Sydney Metro Research Articles

Challenges in predicting and managing construction noise impacts in urban environments. Case studies from Sydney, Australia

Approval of major infrastructure projects in Australia is contingent on a vigorous environmental assessment process demonstrating that the impacts from such proposals are acceptable and can be satisfactorily managed. As part of this process, an assessment of construction noise is undertaken by predicting the level and duration of impact. Given the scale, complexity and programs for delivery of major infrastructure projects such as the Sydney Metro, the approach to assessment of environmental impacts is typically undertaken based on early concept designs, and assumptions which enable potential worst-case impacts to be considered. Ongoing design development and construction methodologies continue to occur, and are finalised by the contractor responsible for delivering the package of works for the project. Layers of conservatism could therefore be built into the process to ensure that environmental impacts are understood, and appropriate mitigation measures are considered. Moreover, common predictive noise modelling tools are believed to under-estimate the level of barrier insertion loss provided by residential buildings in urban scenarios, further exacerbating the over-prediction of construction noise impacts. By use of case studies, the present paper examines the challenges of assessing and managing construction noise associated with a major infrastructure project in Sydney, Australia.

Uncertainty in vulnerability of metro transit networks: A global perspective

This study measures the “uncertainty in vulnerability” of 50 metro transit networks in the most populated cities across the globe under benign and malicious attack scenarios. Uncertainty in vulnerability delineates the gap between the performance loss trajectory formed by link percolation under benign and malicious attacks. Three observations are discerned. First, vulnerability and uncertainty in vulnerability are a function of both size and physics of the network explained by connectivity measures. A 1% increase in the ratio of links to nodes increases the vulnerability by 0.50% and increases the uncertainty in vulnerability by 2.24%. A 1% increase in the ratio of the number of links to the maximum possible number of links decreases vulnerability by 0.03% and the uncertainty in vulnerability by 0.12%. Second, the topology of metro transit networks with <100 nodes follows one of the three analogous forms of tree-shaped networks, networks with one undirected cycle, or single depot networks, while the topology of metro transit networks with ≥100 nodes is closer to grid and matching pairs. Third, metro transit networks (i) are less likely to resume the operation under malicious attacks, (ii) are more likely to resume the operation under benign attacks, and (iii) are susceptible to both severe and non-severe degradations under random attacks. Overall, it is shown that the most vulnerable transit networks experience the maximal uncertainty in vulnerability and own a topology analogous to a single depot. New York, Delhi, and London metro transit networks have the most vulnerable topology. Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and Sydney metro transit networks have the least vulnerable topology.

Managing noise and vibration on mega projects in Australia

The last decade has seen the emergence of the mega project in Australia, including Sydney Metro, WestConnex, Western Sydney Airport, Cross River Rail, Melbourne Metro, and North East Link Project. These projects provide challenges in the management of noise and vibration due to site constraints, proximity to sensitive receivers and condensed project timelines. While the environmental noise and vibration regulation of these projects can differ from state to state, the design process remains largely the same. This paper looks at noise and vibration design and management on some of Australia’s biggest infrastructure projects. Design considerations include physical mitigation measures such as acoustics sheds, noise barriers, temporary noise barriers or enclosures, and ventilation mitigation. Management measures and development of ongoing management tools are described. Finally, this paper reflects upon the overall noise and vibration outcomes in terms of impacts on the affected communities compared with cost of mitigation.

Advanced rail transportation infrastructure as the basis of improved urban mobility: research into Sydney as a smart city

ABSTRACT This research evaluates the advanced rail transportation infrastructure as the foundation of sustainable urban mobility. Sydney's rail transportation was evaluated as a smart city. To undertake this evaluation, twelve of Sydney’s inner municipalities were selected within Sydney's urban area – a 35 km radial distance from the CBD. To further examine Sydney's rail transportation evaluation, CITYKeys, being the smart city framework, was utilised. CITYKeys was carefully evaluated and two of its domains, transportation indicators and improved urban mobility & public transport were thus adopted. This research has two key findings. Firstly, Sydney, as a possible smart city, possesses three primary smart transport procedures: Green practice, Transformation and Model Integration. Subsequently, Sydney's new advanced rail transportation infrastructure aligns with CITYKeys public transport indicators. Secondly, Sydney Metro not only provided a significant technological advantage for the city's suburbs but also enhanced its urban mobility. This study contributes to the field of sustainable urban mobility by advocating the alignment between advanced and innovative rail transportation infrastructure and smart cities. Such findings will support transportation scholars in acquiring a better understanding of the need for advanced rail transportation infrastructure for smart cities.

