Hyundai Engineering & Construction Begins Construction of Korea's First Han River Underwater Road Tunnel

by Kim Hye Min

Published 13 Dec.2022 18:04(KST)

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong and other attendees are participating in the "Gimpo-Paju Hangang Tunnel TBM Excavation Ceremony" at Songchon-dong, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do, on the afternoon of December 13, 2022. (Photo by Hyundai Construction)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] Hyundai Engineering & Construction has commenced the construction of the first road tunnel in Korea to cross beneath the Han River. This project utilizes a TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) method instead of the traditional blasting technique using explosives.

On the 13th, Hyundai Engineering & Construction held a commemorative ceremony for the Han River Tunnel TBM excavation at the 'Expressway No. 400 Gimpo~Paju Section Construction Project Section 2' site in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. Attendees included Won Heeryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport; Kim Ilhwan, Vice President of Korea Expressway Corporation; Park Seunggi, President of the Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement; and Yoon Youngjun, President of Hyundai Engineering & Construction.

The TBM is a tunneling machine that drills through rock by rotating a cutter head equipped with multiple cutters. Compared to the blasting method using explosives, it produces less noise, vibration, and dust, while improving constructability and safety. Minister Won stated, "The TBM equipment uses a mechanical excavation method, making it an advanced machine that considers both safety and the environment. We will redefine the ordering and design standards to establish a foundation for activating the TBM method and promote research projects for developing a Korean-style TBM."

The 'Expressway No. 400 Gimpo~Paju Section Construction Project Section 2' is a 6.734 km road connecting Magok-ri, Haseong-myeon, Gimpo City, Gyeonggi Province to Yeondasan-dong, Paju City, as part of the construction of the Metropolitan Area 2nd Ring Expressway. It includes a 2.98 km tunnel passing under the Han River. The Han River Tunnel section is considered a challenging site due to the relatively shallow soil thickness above the tunnel and high water pressure.

To safely excavate beneath the Han River, Hyundai Engineering & Construction adopted the 'immersed shield TBM method.' This method handles all tunnel construction processes?from excavation to wall assembly and soil removal?in a one-stop manner. Through a public contest, the large machine was named 'Dudeoji' (Mole).

Given the complexity of the process, Hyundai Engineering & Construction recruited German tunnel experts and conducted additional ground surveys to ensure thorough preparation. Collaborating with Herrenknecht of Germany, which developed this TBM, they applied cutting-edge technologies such as a pressure-balanced cutter replacement system and a face observation camera.

Additionally, various smart technologies will be applied for safe and efficient site operation. Using in-house developed technology, various excavation data and ground information will be collected and analyzed in real time. A central integrated operation system (HOC) will be introduced to remotely support and manage the site. An ICT-based wireless communication environment will be established to ensure smooth data communication throughout the tunnel and to provide a foundation for utilizing various smart construction equipment.

A Hyundai Engineering & Construction official stated, "We have accumulated technical know-how through numerous tunnel projects such as the Boryeong Undersea Tunnel, the longest undersea tunnel in Korea, and the Seobu Arterial Underground Road, the deepest underground tunnel in Korea. With the recent increase in urban railway projects such as the Metropolitan Area Express Train (GTX) lines in urban areas, demand for tunnel construction is rising. We plan to actively introduce various technologies to lead the advancement of tunnel construction."