Tunnelling experts from Austria and Japan are being called in to advise on possible remedial action required as part of an investigation into water leaks on Taiwan’s Hsuehshan road tunnel which opened earlier this year after 13 years of construction.
The introduction of experts in the use of the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) was confirmed by Yang Yeong-bin, an academic who is heading up a team probing the cause of the leaks.
The 20-strong taskforce led by Yang, professor of civil engineering and the chairman of Taiwan’s civil and hydraulic institute, is due to lodge a report on the issue by the end of this year. The team was appointed by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications following public concern about the water leakage.
The group has already concluded that the tunnel is structurally sound, while the National Expressway Engineering Bureau has taken some initial measures, including additional grouting, to stem the leaks.
Yang believed a detection and measuring system is needed to monitor any long-term deformation in the tunnel’s concrete lining. An initial assessment showed there were about 40 areas along the 13km long tunnel that were subject to water leakage.
Construction of the tunnel, part of the 31km Peiyi expressway between Taipei and Ilan, was delayed for years because of poor ground conditions and flooding.
