The last of 16 drives on the 22km Bangkok Metro Blue line was scheduled to finish early this month. Machine breakthrough will herald the completion of boring on the southern section of the scheme, the northern section having been completed in December 1999.
Four EPB machines have been working on the southern contract for JV BCKT comprising Germany’s Bilfinger & Berger, Japan’s Kumagai Gumi and Tokyu and major Thai player Charn Karnchang. The Southern contract was split into two: South section 1 and South section 2. Work began in 1996 on the line which is formed mainly in the difficult soft marine clays of the Chjao Phrya river flood plain. The tunnels run along road routes through the city because deep piles fill most of the underground space in building plots.
BCKT launched two Kawasaki EPBMs in June 1999 on South Section 1 from Rama 9 station, followed by two reconditioned Herrenknechts on South section 2 from Sirikit station, the northbound drive in August 1999 and the southbound in July 1999. All of the EPBM machines have an outside diameter of 6.4m and the concrete segmentally lined tunnels will be 5.7m id. The two Herrenknecht machines were originally used on the Taipei MRT project in Taiwan.
Construction co-ordination manager Christian Schulz from Bilfinger& Berger told T&TI that the northbound tunnel between Sam Yan to Hua Lamphong stations would be the last to finish. The civils work is on schedule.
Work on the 18 stations, mainly two level diaphragm wall structures, is in the fitting out stage with M&E installation underway and walkways in most of the tunnels. Partial opening is scheduled for the end of 2002, slightly beyond the original date, with complete opening in the middle of 2003.
Future extensions of the line are already under consideration, says Schulz.
Related Files
Map of the alignment of the Bangkok Metro Blue Line
