1.

0 INTRODUCTION

In a cut and cover tunnel, the structure is built inside an excavation and covered over with backfill material when construction of the structure is complete. This method is used when the tunnel profile is shallow and the excavation from the surface is possible, economical and acceptable. There are two types to employ to build cut and cover tunnels is bottom up and top down. Top down method is usually constructed at congested area where the road cannot be diverted. It is suitable in a limited space. This method is lower environmental impact. Top down is the method where the existing condition can be remaining. The other benefit of this method is it can control dust pollution and noise pollution and allows early restoration of the ground surface above the tunnel. On the other hand, these methods is have more complicated connections and have potential water leakage at the joints between the slabs and the walls and have a lot of risk to handle.

2.0 DESIGN CONSIDERATION

1| Page

Factor to be considered in design of top down method are; 1. The Site & It Surrounding Area The KSL (Kowloon Southern Link) is a 3.75km, wholly underground, twin-track railway. The line will run from the overrun tunnels west of the current East Rail terminus at East Tsim Sha Tsui to the overrun tunnels south of the current West Rail terminus at Nam Cheong in the Sham Shui Po district. The site is surrounded by a tourist and cultural environment. To the east, west and north of the site is a commercial area, which comprises hotels, shopping malls and retail outlets. 2. Urban Context The railway runs through two distinct areas. The south section is a very dense, highlydeveloped, urban environment , whilst the north is less developed, being fairly newly reclaimed land. South section: East Tsim Sha Tsui station to Jordan. Road Running beneath the urban fabric of the Kowloon Peninsula in the tourist and shopping district of Tsim Sha Tsui, this area is characterized by a heavily trafficked road network with a dense mix of building types and uses, mainly hotel, commercial, and retail, but some residential blocks. Buildings range from new to listed historical structures. The purpose of the study was to confirm that it would be technically possible to build the KSL having due regard to environmental matters and other issues such as constructability, land ownership, heritage structures, traffic, access, effects on business, demolition, underpinning, and building resumption. 3. Geotechnical and Engineering Aspect Various sections of the site contain registered slopes and retaining walls. These features should be investigated and stabilized where necessary as part of the development. New development at the site should be restricted to above 4 m to avoid affecting the possible Kowloon Southern Link. Structural elements, such as foundations, floor slabs and utilities are allowed below 4 m, but should be restricted to above -0.6m on the railway reserve and should comply with the requirements of the relevant government departments. Development below 4m to provide for offsite pedestrian connection to the north-east of the site is allowed. Underneath the platform are some disjointed tunnels/chambers. Part of them will require preservation and stabilization works. Further investigations of their conditions are required. The design for new utility systems and any diversions of or new connections to existing systems should be agreed with the relevant works departments and in consultation with the concerned public utility organizations.
2| Page

4. Environmental Aspect The development will be a Designated Project under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Ordinance, if there are major works within the Marine Police headquarters and its compound and/or the tunnels under the platform are affected. The prospective developer is required to apply for an EIA Study Brief, conduct an EIA Study and obtain an environmental permit prior to the construction of the development. 5. Traffic and Transport Aspect On-site parking is not encouraged taking into consideration the site constraint. Loading/unloading spaces should be provided at the rate of one space for every 800m2-1200m2 gross floor area for commercial use and for the Chinese Cuisine Promotion Centre. Should hotel use be proposed, the corresponding loading/unloading spaces and lay-bys for coaches and taxis/cars should be provided according to the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines. Provision of laybys for taxi/private car/coach is encouraged. Vehicular access to the site should be restricted to the eastern side of the site connecting Kowloon Park Drive. The platform level should be vehicle-free, except for any necessary emergency vehicular access. Necessary emergency vehicular access should be provided to the development to the satisfaction of Director of Fire Services. The pavements on which the site abuts along Canton Road, Salisbury Road and Kowloon Park Drive should be widened to 4 metres, 5 metres and 4 metres respectively. The widened pavements should be constructed to the satisfaction of Director of Highways. If the existing bus-bay next to the site at Canton Road is affected by the development, the prospective developer should liaise with Transport Department for its reprovisioning. Allowance for pedestrian connections should be made for possible linkages with Hong Kong Hotel, Star House, the commercial site at 1 Peking Road, the existing subway across Kowloon Park Drive, the subways under construction at the junctions of Kowloon Park Drive/Salisbury Road and Kowloon Park Drive/Peking Road, the proposed KCRC East Rail Extension Middle Road Subway and the waterfront promenade/Star Ferry pier across Salisbury Road.
3.0 CASE STUDY: KAWLOON SOUTHERN LINK RAILWAY

