Brussels, as part of a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) contract awarded to Aquiris, a Franco-Belgian consortium led by Veolia Water for the Brussels North wastewater treatment plant. The entirety of the sewers is constructed by no-dig techniques. There are 11 rectangular start and exit shafts and 15 pipejacked sections built at a depth of 10-18 m, with variable diameters (900 cm, 1.6 m, 1.8 m, 2.2 m and 2.5 m), in alluvial water-bearing ground composed of sand and grind, with lime and clay layers. Five Herrenknecht mixshield TBMs, four already owned by Denys and one newly purchased machine, are being used to excavate the sewer sections. The longest section totals 1,023 m and is driven with the new 2.2 m-diametre TBM. Laser guidance is provided for each drive by SLS-RV systems from VMT GmbH with reinforced concrete pipes supplied by Socea. Warman hydraulic pumps and 6" to 8" discharge ducts remove the slurry. Difficult conditions under Leopold II tunnel requiring to clear wood piles at the cutter head through a man-hole air lock access. Glassfibre rebar cages supplied by Fortius to allow smooth, efficient arrival of TBM at exit shafts. Total investment by Aquiris will be around EUR290 million. Sewers to be complete in September 2005. The plant will be commissioned in September 2007. Visit www.denys.com, www.herrenknecht.com, www.vmt-gmbh.com and www.fortius.be 35/04.

  Extension from Paulista through Republica to Luz under the city centre commenced and conversion of two suburban railway lines to metro operations under consideration by secretary for metropolitan transport. Existing metro network will increase by 85 km to 134 km by 2004. April 1999. Suburban rail authority Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos reports that construction is pushing ahead on the first stage of Sao Paulo metro Line 5 to serve six stations with 6.7 km elevated, 2 km at grade and 0.7 km underground for completion 2002. The line will later be extended to Embuacu on Line 2 via an interchange with Line 1 at Santa Cruz. December 1999.   Prequalification bids have been invited by the end of May, 2000 for construction of the 13.5 km-long underground section of Line 4, part-financed by the World Bank and Brazil's National Bank for Economic & Social Development with the balance from the private sector on a modified BOT basis. The US$2 billion, 12-station line will run from Luz in the city centre to the southwest and is expected to carry about one million passengers a day. The winning private-sector company will build the line and then operate it and keep the profits for a period to be negotiated before handing over all fixed and moving assets. January 2000.   Prequalification for the 12.8 km Yellow Line 4 between Luz and Pí¡tio Vila Sônia. 10.3 km to be shield-driven, of which 5.2 km in soft soil and rock between Fradique Coutinho and Vila Sônia plus 5.1 km in soft soil only between Fradique Coutinho and Luz. Also 1.6 km in NATM and 800 metres in cut-and-cover. First phase, to be completed in 2006, includes five stations in Luz, Repíºblica, Paulista, Pinheiros, and Butantí£ for US$934 million. All stations in NATM except Repíºblica. Prequalifiers to be disclosed on 21st March, 2002. Awarding expected for June, 2002. Second phase includes stations in Higiení³polis, Oscar Freire, Fradique Coutinho, Faria Lima, Tríªs Poderes, and Morumbi. Civil works represent 60%, financed by the World Bank, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and the State Treasure. Finishing works, systems and rolling stock to be financed under a 30-year BOT agreement. Total cost of US$1.3 billion. Visit www.metro.sp.gov.br and www.stm.sp.gov.br 51/01.   Lot 1 Luz-Fradique Coutinho has received 15 bids, lot 2 Fradique Coutinho-Vila Sônia has received 14 bids and lot 3 Pí¡tio Vila Sônia has received 16 bids. The bidders are: Fiat / Ivai / Comsa; Hochtief / T'Trans / Pem / Scheider; Impregilo; Ingenieros Civiles / MPE Serveng Civilsan / EBE; Somague / Efacec; OHL / Encalso / Isolux; Dywidag / Cartellone / IECSA / Impulse; Dragados / Techint; CBPO / OAS / Alstom; Bouygues / Carioca Engenheria Construbase; Camargo Correa / Siemens / Mitsui; Andrade Gutierrez / Cobra Instal. Queiroz Galví£o, Wayss & Freytag / Schahin / Constran / Cegelec; Necso / Elecnor; Obayashi / Estacon / Sumitomo; Modern / Construcap / Edwards; Mendes / Balfour Beatty. Preferred bidders to be appointed in November, 2002. Visit www.metro.sp.gov.br 17/02.   $934 million necessary to build the 14 km line, of which $418 million will come from the World Bank, $322 million from the Treasury and $194 million from private investors. Work to start in 2003. Visit www.metro.sp.gov.br 22/02.   The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (BIRD) has granted a US$209 million loan for the construction of the US$934 million 12.8 km-long underground Yellow Line 4. Visit www.worldbank.org 28/02.   Metro company Companhia do Metropolitano de Sao Paulo (CMSP) has suspended the process for a tender to build the first phase of the 12.8 km-long Line 4. Nine consortia that prequalified in September 2002 purchased bidding rules. Offers were due on 14th March, 2003. The new date to submit offers is still unknown but will be set within one month. The decision gives the company time to answer the 700 queries regarding the tender process and to sort out legal proceedings from companies who failed to prequalify. Visit www.metro.sp.gov.br 13/03.  Consortium Via Amarela (CBPO Engenharia, OAS, Alstom and Queiroz Galví£o is the lowest bidder for contracts 1 and 2 of the first stage of the line, with bids of US$304 million and US$254 million approximately. A three-month period has now open to analyse the bid. The first stage of Line 4, with a budget of US$1.26 billion, requires 12.8 km of tunnels and five stations in Butantí£, Pinheiros, Paulista, Repíºblica and Luz. It is planned to be ready in 2006. The second stage will add six more stations. Visit www.stm.sp.gov.br 28/03.Consortium Via Amarela including CBPO Engenharia, OAS, Queiroz Galví£o and Alstom will be responsible for the construction of the first stage of line 4. This first stage includes 12.8 km of tunnel between Vila Sonia depot and Luz station. There are five stations (Butantí£, Pinheiros, Paulista, Repíºblica and Luz). The Camargo Corríªa-led consortium including Andrade Gutierroz and Siemens will build the Vila Sonia rolling stock maintenance depot. The contracts should be signed within 30 days. Work will start in November 2003.The second stage includes six more stations (Morumbi, Tríªs Poderes, Faria Lima, Fradique Coutinho, Oscar Freire and Higiení³polis), which will take 36 months to build. An extension of the line to Taboao da Serra is under study. Visit www.stm.sp.gov.br and www.metro.sp.gov.br 38/03.The Via Amarela consortium, comprising of Odebrecht, Queiro & Galvao, OAS and Alstom, subcontracted to SELI part of the construction of Line 4 Yellow. It is a 12.8 km line between Vila Sonia and Luz, fully underground, which consists of a single-tube tunnel, whereof approximately 7.7 km by an Herrenknecht EPB TBM, 4.5 km using three-boom jumbos as per NATM and 800 m in cut-and-cover. The TBM diameter is 9.5 m. Precast concrete segments reinforced with fibres, using Same moulds. Conveyor belt behind the TBM and Schoema muck haulage equipment. TBM to start in September 2006. Visit www.herrenknecht.com, www.schoema-locos.de and contact s.a.m.e@samesnc.comThere are also 11 stations (using the cut-and-cover method at Morumbi, Tres Poderes, Faria Lima, Fradique Coutinho and Republica and NATM at Butanta, Pinheiro, Oscar Freire, Paulista, Higiení³polis and Luz) and 11 shafts. Geology is gneiss saprolite, gneiss, clay, alluvium and sands. SELI's part of the EUR480 million contract amounts to EUR30 million. First phase underway, including construction of Butanta, Pinheiros, Paulista, Republica and Luz stations, Vila Sonia rolling stock depot and cut-and-cover stretch. Second phase will include Morumbi, Tres Poderes, Faria Lima, Fradique Coutinho, Oscar Freire and Higienopolis stations as well as TBM and NATM tunnels. Line 4 Yellow will intersect with Line 1 Blue in Luz, Line 2 Green in Paulista and Line 3 Red in Republica. Visit www.selitunnel.com and www.metro.sp.gov.br/expansao/amarela/teamarela.shtml 41/05.Agencia Estado has reported progress on Line 4 extension to connect Lux district with Vila Sonia district with total length of 12.8 km and 11 stations. The SELI EPB www.selitunnel.com has completed 5.8 km from Faria Lima to Republica, and is under maintenance ready to relaunch in February, 2009 for the remaining 1.6 km run to Luz. Completion expected end-July, 2009. The 5.4 km section from Faria Lima to Patio da Vila Sonia is under construction using NATM techniques. For details of geology visit tunnelbuilder archive br/11 and for alignment map visit www.metro.sp.gov.br/ingles/expansion/sumary/alignment/tealignment.shtml. 04/09.

