Page 30 - CO October 2021

interaction INFrATrACK

Urja became the fi rst Breakthrough TBM on

Bengaluru Metro Phase II

Founded in 2007, China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Corporation Ltd. (CRCHI) is a large
and professional equipment manufacturer specialized in developing and producing smart tunneling
equipment and high-end rail transit system. In an exclusive interview to CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIES,
BILLY PENG, DY. GENERAL MANAGER, CHINA RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION HEAVY INDUSTRY CORPORATION LTD
(CRCHI) speaks about the recent breakthrough achieved for nAMMA Metro Phase II, his company’s
range of product or solutions, R&D and innovation and a lot more.
recently your TbM Urja, made a breakthrough after completing challenging. Based on the difficulties, CRCHI has carried out a
a section of 855 metres from Cantonment to Shivajinagar number of specific designs for this Hard rock slurry TBM to ensure
stations, could you take us thru the challenges and how you smooth tunneling under complicated geological conditions such
overcame them. as heavy duty cutter head, 19 inch disc cutters, active articulation
First of all, Bengaluru metro project is recognized as one of the + stabilizer, Advanced geological detecting, EMS etc.
most difficult TBM tunnel works around the world with frequent Due to the Pandemic, CRCHI has met a lot of difficulties such
stratum variations. The total as no flight and visa termination. But CRCHI took quickly actions
section is a distance of 855 and organized local service team supporting the project for
meters, among them 250 assembling, commissioning, test drive and trouble shooting etc.,
meters upto 200MPa full face and then the entire Chinese experts reached to strength the
hard rock and 350 meters backup. Since the last 2 years, CRCHI has continuously provided
boulders and bottom hard top service to our clients.
soft ground encountered; the Thanks for the efforts of L&T and CRCHI team, uRJA (DZ670) made
balance 255 meters consisted the breakthrough as the first TBM in all of 9 TBMs in this project.
of silt or backfill stratum. Apart TBM VInDHYA (DZ672) is estimated to make a breakthrough early
from that, TBM passed through of Oct.
the oldest settlements of
Bengaluru city with a minimum Which are the metro projects in which you are present, their
7.6 meters shallow overburden, current status, scope of work and cost, timeline for completion?
which made much more CRCHI has delivered more than thousands of all kinds of TBMs

30 COnSTRuCTIOn OPPORTunITIES|OCTObEr 2021