In early July, 2024, the 7.22m-diameter slurry TBM “CREC 1238”, developed and manufactured by China Railway Engineering Equipment Group Co., Ltd. (CREG) successfully passed its Factory Acceptance Test. The TBM is CREG’s first double-shield shield machine to be exported to Singapore for deployment on the Cross Island CR116 Metro Project.
As part of the Singapore Land Transport Authority’s Cross Island Line, CR116 includes the construction of Ang Mo Kio Interchange Station and twin bored tunnels connecting the future Teck Ghee and Ang Mo Kio Interchange Stations. In order to launch the TBM to construct the tunnels, an intermediate launch shaft will be built at the centre of the tunnel alignment between the two stations. With a minimum curve radius of 300m, the twin 600m-long mainline tunnels will pass through geology mainly composed of Bukit Timah Granite interspersed with fracture zones. There are also sections of Kallang strata (clay) and Old Alluvium (OA) strata along the alignment with water pressures of up to 4bars.
To deal with multiple launches and re-launches (up to four times), the TBM has been customized with a double-shell shield to facilitate disassembly in the tunnel. Special auxiliary structures are also designed to allow for the quick assembly and disassembly of the main drive, segment erector and back-up systems, which can reduce the turnaround time for the next tunnel drive. To simplify the assembly and disassembly of slurry pipelines in the shield, an integrated pipeline bracket system has been designed. In addition, to overcome the challenges of launching the TBM in a narrow launch shaft, the pipeline extension gantry has been designed to deploy in the launch shaft instead. The TBM also incorporates other ancillary features such as staircases to access the segment erector’s working platform, and symmetrically distributed slurry pipelines on the back-up system.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) awarded the civil contract for the design and construction of Ang Mo Kio station and tunnels under the first phase of the Cross Island Line (CRL1) to Gammon Construction and Engineering Pte. Ltd – Bachy Soletanche Singapore Pte. Ltd. Joint Venture at a value of $644M.
The CRL is Singapore’s eighth MRT line. It will serve existing and future developments in the eastern, north-eastern and western corridors, linking major hubs such as Jurong Lake District, Punggol Digital District and Changi region. The CRL will have almost half of its stations as interchanges with other rail lines, making it easier and more convenient for commuters to travel across the rail network.
CRL1 is 29km long and comprises 12 stations from Aviation Park to Bright Hill[1]. This will serve residential and industrial areas in Loyang, Tampines, Pasir Ris, Defu, Hougang, Serangoon North and Ang Mo Kio and benefit more than 100,000 households. With CRL1, common recreational spaces such as Changi Beach Park and Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park will be more accessible by public transport. Studies on the details of subsequent CRL phases are ongoing.
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