Meet the moles of Malaysia’s largest underground show
up close with the men (and women) running Malaysia’s largest underground show.
AS you read this, the world’s first variable density tunnel boring machine (TBM) is running silently beneath Kuala Lumpur’s streets, putting up the critical links for the upcoming mass rapid transit (MRT) rail link.
This TBM is the pinnacle in mechanised tunnelling, even though diameter-wise (internal diameter at 5.8m), it is smaller than the behemoth that bored the 12.8m-wide Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (Smart) nearly 10 years ago.
Starting at the launch shaft at Cochrane, near Jalan Peel, the first TBM is meant to tackle the 1km stretch between the upcoming Cochrane station and the Pasar Rakyat station, with an average working depth of 30m. This variable density TBM was developed jointly between MMC-Gamuda KVMRT Sdn Bhd and Herrenknecht AG by incorporating lessons learnt from constructing Smart, which proved to be a rather helpful teacher in dispensing some tough lessons about tunnelling through highly-weathered limestone filled with voids and water-filled cavities.
Tunnelling work with the new TBM – which alternates between scraping away earth and rocks, and building the concrete segmental rings that eventually forms the lining or wall of the rail tunnel – was formally launched by the Prime Minister on May 30.
Of course, the competency and dedication of the crew matter just as much as the tools. Malaysia is already highly competent in the construction of small bore tunnels(less than 1.5m in diameter)as well as large bore tunnels, such as those used by automobiles and trains, but our expertise is confined mainly to the more conventional drill-and-blast method, or other more straightforward methods of excavation.
With the exception of Smart, all the road tunnels here are constructed using the drill-and-blast method, like the Genting Sempah tunnel (900m) along the KL-Karak highway and the Menora tunnel (800m) along the North-South Expressway.
The first (and last) rail tunnel done using TBMs was in the 1990s, when a pair of 5km tunnels was excavated for the Putra line (now called Kelana Jaya line) to serve five underground stations (Masjid Jamek-Dang WangiKampung Baru-KLCC-Ampang Park). The lead consultant for the underground portion that opened for service in June 1999 was the Britainbased Halcrow.
Successful tunnelling is ultimately a combination of engineering disciplines, from civil and mechanical to electrical and logistics.
The deployment of TBMs for large bore tunnels has always involved many foreign consultants and experts. But with the commencement of Line 1 of the Klang Valley MRT (KVMRT) project, there is now an opportunity for Malaysia to train a new generation of workers familiar with large-bore mechanised tunnelling.
Previously, the only way Malaysian engineers could gain such experience was to work in places like Hong Kong and Taiwan, or even Singapore.
At the height of KVMRT’s Line 1 construction, up to 10 TBMs will be used to complete one pair of 9.3kmlong tunnels. These TBMs were custom-made by German and Chinese contractors, and could be reused for subsequent lines.
The challenge for any contractor, going forward, is to develop a pool of trained manpower at its disposal. Line 1 provides an opportunity that is unprecedented for Malaysian engineers, both seasoned ones as well as freshies. There are about 500 engineers and technicians directly under MMC-Gamuda’s employment for Line 1, and by the end of the project, Malaysia would have formed a valuable human capital pool.
“When I was with a Japanese consortium building a network of tunnels for a water supply project, Malaysians were rarely, if at all, given the opportunity to learn the difficult aspects of tunnelling. We were mostly confined to project management roles in the civil works,” said Mazuki Mohamad Salleh, now a tunnel manager based at the Cochrane launch shaft.
“For example, in the last project I worked on, the tunnelling team brought in their Japanese engineers, while we locals were only doing site works. Even the tunnelling workers were mostly Indonesians. In the case of KVMRT, we have a local team that is doing everything,” said Mazuki, 37, who joined MMC- Gamuda in December 2011.
Another beneficiary is Ruslan Mohamed, 39, a mechanical and electrical engineer. While he has done work for lots of highway projects, this will be his first allunderground work. Ruslan, who joined MMC-Gamuda last June, confessed that he came into the job with zero knowledge of tunnelling.
