Sydney Metro West has recorded a milestone in tunnel construction, using a Lining Erector Machine (LEM) to line the mined service tunnels that will connect to the future stabling and maintenance facility in Clyde.
The machine has been customised for this 24km underground metro railway project in New South Wales, Australia. It placed precast segments produced at the Eastern Creek precast yard along two service tunnels each measuring over 700m in length.
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This represents the first time such technology has been applied to roadheader-excavated tunnels, which typically require cast-in-situ concrete linings. In comparison, tunnel boring machines (TBMs) both excavate and install tunnel wall segments simultaneously.
The conventional approach for roadheader tunnels involves assembling large formwork, pumping concrete from above ground, and conducting several staged pours, a process known to be slow and labour-intensive.
Adapting technology inspired by TBMs, engineers refined the LEM during the project so it could assemble an entire tunnel ring, comprising four segments, within approximately one hour.
The final service tunnel lined in this way is 762m long with a diameter of 6m. The full lining of this tunnel was completed over two months.
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By GlobalDataThe LEM measures about 55m in length and 6m in width, with a weight of 310t.
Over the course of its operation on the Sydney Metro West project, it has installed 3,438 segments in total for the service tunnels that will eventually bring trains to the new maintenance facility.
Last month, TBM Betty broke through into a cavern beneath Westmead, marking completion of tunnelling at the western end of the Sydney Metro West line. This brought major tunnelling work for the future metro link from Westmead to Sydney’s central business district to 93% completion.
Once operational, Sydney Metro West is expected to cut travel times between Westmead and the CBD to 22 minutes.
The new metro station at Westmead will be within walking distance of several health and education facilities. It will offer connections to existing transport links such as T1 and T5 trains at Westmead Station, Parramatta Light Rail, the T-way and local buses.
Shifting transport underground is also projected to reduce road congestion and support emergency vehicle movement. Sydney Metro West is scheduled to open in 2032.
