About the project:

Tunnelling Solutions was engaged by Laing O’Rourke in the early stages of this iconic project within Sydney’s Central Station. The concept was to construct a materials-handling tunnel eliminating the need for track closures to remove material from the live platforms 16-23.

Project snapshot:

• Massive public working environment with a huge amount of stakeholder engagement to ensure all risks were mitigated and methodology communicated and understood by all parties.
• Our specialised roadheader tunnelling machine named Matilda excavated through sandstone in an extremely sensitive live rail area.
• The vertical auger boring machine bores upwards from the culvert stubs to the live train platform above.

Completed work:

• 68m long x 6m wide and 5.5m arched tunnel comprising of canopy tubes, lattice girders, shotcrete and GRP anchor bolts completed under the live train platform.
• Designed bespoke vertical auger boring machine to bore from adit culvert stubs under the live train platform above.
• Constructed four small tunnel stubs (culvert stubs) which served as starting points for vertical boreholes, specifically 900mm in diameter, drilled upwards from below to a live train platform.
• Hand excavation (1.5m x 1.5m wide x 4.5m deep) with timber support reception shafts constructed on live train platforms for the 900mm bored shaft.