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40-487: The machine had a diameter of 17.6 metres (57.7 ft), 0.1 metres (0.3 ft) more than Bertha , the previous largest tunnel boring machine . Outside of its cutting diameter, it had an overall length of 120 metres (393 ft 8 in) and weighed 4,850 tonnes (5,346 US-tons). The machine would excavate a 5 km-long underwater tunnel, working at pressures as high as 5 bars. The drilling had taken place in depths of up to 50 m below sea level. By 25 March and 3 November 2015,

80-442: A sinkhole opened near the project site. Governor Jay Inslee halted all work on the tunnel on January 14, 2016, citing concern over public safety after the sinkhole incident. Digging briefly resumed on February 23, but was halted again for maintenance and inspections before resuming full operations on April 29. In December 2015, WSDOT had estimated that the tunnel would be completed and open to traffic in early 2018. The estimate

120-486: A solid-state battery with a capacity of 1000mAh, which the company reckoned is the world's highest in its kind. In February 2024, Japanese Secretary of State Yoko Kamikawa stated that a recent decision by the South Korean government to authorize the transfer of money from Hitatchi Zosen to a South Korean plaintiff who sued for compensation based on the issue of labor from the era of Japan's 1910 to 1945 colonial rule over

160-531: A "safe haven" located ahead of the Alaskan Way Viaduct; allowing WSDOT and STP to prepare for a two-week closure of the viaduct in late April as the machine passed under the vulnerable structure while closely monitored. Following a month of maintenance and inspections, Bertha resumed tunneling on Friday, April 29, 2016, and crossed 15 feet (4.6 m) under the closed viaduct in an 11-day closure in early May that ended earlier than scheduled. In June 2016,

200-543: A builder of fishing vessels and coastal transports. By 1955, Hitachi Zōsen had emerged as one of the largest shipbuilders in Japan. The company also expanded into other markets. In 1957, as part of a technical cooperation with B&W Diesel in Denmark , Hitachi built the world’s largest diesel engine . It also completed its first turn-key overseas plant project with the completion of a chemical fertilizer plant for India in 1964. In

240-575: A political boondoggle by opponents. In January 2015, two Republican state senators introduced a bill in the Washington State Legislature to kill the project, citing Bertha and its delay in particular. The bill was never heard in the state senate and failed to pass the Senate Transportation Committee. Hitachi Zosen Corporation Hitachi Zosen Corporation ( 日立造船株式会社 , Hitachi Zōsen Kabushiki-kaisha )

280-409: Is a major Japanese industrial and engineering corporation. It produces waste treatment plants, industrial plants, precision machinery, industrial machinery, steel mill process equipment, steel structures, construction machinery , tunnel boring machines , and power plants . Despite its name, Hitachi Zosen, of which the last word literally means shipbuilding , no longer builds ships, having spun off

320-496: The 2001 Nisqually earthquake , which led to a need for the replacing of the Alaskan Way Viaduct in the first place. Because the machine cannot cut through metal, the pipe damaged several of Bertha's cutting blades, necessitating blade replacement before the machine could proceed. The pipes' locations were known to WSDOT and the agency thought they had been removed, while STP admitted in a 2019 lawsuit that they had knowledge of

360-575: The surrender of Japan at the end of World War II, under the SCAP 's economic democratization policy (dissolution of the zaibatsu and large business enterprises), the company was spun out from Hitachi, Ltd. in 1947. Since then Hitachi Zōsen has been independent from Hitachi or the Nissan Group although it is still a member of the Shunko-kai and Shunko Kowa-kai . Hitachi Zōsen quickly restarted operations as

400-454: The $ 85 million insurance policy to cover repairs needed after Bertha's cutting teeth were damaged in a collision with a steel pipe in December 2013. In August 2015, a consortium of eight insurers filed a lawsuit against STP in order to avoid a $ 143 million payout to cover the cost of repairs to the boring machine. The insurers claimed that the tunnel-boring machine's capabilities were inadequate for