3.1 Case Study Background

3| Page

The Kowloon Southern Link railway project connects the West Rail Line and East Rail Line and involved the design and construction of the four-level underground Austin Station, twin tunnels of more than eight meters in diameter and a 50-metre long section of cut-and-cover tunnels. In 2005, Kawloon Central Route Cooperation (KCRC) contracted to extend West Rail with the Kowloon Southern Link, a 3.8 km under-ground twin track formed by extending the overrun tunnel at West Rails Nam Cheong station to East Tsim Sha Tsui station. As part of the project, the existing 1.2 km tunnel section between East Tsim Sha Tsui station and Hung Hom station will be equipped with new railway system facilities to allow West Rail trains to terminate at Hung Hom station. This provides the travelling public with a convenient and direct point of transfer between these two railway corridors. One new underground station will be added West Kowloon Station. To maximize operational efficiency, KCRC continues to use SelTrac communications- based train control technology and maintains an attendant on boar

3.2 Basic Information

Project Title: Central Kowloon Route Name of Project Proponent: Highways Department, HKSAR Government Project Duration: 2005-2009
4| Page

Cost of Project: HK$ 2 Million Purpose and Nature of the Project: The major objective of the Project is to relieve the vehicular traffic loading on the existing urban distributor roads across the Kowloon peninsula, including Boundary Street, Prince Edward Road, Argyle Street, Waterloo Road, Chatham Road North and Gascoigne Road Flyover. A dual 3-lane tunnel is proposed between the West Kowloon Reclamation and the Kai Tak Development.

3.3 Location and Scale of Project:

5| Page

6| Page

4.0 METHOD STATEMENT

SEQUENCE DIAGHRAM While process of works are carried Kowloon the boring constructing the out near The buildings, link is constructed out to monitor the Southern surveys are carried by following for any settlement thatofmay occur in any of This bottom-up method tunnel construction. the buildings during the bore process. method starts by excavating a trench to begin the boring process. The trench is reinforced with diaphragm walls and steel struts.

The machine in charge of digging the tunnel is While the boring works are carried out near the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM). Once the buildings, surveys are carried out to monitor for trench is completed, the assembly of the TBM is any settlement that may occur in any of the done by feeding the components down to the buildings during the bore process. trench by using a crane one component at a time. The assembly that is done in the trench has 2 parts which is the boring machine and the conveyor belt that is used to convey all the debris that is bored out of the tunnel. On the other end of the tunnel, the soil is The bottom-up method that is used allows the extracted to form another trench similar to the construction to be done acommodate structures trench at the start to under existing the TBM without interfering with their original purpose. arriving. Upon arrival, the TBM is then One of theand brought up on to the surfaceboring dismantled existing structured that the works did under was the Kowloon Park Drive flyover.

Diagram 4.4: Tunnel segmentof the TBM Diagram 4.1: The assembly installation

Diagram 4.5: Settlement monitoring process Diagram 4.2: Conveyor belt attached to the TBM

Diagram 4.6: Dismantling the TBM Diagram 4.3: Boring works under Flyover

7| Page

5.0 CONCLUSION

The construction of tunneling top-down method bears a very spectacular status in the entire construction process. It often marks the success of a project in terms of its profitability, effective use of valuable resources, insurance of contract time and quality and safety considerations. Various professions would have their own involvement in the basement construction process and each of them has their own concerns. It is not easy to formulate a simple yet straight forward solution to get everything right from this method. Better understanding of the variety of possible methods and practices, as well as knowing the constraints when handling tunneling works, there is higher chance to complete the work with a more acceptable result Single-issued methodology or managerial system can hardly serve the targets of completing a relatively large-scaled yet complex tunnel project. A highly dynamic, tailor-made and quick-responded approach may be the most workable way in solving problems in tunnel construction. The competency and practical experience of the key players work in accordance to the unique physical environments and other confining conditions inherited in each project is very helpful. Abundant supply of resources, strong support in IT and computer facilities, or even with plentiful funding backup, may not be a guarantee to the success of this tunnel projects.

8| Page

References 1. http://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/p_study/comp_s/mp_hq/final_report_pdf/MarinePolice _FR_appendix_VIa.pdf 2. www.epd.gov.hk/eia/register/profile/latest/esb156.pdf\

3. http://www.thalesgroup.com/Case_Studies/D3S_casestudy_West_Rail-

_Kowloon_Southern_Link
4. http://www.leightonasia.com/en/what-we-do/pages/civil-and-infrastructure-

showcase.aspx/kowloon-southern-link 5. Kowloon Southern Link - Construction Animation, http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=fD4wuPB7uQg 6. TUNNEL BORING MACHINE (TBM) METHOD, http://www.p3planningengineer.com/productivity/tunneling/tunneling.htm

9| Page