  13.5 km eastern extension of Line 1 along Changâ€â„¢an Street between Xidan and Bawangfen which has been under construction since 1996 should be completed by May, 2000 at a cost of $0.9 billion. Test operations underway on 10.7 km section between West Tianâ€â„¢anmen Square and Sihui and work proceeding on section between Tianâ€â„¢anmen Square and Xidan. Westside South-North Line with total length of 19.5 km under feasibility study. Contact Gao Yucai, MD, Beijing Mass Transit Railway Corporation, No 2 Beiheyan Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, China 100044, tel +86 10 832 0560, fax 832 0077. November 1999. Metro line 5 will be constructed by Beijing Underground Construction Group Pte Ltd using new 6.2 m-diameter Herrenknecht EPB value $5 million. Visit www.herrenknecht.com May 2000.Five sections of Line 5 from Dongdan north to Yonghegong will be constructed by Beijing Underground Construction Group using a new Herrenknecht 6.2 m-diameter EPB scheduled for delivery November, 2000. Lining will comprise six-piece 1.2 m-wide segmental concrete rings with i.d. 5.4 m. The first job in January, 2001 will be a test tunnel from Beixinqiao to Yonghegong in Quaternary clayey soil with sand, gravel and silt with 25 mm maximum particle size where the water table is at 6 m to 10 m below surface level. Visit www.herrenknecht.com June 2000.   Beijing No 5 Subway Line Investment Co Ltd, 37.5% owned by SNC-Lavalin, has secured $1.45 billion funding to start five-year construction of 27.6 km-long No 5 line. Final design approved for link between Songjiazhuang in Fengtai district in the south to Taipingzhuang in Changping district in the north, and 700 m-long test section is under construction. Visit www.snc-lavalin.com and www.herrenknecht.com 18/01. Herrenknecht reports 6.2 m EPB launch from shaft at Lama Temple for 680 m drive to Beixinqiao Station at an average depth of 20 m in silty clays, fine sands and gravels with maximum water table 10 m above crown. First 60 m completed using screw conveyor to skips, then backup taken underground and connected. Precast concrete ring with straight, right and left segments, 1.2 m-long and 300 mm-thick. Average 2 rings/12h-day, max 3 rings during launch. Non-cement grout pumped from surface to tailskin. Herrenknecht responsible for first 100 m of excavation including site set-up, settlement control, ring quality and training. Visit www.herrenknecht.com 31/01.   Construction of No. 13 subway line between Beijing urban ring and international airport announced at 5th Beijing-Hong Kong Economic Co-operation Symposium. Line will be 18.15 km-long with 1.63 km at grade, 12.82 km elevated, and 3.7 km underground, and will start driving north-east at Wangjingxi station and have nine stations. Cost estimated at 4.3 billion yuan for construction between January, 2002 and December, 2004. Overseas investment invited. Visit www.xinhua.net 45/01.  Beijing Construction Engineering Co. Ltd. and Bilfinger+Berger are to invest a further US$9 million in their jv Chang Cheng Bilfinger Berger Construction Engineering Corp. Ltd. to lobby for the construction of Beijing's No. 5 subway line. The north-south 27.7 km No. 5 metro line is urgently needed by Beijing as it will be the main artery between the city's southern areas and its north, where the Olympic Games village will be located. 10/02.Plans have been approved for Line 10 of the Beijing Metro and construction work is expected to begin at the end of this year. Phase one, which also includes the Olympic Extension, will run largely underground. It will be 24.59 km-long with 22 underground stations while the Olympic Extension will be 5.91 km long and have four underground stations. Altogether, the 33 km line will have 28 stations, of which 27 stations will be constructed underground. Line 10 will pass through the Central Business District and will intersect with Lines 1, 4 and 5 and the City Rail Line System. Tenders for various engineering and civil work contracts are being invited and completion is scheduled before the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. The total investment is estimated at US$873.25 million. 