440-590: The 1980s. By 1988, the company employed only 5,596 workers, down from 24,660 ten years earlier. The company also made strong efforts to diversify away from the shipbuilding roots, expanding especially into industrial and municipal waste disposal facilities. However, its boldest move was in October 2002, when it sold its shipbuilding operations to a new joint venture with NKK Corporation (now JFE Holdings ) called Universal Shipbuilding Corporation (now called Japan Marine United ). In March 2021, Hitachi Zosen unveiled

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480-509: The January 12 sinkhole and what modifications to tunneling operations could be made to prevent further ground-level problems. Digging resumed on February 23, after a WSDOT review determined that new soil monitoring practices were sufficient, allowing the machine conditional permission to bore through 160 feet (49 m) of material and finish the initial testing phase of the machine. By March 14, Bertha had finished its 300-foot (91 m) bore to

520-623: The Onohama Shipyard in Kobe before moving to Osaka and establishing a new shipyard at the junction of the Nakatsu and Aki rivers which could construct ships of under 1000 tons displacement. His first vessel, the Hatsumaru was launched in 1882. Hunter intended to build a company which was completely self-sufficient, and also produced engines, boilers, bridges and irrigation equipment. An additional facility

560-504: The TBM's shield was converted into one the much smaller 14-m to complete the rest of the tunnel alongside another Herrenknecht TBM. The two 14-m TBMs broke through to complete the tunnels on 27 February 2019. The tunnel boring project began in October 2018 after the cutterhead conversion and was completed by the end of 2020. Tuen Mun–Chek Lap Kok was disassembled after the completion of the tunnel. Bertha (tunnel boring machine) Bertha

600-571: The bore scheduled in 14 months' time and the tunnel opening to traffic in December 2015. Over 5,000 members of the public, along with Governor Jay Inslee , were present for the machine's dedication a week prior to the beginning of excavation. By December 6, 2013, Bertha had tunneled 1,019 ft (311 m), or 11%, of the total 9,270 ft (2,830 m) length of the tunnel, stopping about 60 ft (18 m) below ground between South Jackson Street and South Main Street. The machine's progress

640-506: The business to Universal Shipbuilding Corporation in 2002, nor is it a keiretsu company of Hitachi any longer. Hitachi Zōsen's origins go back to April 1, 1881, when British entrepreneur Edward H. Hunter established Osaka Iron Works ( 大阪鉄工所 , Ōsaka Tekkosho ) in Osaka to develop the Japanese steel-making and shipbuilding industry . Hunter had come to Japan in 1865 and had established

680-533: The company into a joint stock company , turned it over to his son, Ryutarō Hanta in 1915. The company continued to prosper, adding the Bingō Dockyard in 1919, Harada Shipbuilding Works in 1920, Hikojima Dockyard in 1924. Many of the iron bridges in Osaka and surrounding areas were designed and built by Osaka Iron Works. The company also began to expand into equipment for hydroelectric power plants in 1924. The company

720-409: The company. Hitachi Zōsen, with over 50% of its revenues from ships was hard hit by the cancellation in orders for supertankers and attempted to survive by turning to oil rigs , oil storage facilities, and steel structures, pipes and bridges. However, with rising material costs and losses due to fixed price contracts, high overhead and redundant facilities meant that the company had to restructure from

760-570: The concrete access vault and began digging through normal soil. Digging was halted once again on January 12, 2016, after a barge carrying excavated dirt tipped over in Elliott Bay , spilling its load and damaging a dock at the Port of Seattle 's Terminal 46. The same day, a sinkhole formed within the tunnel's work zone approximately 35 feet (11 m) north of the access pit; the hole was filled with 250 cubic yards (190 m ) of concrete by contractors

800-484: The damage to the bearing and seals was worse than had been previously reported. Further inspection after the cutting head was removed and disassembled showed damage to the cutter head drive gears, so a new estimate of the repair time and cost was prepared. The front end of the machine was lowered back into the access pit for reassembly in a four-lift process beginning with the repaired cutter drive on August 24, 2015. In June 2015, STP sued to force insurers to payout on

