Junior students from Sir Edmund Hillary School have chosen a name for the tunnel boring machine (TBM) that will be used to create a stormwater diversion during the City Rail Link (CRL) work.
Olympian Valerie Adams inspiration behind name
The machine has been named ‘Valerie’, after Olympic shot-putter Valerie Adams. The name was suggested by Jasmine Matthews (10) and Kauri Poki (11), both big fans of Adams.
The students were invited to the construction site to witness the lowering of the TBM into the City Rail Link Victoria 1 shaft.
Stormwater diversion needed before tunnel construction can begin
The stormwater diversion is needed before construction of the CRL’s cut and cover tunnels along Albert Street can begin. It will be constructed by pipe jacking (micro-tunnelling) along the eastern side of Albert Street, between Swanson and Wellesley streets.
The TBMs will be launched from the shafts, which are up to 18m deep, behind the CRL hoardings and acoustic shed on the corners of Victoria and Albert Streets.
Reception shafts are located on Swanson and Wellesley streets. This trenchless construction technique uses a micro-TBM which simultaneously excavates while installing specially designed, reinforced pipes using powerful hydraulic jacks that drive the TBM through the ground.