45/03.MTR Corporation, Hong Kong's metro operator, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Beijing Infrastructure Investment Co. Ltd and Beijing Capital Group to form a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for construction and operation of Line 4. The total investment for metro line 4 is about USD1.9 billion. The 28.65 km line is underground, running from south of the fourth ring road at Majialou Station to north of the Summer Xuan Sun Wu, Xi Cheng and Hai Dian Districts. It will be Beijing's main north-south traffic artery and one of the major infrastructure projects for the 2008 Olympic Games. Visit www.mtr.com.hk 20/04.Bernold-Ceresola has been awarded the contract to supply six sets of 6,000 mm stationary moulds by Beijing Ruibo Cement Products for the concrete segments of the Beijing metro line 4. Visit www.bernold-ceresola.com 21/04.The Beijing metro Olympic extension construction contract has been awarded to a joint venture comprising China Railway Engineering Company, China Railway Electrify Bureau Group Company and China Railway Third Bureau Group Company. The BOT contract is valued at USD133.53 million. The Olympic extension on Line 10 will be 4.34 km long and the entire line will run underground. There will be four stations and it will be the only metro line reaching the central area of the Olympic Park. Completion is scheduled for June 2008. 25/05.

  Double-stack container 30.5 km West Rail link through northwest New Territories with 3.6 km tunnel at Ching Cheung Road/Wing Shun Street and 5.7 km tunnel at Castle Peak Road/Kam Tin Valley. Five design/build contracts expected September, 1998. Bored and cut/cover. Expected start 1999 with completion 2003. Second phase to extend route 20 km to Shenzhen border for completion 2011. Client: Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation. April 1998.   Five original design packages split into 12 contracts worth HK$30 bn and tenders imminent. Two of these are for Tai Lam tunnel. Nov 1998.   1.8 km x 8.75 m diameter twin-tube Kwai Tsing/Tsing Tsuen tunnel to be driven in mixed ground by jv of Dragages & Travaux Publics (Bouyges) and Zen Pacific using NFM EPB/hardrock TBM with semi-automatic segment erector to be delivered end-1999. Also incuded in this contract is the 1.7 km Ha Kwai Chung tunnel and a short cut-and-cover section. 5.5 km Tai Lam tunnel between Tsuen Wan and Kam Tin awarded to jv of Nishimatsu and Dragages & Travaux Publics. All tunnels scheduled for completion December, 2002. February 1999.   Nishimatsu/Dragages-Bouygues jv to use two new generation Atlas Copco WL 3C drillrigs with full drilling automation for 5.5 km Tai Lam tunnel. Contract involves drill/blast excavation of 700,000 cu m for tunnel and stations. December 1999. NFM reports its 8.75 m EPB with automatic segment erection on KCRC has completed 1 km to date in 200 MPa gneiss and recorded 300 m in August, comfortably meeting planned progress rates. Visit www.framatome.fr October 2000.Drill/blast excavation completed on 24th March, 2001 when Dragages et Travaux Publics (H.K) junctioned with Nishimatsu Construction on programme and within 25 mm at the mid point of the 5.5 km-long Tai Lam Tunnel. Visit www.nishimatsu.co.jp 14/01.Tenders have been invited by the Hong Kong government for the Kowloon Southern Link (KSL) of the West Rail. This is a 4.5 km underground rail section that will link up the West Rail terminus from Nam Cheong station to the East Rail at Tsim Sha Tsui station. The stretch from Nam Cheong to West Kowloon and another section underneath Salisbury Road will be mainly constructed by the cut-and-cover method. The tunnel along Canton Road will be bored to mitigate traffic disturbance. Estimated cost is HKD $8.3 billion. Construction start in early 2005 for completion in early 2009. Visit www.info.gov.hk and www.kcrc.com 19/04.The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) has combined contracts KDB-300 and KDB-400 into a single contract as part of the northern section of the 3.8 km Kowloon Southern Link (KSL). The northern section includes 1.9 km of tunnel using cut-and-cover, drill/blast or a TBM from Jordan Road to the West Rail terminus at Nam Cheong station. The five groups invited to bid for the building of contract KDB-300/400 (northern section) are: Balfour Beatty Gammon; China State Construction Engineering Corp. / Costain; Kier; Paul Y / Penta Ocean; and Maeda / Barbican Construction.The project also includes a southern section, as part of contract KDB-200, which includes 1.2 km of twin tunnels between Canton Road and Jordan Road, using a TBM, and West Kowloon station. The four groups invited to bid for the design and building of contract KDB-200 (southern section) are: Nishimatsu and Ove Arup as designer; Leighton, Balfour Beatty Gammon, Kumagai Gumi and John Holland with Mott Connell and Meinhardt as designers; Dragages, China State and Leader with Maunsell, Black & Veatch and Coffey as designers; and Paul Y, SELI and Maeda with Atkins China and Parsons Brinckerhoff as designers. Subscribe to E-News Weekly 48/2004 & 35/2004. Visit