3.6 m-diameter TBM has progressed 2 km and is now reported as stuck. Work has proceeded using drill/blast with a railbound Haggloader 8HR2 feeding two Shuttletrains type HRST 115-CE. Visit www.rockmachines.se August 2000.

Finance of 146.7 billion Won for proposed 2.33 km-long twin tunnels in downtown Pusan raised by Ssangyong, Cho Hung Bank, Hanvit Bank, Pusan Bank and Kyobo Life Insurance together with Pusan City contribution. August 2000.

Hankuk S.E.C. Co. Ltd., a division of Dong-A Geological Engineering Co. Ltd., has purchased a new Lovat 3.07 m diameter EPB/slurry TBM to excavate a cable tunnel in southern Korea at depth 14 m in granite rock formation with RQD values of 60-70 % and UCS of 120-150 MPa. The TBM is equipped with a bi-directional, multiple speed mixed face cuttinghead, with independently fed and operated face injection ports and disc cutters interchangeable with Lovat ripper teeth. The main bearing sealing system is designed for a maximum earth and water pressure of 4 bar under continuous operation in both EPB and slurry modes. Eight hydraulic motors power the cuttinghead, accompanied by one 300kW electric motor coupled to a variable displacement pump. Ten propulsion cylinders provide 850 t of constant thrust and variable extension and retraction speeds to propel the 93 t x 32 m-long TBM and backup. Visit www.lovat.com July 2000.

  KNR has awarded a $290 million design/build contract for the 17.8 km-long Young Dong Railroad Relocation project to a consortium led by Daewoo Corporation. Project includes 16.3 km of new, mixed-traffic, single-track rock tunnel to be driven by drill/blast on a large-radius loop to provide the required gradients between Dong-Baek Mountain station and Do-Ge station in the eastern mountains. Construction period of eight years. Design by Yooshin Engineering Corporation with specialist consultancy services provided by Halcrow/HBI Haerter includes a rescue station at a crossing loop complete with emergency ventilation through a deep shaft. More information from Dr Rudolf Bopp at hbi.bern@bluewing.ch January 2000. Longest rail tunnel in Korea 16.5 km to be ventilated using Shinhan axial flow fans and ducting. Visit www.shinhan-tunnel.com 20/01.Construction of Youngdong Line from Dongbaek to Doghe underway for completion 2007, value $240 million. 16.24 km-long Doghe NATM tunnel at Samcheok City awarded to contracting consortium of Daewoo 40%, Hyundai 30%, SK 20%, others 10%. Visit www.hyundai.com 24/01.

Formal opening of 24.6 km cut-and-cover north-south underground line from Kyeyang to Tongmak with 22 stations. City Hall station is laid out as an interchange with the proposed Line 2, which is in preliminary design. November 1999.

Four-lane, 200 km-long highway from Taejeon to Hamyang and on to Tong-Yong with 8 tunnels totalling 18 km. Longest is 6.4 km at Jang Su under construction by jv of Ilyang and Shin Woo. Others range from 0.7 km to 2.8 km. Profile 13.6 m-wide x 8.2 m-high in granite with rockbolts and shotcrete. Tamrock drillrigs with Sandvik bits. February 1999.

470 km route crosses the country diagonally taking in Chonan, Taejon, Taegu, and Kyongju enroute to Pusan with maximum design speed of 350 km/h and time between terminii of 2 hours. Capacity 520,000 pax/day, serving 60% of the country’s population and 70% of its industry. About one third of alignment is in tunnel. Test section between Chonan and Taejon with two 146m2 tunnels totalling 5.5 km completed in 1996 by Daewoo on $150 million contract. Horseshoe cross-section with 15.4 m width and 11.0 m high using drill/blast with NATM support in granite and gneiss of variable quality. March 1999.