The Effect of Metro Construction on the Air Quality in the Railway Transport System of Sydney, Australia

Sydney Metro is the biggest project of Australia’s public transport, which was designed to provide passengers with more trains and faster services. This project was first implemented in 2017 and is planned to be completed in 2024. As presented, the project is currently in the construction stage located on the ground stations of the Sydney Trains Bankstown line (T3). Based on this stage, several construction activities will generate air pollutants, which will affect the air quality around construction areas. Moreover, it might cause health problems to people around there and also the passengers who usually take the train on the T3 line. However, there is no specific data for air quality inside the train that may be affected by the construction from each area. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the air quality inside the train carriage of all related stations from the T3 line. A sampling campaign was conducted over 3 months to analyze particulate matter (PM) concentration, the main indoor pollutants including formaldehyde (HCHO) and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC). The results of the T3 line were analyzed and compared to Airport &amp; South line (T8) that were not affected by the project’s construction. The results of this study indicate that Sydney Metro construction activities insignificantly affected the air quality inside the train. Average PM2.5 and PM10 inside the train of T3 line in the daytime were slightly higher than in the nighttime. The differences in PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations from these periods were around 6.8 μg/m3 and 12.1 μg/m3, respectively. The PM concentrations inside the train from the T3 line were slightly higher than the T8 line. However, these concentrations were still lower than those recommended by the national air quality standards. For HCHO and TVOC, the average HCHO and TVOC concentrations were less than the recommendation criteria.

Verifying the sustainability factors of mega transportation infrastructure: Sydney Metro’s commissioning through the “significance matrix” methodology

PurposeThrough the significance matrix, this paper aims to investigate and explore the main sustainability factors of mega transportation infrastructure projects. Sydney’s Metro mega transportation infrastructure is used as a case study. Sydney’s Metro was selected because of its sustainability challenges faced because of the areas’ diverse ecological zones. Sydney’s Metro is thus examined as the basis of best practice for the determination of the sustainability factors of transportation infrastructures.Design/methodology/approachUsing the significance matrix as a methodology, this research evaluates the environmental impact assessment and environmental assessment processes, to alleviate the problems of the mega transportation infrastructure.FindingsThis research found that a more comprehensive determination is needed to further analyse the sustainability factors of mega transportation infrastructures, use of a significance matrix would further assess the environmental complexities of mega transportation infrastructures and the sustainability factors of mega transportation infrastructures should include a nonlinear and asymmetrical scheme highlighting its components and carefully outlining its integration and consolidation.Originality/valueAlthough there is concurrent research into sustainability factors of mega transportation, this paper undertakes a new methodology for such infrastructure. While the significance matrix is not a new concept, it has never been used specifically for mega transportation infrastructure. Subsequently, using the significance matrix as a methodology, this research undertakes such environmental analysis and assessment and thus produces a qualitative risk analysis matrix. The findings from this research will ultimately assist the key stakeholders of mega transportation infrastructures to better plan, monitor and support similar projects.

Factor Analysis of the Sydney Metro's ITS

This paper aspires to examine advanced rail transportation systems via the utilization of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) as the basis of the key integration. In doing so, the Sydney Metro ITS will be used as the basis for the case study. This paper also investigates the different perceptions for diverse rail transportation projects. Ordinarily, cities are composed of complex configurations which are supported by various disparate transport systems. These transport infrastructure in turn require comprehensive system thinking as the base research methodologies. ITS provides an excellent mechanism to simplify a city's complex transport configurations. Nevertheless, the core ITS components require careful integration and detailed attention to detail in their design. The ITS integration strategy would also amalgamate crucial transportation issues, including optimized system performance through increased productivity, improved road and traffic safety, and so on. Accordingly, this integration and consolidation of ITS would result in superior overall transportation planning schemes. The resulting improved planning methods will ultimately facilitate the various transportation operators to become better acquainted with the ITS, and to support the making of safer and more synchronized ITS. A synchronized ITS requires a comprehensive process to successfully integrate its components. To assess the Sydney Metro's ITS integration, this research utilized confirmatory factor analysis as the statistical method to produce a model indicating the existence of four sub-systems and emphasized safety standard as the key attribute for a successful deployment. The very high safety benchmark is the pinnacle of the Sydney's advanced rail transportation system.

