Thai Bauer involved in new metro line in Bangkok 

Thai Bauer involved in new metro line in Bangkok 

With approximately 16 million inhabitants in the Bangkok metropolitan area – including more than 8 million in the immediate urban area – the Thai capital with its catchment area is one of the most densely populated cities in the world.

To permanently ease road traffic and create a public means of transport for the growing population, the Bangkok Metro (MRT), the subway system of the Thai capital, opened in 2004 under the supervision of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA).

The existing metro lines, which are marked with the colors blue (Blue Line) and purple (Purple Line), cover 35 stops over a distance of approx. 28 miles (45 km). In addition to the current expansion of existing lines, another line is now under construction: the MRT Orange Line. In the future, this will complement the existing MRT network and provide a link between the eastern suburbs of Bangkok and the city center of the metropolis. 

As well as having undertaken specialist foundation engineering works for the MRT Blue Line, Purple Line and Green Line extension, Thai Bauer Co. Ltd., the Thai subsidiary of Bauer Spezialtiefbau GmbH, was recently commissioned by the contractor, the Joint  Venture Ch. Karnchang – Sino Thai, to carry out various specialist foundation engineering works for the construction of the new metro line. More than 370 bored piles with diameters of between 800 and 2,000 mm are being drilled to a depth of between 40 and 65 m, and approximately 58,600 m. of diaphragm wall with a width of 800 to 1,000 mm are being constructed down to a depth of 27 m. 

"The challenges of this project are diverse," says Mike Sinkinson, Managing Director of Thai Bauer. "First of all, extremely stringent tolerances for the installation of the bored piles have to be kept, while work is required to be carried out above existing tunnels, so great care and accuracy are essential for the success of this project." In addition, during the rainy season, the stability of the subsoil and access to the site need to be ensured. "Also the logistics between the steel processing locations and the respective application areas must be regulated and access to the construction site via the main road must always be available", Mike Sinkinson adds. 

Works started in March 2018, the completion of Thai Bauer’s specialist foundation work is planned for the spring of 2019. The completion of the new Orange Line is expected to take place in 2022.