Abstract:

The total length of Red and Orange Line in Kaohsiung Metropolitan Mass Rapid Transit System is 42.7 km of which 34.2 km is underground. Tunnel length constructed by shield tunnelling method is 23.78 km long. Most of tunnels were bored within the modern alluvium of Kaohsiung champaign except for a section of Red Line where tunnels passed through a limestone/mudstone hill. There were some conditions and problems encountered during construction of the shield tunnels, such as passing through under river, harbor channel, existing building, bridge and railroad, boring rock, and the high risk of shield launches, arrivals and construction of cross passage.
This article collects the fundamental information of shield tunnels in Kaohsiung MRT system, including geology conditions, the amount, the type and the supplier of shield machines. It still describes the condition of how to deal with problems that will be encountered in construction during tunnel designing. Last, it shows the methods of solving those problems encountered actually during construction.

Key words: Kaohsiung M.R.T.  , shield tunnel shield machine  , ground treatment  , geology