840-468: The following day and was not expected by WSDOT to delay the resumption of digging later in the week. On January 14, 2016, Governor Jay Inslee ordered drilling on the tunnel to stop, invoking a contract clause in the tunnel agreement that allowed the state to suspend work based on unsafe conditions for project personnel or the general public. Before excavation of the tunnel could resume, WSDOT requested that STP complete and deliver an analysis of what caused

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880-510: The machine "Brenda" used on the Northgate Link Extension and University Link Tunnel . Bertha was designed and manufactured by Hitachi Zosen Sakai Works of Osaka, Japan, and was the world's largest earth pressure balance tunnel boring machine, at a cutterhead diameter of 57.5 feet (17.5 m) across. The machine was 326 feet (99 m) long and weighed 6,700 short tons (6,100 t). The machine itself cost $ 80 million and

920-466: The machine originally scheduled to complete the tunnel in December 2015. On December 6, 2013, work was halted approximately 1,083 feet (330 m) into the planned 9,270-foot-long (2,830 m) route because of an unexpected impediment. It was thought that several cutting blades were damaged by striking a steel pipe that had been used to measure groundwater in 2002 around the Alaskan Way Viaduct. However, subsequent investigation revealed that portions of

960-516: The machine, including the damaged cutter head, was successfully lifted onto the surface on the morning of March 31, 2015. STP estimated that fixing Bertha would delay the opening of the new tunnel by an additional nine months to August 2017, which was later extended to March 2018 after additional damage was discovered in June 2015. On May 18, 2015, WSDOT reported to the Seattle City Council that

1000-411: The main bearing seal system were damaged, causing the bearing to overheat during operation. Over the next two years, a recovery pit was dug from the surface in order to access and lift the machine's cutterhead for repair and partial replacement in 2015. Bertha resumed tunnel boring on December 22, 2015, but was stopped in early January 2016 after a tethered barge in Elliott Bay damaged nearby piers and

1040-455: The main-drive unit and tolerances that required repairs in February 2013. Bertha was shipped to the Port of Seattle in 41 sections, arriving on April 2, 2013. Bertha had a special pre-programmed melody that played for workers inside the machine and those monitoring the tunnel-borer. The machine began excavation of the 1.7-mile-long (2.7 km) route on July 30, 2013, with completion of

1080-617: The pipe prior to excavation. In early February 2014, as Bertha was being prepared to resume operation, workers discovered it was overheating and that a damaged main bearings seal needed to be replaced. Multiple options were discussed to fix the problem, but Bertha was expected to be out of commission until March 2015. In December 2014, workers began digging a 120-foot-deep (37 m) pit in order to lift Bertha's front end up to street level for repairs, but were delayed when groundwater pumping caused visible damage to nearby South King Street and some of its neighboring buildings. The front end of

1120-458: The project and should be excluded. It is unclear what triggered the damage to Bertha's main bearing. Problems with the seal system appear to date back to the machine's initial testing in Japan, when the seal assembly was damaged and required repairs. However, Hitachi Zosen general manager Soichi Takaura later stated that "there was nothing wrong with the seals in the original machine", noting that Bertha appeared to function properly before striking

1160-487: The shipbuilding field, Hitachi began to specialize in ever larger sizes of oil tankers, pioneering in methods for computer assisted design and modular, automated construction techniques. Hitachi acquired another shipyard, Maizuru Heavy Industries, in 1971 and opened a new shipyard at Ariake in Kyushu in 1973. However, the global oil crisis of 1973 with its consequent reduction in ship demand resulted in financial difficulties for

1200-596: The tunnel length reached 70% completion. Tunnel boring was completed on April 4, 2017, and the finished tunnel opened to traffic on February 4, 2019. Practically none of Bertha's components were reusable, and most of its steel was melted and recycled. The final, disassembled pieces of Bertha were removed from the tunnel portal in August 2017. Bertha's digging route was divided into 10 zones, representing different types of soil or progress under city landmarks. The two-year stoppage of Bertha has been criticized as an example of

