California: Delta Conveyance Project On May 16, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) released a benefit-cost analysis for the Delta Conveyance Project that finds the infrastructure modernization project would create billions of dollars in benefits for California communities, including reliable water supplies, climate change adaptation, earthquake preparedness and improved water quality. For every $1 spent, $2.20 in benefits would be generated. The report also shows the very real cost of doing nothing, posing significant future challenges to supplying water to California communities. “The De ..read more

The Drainage Tunnel follows I-35 from its northern terminus to Cesar Chavez Street, then under Cesar Chavez Street to a pump station at the 183 intersection. AECOM announced on May 13 that it has been selected by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to provide project inspection services for the construction of drainage tunnels for the next phase of its $4.5 billion Capital Express (CapEx) Central project in Austin. The project includes the delivery of two large-diameter drainage tunnels and a pump station to provide storm drainage infrastructure relieve flooding and improve safety a ..read more

The super-large diameter slurry TBM “Chunfeng” successfully broke through the Chunfeng Highway Tunnel, the first “single-bore double-deck” motor vehicle tunnel in Shenzhen, which has been significant to the construction of tunnels in complex strata with large diameters, long distances, high water pressures and multiple fault zones in China. This Φ15.8m TBM is 135m long and weighs about 4,800 tons, whose total power exceeds 11,500kW. The Shenzhen Chunfeng Highway Tunnel has a total length of 5.08km with the 3.6km-long section excavated by the TBM, which is characterised by the “large diameter ..read more

The Call for Papers for the 2025 Rapid Excavation and Tunneling Conference (RETC) is open through June 30, 2024. Prospective authors are invited to submit a 100-word abstract via RETC.org/Abstract-Submission. The ideal paper presents the solutions and outcomes to interesting or unique challenges. Suggested topics include: Contract Practices – Making a Successful Project Design – Pushing the Industry Envelope Successful Alternative Contract Delivery Overcoming Difficult Ground Drill and Blast – Faster, Better, Cheaper Environment, Health and Safety – Lessons Learned Planning for Future Projec ..read more

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) announced on April 2 that it has successfully completed tunneling for the D Line Subway Extension Project that will connect downtown L.A. with West L.A. This major construction milestone was accomplished safely in one of the densest and most geologically challenging urban corridors in the L.A. region and nation. “This safe completion of tunneling through this part of Los Angeles is a milestone in Metro’s work to expand fast and reliable public transit across the region,” said Karen Bass, L.A. City Mayor and Metro Board Chair ..read more

TBM: Tunnel Business Magazine caught up with industry veteran Jarrod Rice of Clean Slurry Technology to talk about the latest in slurry separation technology for tunneling and microtunneling applications. In these situations, slurry serves as the critical factor in maintaining peak production. Identifying and maintaining the right equipment and slurry chemistry for the job are paramount to effective and efficient operations. Please give us a brief overview of Clean Slurry Technology and its role within the industry. Clean Slurry Technology (CST) specializes in solids control and has developed ..read more

DUNE Project Aims to Unlock Secrets of the Universe Scientists from around the world are embarking on an ambitious program to help unlock the secrets of the universe as part of the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). The DUNE project comprises a consortium of more than 1,400 scientists and engineers representing over 200 institutions in 36 countries. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is the host lab for DUNE, which is on the leading edge of neutrino science. According to DOE, neutrinos are the most abundant particles that have m ..read more

Webuild, a global leader when it comes to underground excavations, has created a factory at Terni, Italy, to assemble and regenerate tunnel boring machines (TBMs) so that the Group can reduce its CAPEX and operational costs. The new factory represents the last piece of the Group’s investment plan in innovation and training to create quality employment in Italy. Webuild will have in total 58 TBMs considering those already operating, those being assembled, those that have been ordered and those that will be ordered for planned projects. When these machines have completed the project for which t ..read more

Each year, outstanding individuals who have made a lasting impact on the market in the United States are recognized with the presentation of the Microtunneling Achievement Awards. These awards are presented by course organizers at the annual Microtunneling Short Course, which was held May 7-9 in Scottsdale, Arizona. During the course’s banquet dinner on May 8, industry stalwarts Craig Camp, Evaristo “Evarett” Cruz, and John Fowler were recognized for their contributions. Craig Camp Camp Born and raised in North Idaho, the Coeur d’Alene mining district, Camp graduated from Coeur d’Alene Sr. Hig ..read more

By Gary Brierley, Todd Kilduff and Becky Brock So far in Parts 1, 2, and 3 we have discussed the Owner’s responsibilities for preparing a contract document for a microtunneling project, the Contractor’s responsibility for preparing its bid based on a “reasonable and prudent” interpretation of that document, and what happens when the Contractor for a microtunneling project encounters what it believes to be a Differing Site Condition (DSC) during construction. Part 4 will provide a compendium of discussions about the various types of DSC claims for microtunneling projects based on the author’s ..read more