PROJECT SHOWS LOCAL EXPERTS’ CAPABILITIES
Malaysians recount their experience in building mega project
THE construction of seven underground stations of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Sungai Buloh-Kajang (SBK) Line Phase Two has proven that local talent, including architects, designers and engineers, can undertake a world-class mega project.
One of the youngest engineers involved in this project, Izyan Syahirah Hasanuddin, 26, said various factors had to be taken into account in planning and building the underground stations, including the geological settings underneath the city.
She said the underground alignment for the SBK Line navigated past two geological settings, which were the Kenny Hill Formation (sedimentary rock and sand formation) and Kuala Lumpur Karstic Limestone Formation.
“Fifty per cent of the underground alignment was in the form of extreme karstic limestone. And, to dig the tunnel, we had to maintain the equilibrium of the sub-surface geological system containing underground reservoirs and water-filled cavities.
“It is challenging as any disturbances from underground activities could cause karstic sinkholes and ground subsidence.
“To overcome that, 10 tunnel boring machines (TBM) were used to dig in the ground as the TBM is the most efficient machine in clearing ground, be it all rock, all soft soil or all sand,” Izyan said at the Cochrane MRT station recently.
Extreme karstic is a geological formation consisting of weakly soluble bedrock, such as limestone eroded by mildly acidic water over millions of years, leaving behind unstable caverns, cliffs and pinnacles in the depth of the city.
She said the most physically and mentally taxing moment was during the intervention process, which required her to temporarily stop the TBM to look at the underground cavity being dug.
“You cannot imagine how I felt when I faced temperatures of 38°C, the nauseating smell of dirt and the darkness, with limited movement in the tunnel,” said Izyan, who holds a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
Izyan said she was thankful for the opportunities given to her in undertaking the task as it was a specialised field, usually dominated by men and more often by foreigners.
Another engineer, Ismail Bukhari Wan Ibrahim, 27, who joined the MRT project when he was 23, after graduation, said: “It was almost impossible for fresh graduates to land such a post abroad. So, when MMC-Gamuda KVMRT (T) Sdn Bhd made the offer, I could not refuse.
“It offered a unique learning platform, and each day, it gave me a new experience and knowledge, as well as problems to solve,” said the Universiti Teknologi Mara graduate.
MMC-Gamuda KVMRT architectural manager Tricia Low Yi Ching said among those seven underground stations, Tun Razak Exchange was the deepest station for the SBK Line, with a depth of 45m, equivalent to a 13storey building.
She said designing the underground stations’ interiors was a challenge as the company needed to design a layout for ventilation and emergency exit routes.
“To allow perfect ventilation in and out of the stations, we needed to create a sustainable layout at entrances,” said Low, who has 12 years’ working experience.
She said the underground stations’ design had taken into account the flash flood factor, so that its operation would not be affected should the problem arise.
“Historically, flooding does occur at the station areas.
“Hence, we have installed flood boards below the floor to prevent water from entering the stations.”
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will launch the second phase tomorrow. Bernama