“But after weeks of intensive training, including a stint at the TBM supplier’s headquarters in Germany, I now understand how the entire
system comes together, and I am keen to get rolling,” said Ruslan, who is now the TBM electrical superintendent.
MMC-Gamuda’s desire to create a talent pool fully conversant in underground work and mechanised tunnelling has been well received.
Alvin George Francis, 28, who is on his second project with MMCGamuda, is of the opinion that the company puts a lot of hope on young talents.
“Priority is given to the young, and we have been given a good platform to prove ourselves. With this confidence, we can freely mingle with the expatriates to learn from them, as well as to manage our contractors,” said the geotechnical engineering graduate responsible for logistical aspects of TBM assembly and placements.
Freshies like Lim Hui Yan, a Universiti Putra Malaysia graduate in mechanical engineering, are instrumental in overseeing the introduction of a new method of concrete segment fabrication.
“I am indeed lucky to be posted here as tunnel engineer, as tunnelling works rarely involve female engineers. And I discovered that mechanical works play a big part in the success of tunnelling,” said the Johorean, 23.
Fellow female tunnel engineer Mandy Ang Yian Yong, 26, is entrusted with the full gamut of construction tasks ranging from tendering and design to procurement and construction. “I am very grateful for this opportunity. Being a tunnel engineer for almost three years now, I have gained vast technical knowledge and planning strategies,” said the Sarawakian.
Another Sarawakian, Azlan Marzuki Shah Julaihi, 26, said: “My civil engineering knowledge has been put to the test, whether concerning excavation or the building of the tunnel segmental rings. My previous experience was in microtunelling for the 1.5m diameter wastewater tunnel in Kuching. I am now faced with a 6.6m diameter tunnel. Everything is bigger, and this has helped me to be a better tunnel engineer.”
MMC-Gamuda wants to push the younger generation so that they will be world-beaters in underground work.
“We are given a lot of responsibility, so we have no option but to step up and rise to the occasion. I thoroughly enjoy the experience. Large public infrastructure projects usually bring a sense of optimism to communities, and I take great pride in contributing to this,” said Justin Chin Jing Ho, 23, another tunnel engineer.
According to Ubull Din Om, MMCGamuda KVMRT’s general manager for underground works, human capital development is never left to chance at the company.
“Everyone will be moved up in the value chain through on-the-job training, as well as a structured career development programme. Those in the tunnelling team will be trained, monitored, assigned mentors, as well understudy the expatriates.”
Ng Hau Wei, MMC-Gamuda KVMRT’s senior construction manager, feels that it’s important these engineers get to hone their skills over the next 10 years. “And for that to happen, they should get the relevant opportunity right after work on Line 1 finishes. Otherwise, they will lose the opportunity to be experts in their field.”
MMC-Gamuda is already investing heavily in the industry, as seen from its establishment of the Tunnelling Training Academy in Shah Alam, Selangor, to train more technicians. SPM-holders who graduate from TTA are getting about RM2,000 per month.
“We will be able to reduce our reliance on foreign labour, and prepare the Malaysian construction industry for higher technological undertakings, and this is important if a local consortium succeeds in getting future underground work,” Ng added.
Tunnelling is expected to be a huge business as more surface land gets developed, forcing infrastructure like rail, road, and utilities underground. For example, Penang is proposing an undersea tunnel as its third link to the mainland, while the proposed high-speed rail between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore might necessitate another undersea link.
More than RM5bil is flowing to dozens of Malaysian companies that managed to secure work on the underground portion of Line 1 alone, and much more spillover effect will be generated if subsequent tunnelling projects materialise.
“The 500 engineers are only those that work for us, but lots more work for other companies and contractors, including the supply chain. It is not just about MMC-Gamuda. It is about Malaysia being self-sufficient when it comes to tunnelling,” Ng said.