Showcasing the very best in tunnelling expertise, the highly respected NCE (New Civil Engineer) Tunnelling Awards are designed to recognise top professionals in the tunnelling industry on a global platform.

The awards honour excellence in a total of 13 categories. During the ceremony held in December, our project teams in Hong Kong won two categories, namely TUNNELLING TEAM OF THE YEAR and the INNOVATION IN DESIGN & DELIVERY AWARD.

TUNNELLING TEAM OF THE YEAR
MTR Shatin to Central Link Contract No. 1128

This award reflects the team’s collaborative culture, which contributed to the successful completion of tunnelling works – exceptional quality work that was delivered ahead of schedule.

About the Project

Hong Kong’s FIRST Variable Density Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), designed for thin-to high-density slurry, was adopted to drive through the city’s busiest district. To cope with tight space constraints, a pre-stressed TBM launching structure was developed, which allowed us to launch a TBM within a 40m-deep shaft. This innovative solution also earned the team the “Gold Award – Temporary Works Excellence Award – Civil Engineering Works” in 2017.

INNOVATION IN DESIGN & DELIVERY AWARD
Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link Northern Connection – Sub-sea Tunnel Section

A number of TECHNICAL FIRSTS have been adopted on this project. The “Adapted Techniques for Shaft Crossing with a Large TBM” serve as an exemplar for the industry, and earned the team this esteemed award.

About the Project

The DEEPEST, LONGEST, LARGEST sub-sea tunnel project in Hong Kong, the Tuen-Mun – Chek Lap Kok link is a twin tube constructed with two TBMs with a diameter of 14m each.

At the start of the project, the world’s LARGEST TBM – 17.6m in diameter – was deployed to construct the Northbound tube of the North Approach section. The TBM diameter was then changed to 14m in the North Ventilation Shaft before being launched under the sea.

Three major in-house TBM innovations were adopted in these TBMs, namely MOBYDIC, SNAKE, and TELEMACH. TBM cutters were changed successfully through trimix saturation dives of up to 5.8 bars. Mini-TBMs were also employed to excavate 45 cross passages, which is a FIRST in the world.

To cater for complex ground conditions, a gigantic 15-cell caterpillar-shaped cofferdam with a depth reaching 45m is now under construction to pave the way for cut-and-cover tunnels.