IAC News

Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown Tunnel Construction Keele to Yonge Project

◆ Background

In this project, a joint venture group led by Obayashi Canada; a local company of Obayashi Corporation and Kenaidan Contracting Ltd., one of the Obayashi Group companies, constructed single track twin tunnels (inside diameter: 5.8 m) with a total length of 6.5 km each (first section: 3.6 km; second section: 2.9 km), as part of the LRT line connecting the east and west sides of Toronto in Ontario, Canada. The earth pressure balance (EPB) type shield machine was applied. Though the project is located in Toronto; the fourth biggest city in North America, it was difficult to hire miners due to a short history of shield tunnel construction in the city. We needed to train and supervise non-skilled workers and ensure planned means and method to achieve sufficient workmanship.

◆ Challenges

Generally speaking, construction projects in North America are characterized by higher labor costs and more difficult labor management compared with Japan. In this project, we also spent much time managing workers from labor union. There was no experienced subcontractors due to the short history of shield construction in this area, and thus the primary contractor had to directly hire each foreperson and worker as miners and manage them throughout all stages during construction such as safety issues and construction means and methods, in order to proceed with the construction project.

In such a working environment, construction risks unique to overseas projects are to be judged and managed. In an overseas project like this one, it is quite normal to excavate a long distance while carrying out intervention and replacing cutter bits underground. By hiring local workers, the majority of whom had not many experience in tunnel work, we had to safely proceed with the long-distance shield tunnel construction project while providing the workers with education and guidance on construction.

Also, the risk allcation between a contractor and an owner is strictly determined in accordance with the contract. Therefore, when bidding for a project, even like this one involving high-risk work such as NATM excavation of cross passages (eight in total), it is imperative to identify construction risks and offer competitive price at the same time. This is what decides the bid results. It is important to evaluate risks while confirming the aspects specific to the site and project from various perspectives from the bidding stage, before actually bidding for the project, concluding the contract, formulating the plan, and proceeding with the construction.

These kinds of challenges unique to overseas projects are too numerous to mention. At the same time, they are a precious experience that can be gained only overseas. If you regard the experience as an opportunity for personal growth as a civil engineer, you will motivate by yourself to work, and when the construction is finished without any accident, you will feel a profound sense of relief and accomplishment.

◆ For Young Engineers

Canada, a country with multicultural policies, is sometimes regarded as a “cultural mosaic”, which describes the characteristics of the project team. Completion of the construction project required cooperation among multinational staff and workers who place a top priority on their own values. I believe that working with colleagues who have a different culture and sense of value is a good opportunity not only to know the world outside but also to search your soul. We encourage young engineers to challenge themselves by working overseas projects.

Location Map

Crossing an Existing Subway Line

At Arrival Shaft

Hiroyoshi Kawasaki
(Manager, Management dept. Civil Engineering Division, Obayashi Corp.)

Kenji Yamauchi
(Deputy General Manager, Civil Engineering dept. North America branch, Obayashi Corp.)

Fumitaka Katafuchi
(General Manager, Civil Engineering dept. North America branch, Obayashi Corp.)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    【Report by Fumitaka Katafuchi, Kenji Yamauchi, Hiroyoshi Kawasaki, (Obayashi Corp.)】

Japanese Civil Engineers the Global Leaders Symposium Series No. 14
“The Project on Rehabilitation and Recovery from Typhoon Yolanda” in the Philippines by JICA’s Project

International Activities Center hosted “Japanese Civil Engineers the Global Leaders Symposium Series No.14” at 2nd floor of the JSCE auditorium on August 28, 2019. Until the 13th symposium, this series focused on overseas construction projects. But this time, it took another term; the theme was JICA’s rehabilitation and recovery efforts after a natural disaster. The date of the symposium was right before the Disaster Preparedness Day, Sept. 1 and over 60 people attended the event. The program was as follows:

Typhoon Yolanda was a very powerful typhoon unprecedented in the observation history that hit Leyte Island in the Philippines in November 2013. There were 6,300 casualties, and economic loss was estimated at 200 billion yen, due to strong winds and storm surges. Many countries offered assistance from right after the disaster.
In the symposium, after an opening speech by Mr. Makio Shichijo, Ms. Miki Inaoka talked about the importance of disaster prevention to support sustainable development, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and international trends, and the characteristics of JICA as a donor.
After a break, four lecturers from JICA and FRICS who were engaged in the Yolanda project made presentations about various aspects.
Active discussions were made in the question and answer session, which covered emergency assistance policy and how to approach disaster prevention for infrastructure. In the closing, Mr. Yoshiaki Higuchi summarized the symposium, and Mr. Yukihiro Tsukada made a closing speech.
The next symposium will be held on Feb. 5, 2020, focusing on the Vietnamese Railway Bridge Rehabilitation Project.

Mr. Hirabayashi Introduces Case Study of Rehabilitation and Recovery from Typhoon Yolanda
 

【Reported by Yoshiaki Higuchi (Oriental Consultants Co., Ltd.),
JSCE Fellow, Director of International Center, JSCE】