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Advice sought for sealing cracks on Japanese-built tunnel sections
The HCMC government has told the East-West Highway project management unit to search for an independent consultant to give technical advice for dealing with cracks on four concrete sections built by Japan's Obayashi Corp for an underwater highway tunnel.
Huynh Ngoc Sy, director of the project management unit, told the Daily on Monday that at the request of the city's chairman Le Hoang Quan, the unit was in the process of seeking a professional consultant on concrete technology.
The consultant should undertake an overall study to identify reasons for the cracks, which began appearing early this year, and suggest measures for sealing the cracks.
"The consultant will have to submit to the city's leaders and the unit feasible sealing methods. If these methods are approved, the cracks will be sealed as soon as possible," Sy said.
The construction of the four concrete structures worth over VND2 trillion for the Thu Thiem Tunnel under the Saigon River linking district 1 and 2 was finished in June this year in Nhon Trach District in neighboring Dong Nai Province.
The total length of the four sections is some 370 meters and each section weighs some 25,000 tons. The tunnel, part of the East-West Highway project, has a total length of 1.5km.
A report which the project management unit released late last week says the cracks resulted from the elasticity of the concrete, changes of temperatures between daytime and nighttime, inexperienced workers and the possible sinking of the foundations.
Many of the cracks are reportedly continuing to extend, according to the management unit.
City chairman Quan said ensuring the quality of the tunnel sections was a top priority, so he ordered the management unit to look for a professional independent consultant to look into the cracks to propose measures for dealing with them while ensuring the development tempo of the whole project.
The city has also formed an inspection team to check the quality and progress of the construction of the Thu Thiem Tunnel.
After having an advisory from consultant, the city will decide either recast all the four concrete sections or seal the cracks, Sy said.
VNN
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