1240-400: The tunnel reached its lowest point, 115 feet (35 m) under Madison Street in downtown. A maintenance stop from June 23 to July 18 was conducted under Spring Street, replacing 33 of the cutterhead's teeth. By September 30, 2016, Bertha had tunneled 4,635 feet (1,413 m), surpassing the halfway mark of the planned 9,270-foot (2,830 m) distance. As of December 15, 2016,

Tuen Mun–Chek Lap Kok TBM - Misplaced Pages Continue

1280-415: The well casing. WSDOT disputed this, and stated that the well casing was not responsible. On December 22, 2015 at 12:30 a.m., the machine resumed digging 1.5 feet (0.46 m) through sand poured into the recovery pit. By January 4, Bertha had traveled 1,098 feet (335 m) of its planned 9,270-foot-long (2,830 m) route from SoDo to South Lake Union . On January 6, 2016, Bertha broke through

1320-579: Was a 57.5-foot-diameter (17.5 m) tunnel boring machine built specifically for the Washington State Department of Transportation 's (WSDOT) Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel project in Seattle , Washington , United States. It was made by Hitachi Zosen Sakai Works in Osaka, Japan , and the machine's assembly was completed in Seattle in June 2013. Tunnel boring began on July 30, 2013, with

1360-724: Was chosen by a panel (that included the Governor and Transportation Secretary) from 150 submissions from kindergarten through 12th graders, who were asked to submit female names with Washington state heritage. The winning entry, which was submitted by two elementary schools in Poulsbo and Hoquiam , was selected in December 2012. Some media have also referred to the machine as "Big Bertha". In March 2016, regional transit agency Sound Transit decided to drop names for its own tunnel boring machines , used for smaller light rail tunnels, citing unwanted association and confusion with Bertha, especially

1400-451: Was established downstream on the Aji river at Sakurajima in 1900 to handle construction of vessels larger than 1000 tons. The first oil tanker built in Japan, the 531-ton Tora maru was launched in 1908, for Standard Oil Company . Another shipyard was constructed at Innoshima, Hiroshima in 1911. Hunter changed his name to "Hanta" in 1915 after marrying a Japanese woman, and after transforming

1440-411: Was halted on that day by an unexpected impediment. After a month's investigation, WSDOT announced that the machine's cutting blades had encountered an 8-inch-diameter (20 cm), 119-foot-long (36 m) steel pipe, one of several well casings left over from a previous 2002 drilling project that had assessed groundwater conditions and soil stability in the area in case of another earthquake, such as

1480-513: Was involved in the conversion of old merchant ships for military use. Hitachi Zōsen also built the Kumano Maru , a transport aircraft carrier , at its Innoshima works in 1945. During World War II , the Osaka Iron Works expanded by opening a new shipyard at Kanagawa and acquiring the existing Mukaishima shipyard in 1943. It also changed its name to Hitachi Zosen Corporation in 1943. After

1520-557: Was owned by Seattle Tunnel Partners (STP), the project contractors. STP is a joint venture of New York-based Dragados USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dragados, S.A., the construction division of ACS Group of Spain ; and Tutor Perini Corporation , based in Sylmar, California. Hitachi Zosen held a completion ceremony for the machine, performed at the same time as the naming ceremony, in Osaka, Japan, on December 20, 2012. Test assembly and shakedown on Bertha in Japan indicated issues with

1560-521: Was re-organized in 1934, coming under the overall control of the Nissan zaibatsu , and was renamed as K.K. Nihon Sangyō Osaka Tekkoshō . While most of the lucrative contracts for naval warships for the Imperial Japanese Navy went to Osaka Iron Work’s competitors, the company did build a large number of smaller auxiliary vessels such as minesweepers , landing craft , transport submarines and

1600-679: Was revised in July 2016 to open in early 2019 with an estimated $ 223 million in cost overruns stemming from the two-year delay. Tunnel boring was completed on April 4, 2017, with Bertha's cutterhead breaking through into a disassembly vault at the tunnel's north portal in South Lake Union. The final disassembled pieces of the boring machine were removed in August 2017, and the finished tunnel opened to traffic on February 4, 2019. Bertha's components were not reusable and were scrapped. The name Bertha, after Seattle's first female mayor, Bertha Knight Landes ,

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