Kawasaki Receives Order for Mixed ground Slurry Shield Machine for Kyoto City Shin-Yamashina Purification Plant Tunnel Construction

Tokyo, August 5, 2019 — Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. announced today its receipt of an order from a specified construction joint venture group (comprising Toda Corporation, Iwata Chizaki Inc., Shoken Co., Ltd., Masudagumi Co., Ltd., and Asahi Construction Co., Ltd.) for one shield machine to be used in construction work on a water-conveyance tunnel for the Shin-Yamashina Purification Plant in Kyoto City. Kawasaki plans to begin onsite delivery of the product in FY 2020.

This latest order is for a 4.0 m diameter Mixed ground slurry shield machine that will be used by the Kyoto City Waterworks Bureau to carry out replacement and seismic reinforcement construction work for a tunnel (built in 1969) used to convey water from the Lake Biwa Canal to the Shin-Yamashina Purification Plant in Kyoto City. Tunnel boring work is slated for completion in 2024.

This project involves a number of daunting technical challenges, including high water pressure conditions (1.6 MPa), sharp curves (the smallest curvature radius is 15 meters), composite ground condition (comprising intermixed rock and soft ground sections), and a long drilling distance (5,234 meters). Thanks to the following design measures, Kawasaki can handle all of these using a single shield machine unit.

1. High Water Pressure Measures
   The seal unit features high pressure resistance and enhanced shield-jack thrust, while the overall shield machine body has been designed with extra strength.
2. Sharp Curve Measures
   This unit is designed to bend sharply from the center when navigating curves.
3. Measures for Long-distance Drilling through Composite ground conditions
   Kawasaki has combined technologies used in its soft ground shield machines with technologies from tunnel boring machines used to excavate rock mass, gravel and other such hard layers, thus achieving a shield machine capable of handling multiple ground condition types. In addition to designing the unit to handle interchangeable cutters for switching between those used for rock excavation and those for soft ground tunneling, Kawasaki has reinforced it through wear-resistance measures to enable long-distance boring operations.

Kawasaki has fulfilled orders for approximately 1,500 shield machines and tunnel boring machines from both domestic and international customers, and the company has wide-ranging experience in tunnel boring under challenging conditions. Past orders have included equipment used to successfully complete construction under 2-megapascal high water pressure conditions. Kawasaki's outstanding technological capabilities, cultivated through rich experience, convinced the Kyoto joint construction venture to place an order with the company for this latest shield machine.

Moving forward, Kawasaki will continue with proactive sales of shield machines and tunnel boring machines with high added value to customers in Japan and beyond.