www.kcrc.com 53/04-01/05.The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) announced the award of three major civil construction contracts for Kowloon Southern Link at a combined value of about HKD3.1 billion. The contracts to design and build the northern section from Nam Cheong station to Yau Ma Tei ventilation building (contract KBD-400) and from Yau Ma Tei ventilation building to West Kowloon station at Jordan Road (contract KBD-300) were both awarded to China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) Ltd. at a price of about HKD636 million and HKD447 million respectively. The northern section comprises the construction of 1.9 km of tunnel, using cut-and-cover or drill-and-blast techniques from the West Rail terminus at Nam Cheong station to Jordan Road. Visit www.cscechk.com/main_e.htm 33-34/05.Contract KBD-200 to design and build the southern section from West Kowloon station to East Tsim Sha Tsui station and West Kowloon station was awarded to a JV which comprises Leighton Contractors, Balfour Beatty, Gammon, Kumagai Gumi and John Holland, at a price of about HKD2,018 million. The southern section involves the excavation of 1.1 km of twin tunnels, of which 740 m between Jordan Road and Canton Road using a massive mixed ground TBM, and the cut-and-cover method along Salisbury Road. The civil, structural, geotechnical and mechanical and electrical design has been commissioned to Mott Connell and Meinhardt. Visit www.leightoncontractors.com.au, www.balfourbeatty.com, www.mottconnell.com.hk and www.meinhardt.com.au 33-34/05.The 3.8 km-long rail section will connect Nam Cheong station, the southern terminus of West Rail, with East Tsim Sha Tsui station of East Rail, with an intermediate station at West Kowloon. Upon its completion in 2009, passengers will only take 30 minutes to travel from Tin Shui Wai to Tsim Sha Tsui East. Read E-News Weekly 48/2004, 35/2004 & 40/2002. Click cn/21. Visit www.kcrc.com 33-34/05.Invitation to tender, deadline 14th October, 2005 for supply and installation of a tunnel ventilation system to support the railway operation in the Kowloon Southern Link project, and modifications to the existing tunnel ventilation control systems across the West Rail and Tsim Sha Tsui extension. Visit www.kcrc.com/eng/corporate/business/tender.asp?ref=16028 or contact Johnny Tam, Senior Manager - Procurement & Contracts, Project Support Department, Capital Projects Division, Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, KCRC Hung Hom Building, 8 Cheong Wan Road, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel. +852 21636186, fax +852 27661093. 35/05.The Link 200 JV including Leighton Contractors, its affiliate John Holland, Balfour Beatty, its affiliate Gammon Construction, and Kumagai will use a Herrenknecht mixshield/slurry TBM to bore a twin 1 km-long tunnel from Jordan Road to East Tsim Sha Tsui Station on the Kowloon Southern Link (contract KBD-200), which will connect the West Rail with the East Rail. The owner is Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC). Excavated diameter is 8.05 m and internal diameter is 7 m. Visit www.herrenknecht.comThe tunnels encounter a full range of ground conditions including completely decomposed granite (CDG), mixed face of CDG and granite, full face of granite, potential for encountering two faults and mixed face of CDG, alluvium and marine deposit.The TBM components are being manufactured in Germany and China. Final assembly will take place in Canton. The machine is due for delivery in June. It is about 80 metres long and weighs around 800 tonnes. The supplier of the laser survey equipment for guidance is VMT. Visit www.vmt-gmbh.deSegmental precast concrete lining (6 + 1, universal taper, two types, a 1.5 m-long ring and a 1.2 m-long ring). The segments will be manufactured in China at an existing precast plant using CBE moulds and shipped to site. The segments will be produced by subcontractor Redland Precast Concrete Products. Slurry transport and separation plant by Pigott Shaft Drilling of Preston (UK). Visit www.cbe-tunnels.com, www.redlandprecast.com.hk and www.mudcleaning.comWest Kowloon Station is 336 m long x 28 m wide x 20 m deep below ground and 20 m above ground. Contract KDB-200 also includes a 100 m cut-and-cover tunnel to North (connecting to KDB-300) and a 150 m cut-and-cover tunnel to South (connecting to bored tunnels). Also, approx. 50 m of cut-and-cover tunnel connecting the existing East Rail tunnels with the new tunnels. Click cn/21. Visit www.leightonasia.com/data/pdf/LeightonNewsJan06.pdf and www.kcrc.com/eng/corporate/project/index.asp?page=KSL 16/06.

  18.5 km from Xilang to East Station to be commissioned June, 1999 at final cost of $US1.53 billion. April 1999.   Construction of 21.34 km-long section of Metro Line 2 commenced in July, 1998 for completion 2003 at a cost of $1.2 billion. Undergoing feasibility studies is Suburban LRT Line with a total length of 26 km. Contact Director, Guangzhou Preparatory Office of Underground Railroad, No 204 Huanshi Road, Guangzhou, China 510010. November 1999.   Work commenced on 23.3 km-long Line 2 with 22 stations at projected cost of $1.3 billion. Phase 1 being undertaken by Shanghai Tunnel Shareholding Company involves TBM boring 190 m-long connection under Pearl river from Haihu Square station site for completion in 2002. Project commissioning scheduled for 2004. May 2000. North-south line 2 will use four Herrenknecht EPBs: two newly-manufactured machines Nos 179 and 180, and two 6.55 m-diameter machines Nos 134 and 135. Visit www.herrenknecht.com Sept 2000. First lot of present extension awarded to Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co (STEC) with two TBMs by Mitsubishi/Robbins with STEC, in China. Visit www.robbinstbm.com October 2000. Two new lots awarded this year: north tunnel to Ministry of Railways Tunnel Bureau with two new Herrenknecht TBMs; and south tunnel to Guangzhou Municipal Dunjian Underground Construction Engineering Co.,Ltd who have purchased another two Herrenknecht machines. Each of the four machines will bore approx. 2 km in weathered mudstone/claystone up to 60 Mpa with some clay areas. The machines have VMT guidance and are EPB with hard rock features including cutters, powerful drive, stabilisers and optional semi-open or open mode. Segments are 1.5 m long, 5 + 1 (left and right), outside diameter 6.0 m, inside 5.4 m. The moulds & segment design by Ceresola AG. Visit www.ceresola.com and www.herrenknecht.com October 2000. Subway Corporation of Guangzhou City has submitted feasibility study for a high-capacity, 120 km/h third line to commence construction end-2001. Second 80 km/h line currently under construction at 23.27 km-long will be operational in 2003. Fourth line in preliminary design. Visit www.herrenknecht.de December 2000. Fourth subway planned 17.7 km to Bazhou and fifth from Guangzhou Baiyun Airport 35.3 km to Guangzhou East Railway Station. To date, five stations on the second subway, Jiangxia 23.265 km to Bazhou, have been excavated. Detailed plans for third subway, from Guangzhou East Railway Station 32 km to Panyu District, have been submitted to the State Development Planning Commission. Visit www.xinhua.cn 15/01. Construction of 8.55 km-long experimental section of third metro line, crossing Pearl River twice and with five stations, to start late-2001. 35.75 km-long third line from Guangzhou East Railway Station to Panyu District will be Y-shaped and have 18 stations. Completion is planned for 2007 at $1.92 billion. Visit www.xinhua.cn 24/01.Government approval for line 3 with 18 stations over 35.75 km length. The main line will run from Guangzhou east railway station to the Fanyu Square with 13 stops. Extension line from Tianhe bus stop to East Tianhe Street will have five stops. Construction of 8.5 km-long experimental line to start end-2001. Visit www.xinhua.cn 32/01.