Sydney Metro and Melbourne Metro Rail Stochastic Comparison and Review

This paper aims to review an innovative artificial intelligence (AI) apparatus to enhance the rail transportation performance. In this light, the Sydney Metro and Melbourne Metro rail will be compared, since both of these Australian rail networks employ complex AI as part of their overall performance enhancement schemes. These two case studies further highlight the novel critical aspects of AI in rail transportation sector such as recalibration through smart system design and automation, nonlinear controls and precise design, modeling and control apparatus, and so on. As a part of such a view, different aspects of AI systems such as increased reliability and safety were also investigated. This research found that with such enhancements of system performance, the overall transportation functioning would ultimately be significantly improved. Subsequently, AI in the Australian context can be further refined based on comprehensive integration of the key factors.

Cover Picture: Geomechanics and Tunnelling 2/2021

AbstractFrom the excavation pit of the future Sydney Metro Pitt Street station, a connecting tunnel had to be constructed underneath a busy road. To secure the station box wall, the AT – Pipe Umbrella System was used, which was installed at a 19° downwards. In close cooperation with the drilling equipment specialist Robodrill, DSI Underground has developed a successful concept for the installation of the AT – Pipe Umbrella System consisting of 60 individual pipes with a length of 18 meters each. For this project, DSI Underground's proprietary squeezed connection for pipe umbrella pipes has been used as a replacement for a conventional threaded connection. (photo: DSI Underground)

Utilization of adaptive methodology to underpin rail transportation systems: Sydney metro’s methodical formulation

PurposeAs a part of adaptive and complex system thinking, geographic information systems (GIS) are beneficial particularly for transportation projects, where uncertainty is frequent. Accordingly, this paper aims to examine the utilization of GIS in line with adaptive and complex system thinking, as the basis of the methodical formulation of perceived gaps within the integrated transportation planning (ITP) specifically for the mega transportation projects. Such a framework is undertaken, as the mega transportation projects although may seem straightforward, however, are problematic and require more consideration than the traditional triple bottom line factors. Using the Sydney Metro as the case study, the outcome demonstrates the significance of the fourth separate dimension of engineering into the aforementioned bottom-line factors.Design/methodology/approachThe research examines the utilization of adaptive and complex system thinking, as the basis of the methodical formulation of perceived gaps within the ITP. The use of Sydney’s Metro project is a novel example of the proposed methodical formulation and its empirical assessment and provides a better understanding of the use of mapping and planning tools for mega transportation projects.FindingsAptly, using the developed conceptual framework, this research further validates the inclusion of a separate engineering dimension with the usual triple bottom line factors. Such inclusion is paramount in responding to the existing ITP gaps found within the current literature.Originality/valueThis research uses GIS and ITP process to support the aforementioned adaptive and complex system thinking. This, in turn, is used as the basis of a methodical formulation framework in dealing with mega rail transportation infrastructure. To support such a proposition, Sydney Metro is examined as the basis of a case study.

The effectiveness of passive land value capture mechanisms in funding infrastructure

PurposeThis study examines the effectiveness of passive value capture mechanisms as an effective form of mechanisms in funding infrastructure from an Australian perspective. The lukewarm response of active value capture mechanisms such as betterment levies in Australia is also discussed.Design/methodology/approachA case study of the Sydney Metro City and Southwest (SMCSW) project in Sydney is used to illustrate passive value capture mechanisms.FindingsUnlike many developed countries, passive value capture mechanisms have been adopted in Australia. This approach is an effective form of value capture mechanisms to capture the value uplift to offset the total development cost of the SMCSW project. However, this approach is highly sensitive to property transaction activities that could be affected by the general economic conditions and unprecedented events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, there is a widespread discussion of the efficiency of land tax in New South Wales (NSW) in capturing all properties subject to the value uplift. Consequently, a shift towards a broad-based land tax is recommended in which it would provide a more efficient way of infrastructure funding.Practical implicationsPolicymakers should consider a broad-based land tax for residential and commercial properties in order to improve the efficiency of passive value capture mechanisms. This also highlights property valuers should play a greater role in the development of broad-based land tax system.Originality/valuePrevious studies have extensively demonstrated property value impacts of transit investments; very little research assesses the growth of value capture funding mechanisms, particularly passive value capture mechanisms. Specifically, this paper is the first paper to assess the effectiveness of passive value capture mechanisms.

Mega Transportation Infrastructure: a sustainable foresight

The main aim of this paper is to closely investigate some of the more concerning sustainable prudence of the mega transportation Infrastructure. Mega transportation Infrastructures are projects which not only include considerable cost and time, but also significant technical complexities. Since the scope of these projects is considerable, many unknown design considerations, including sustainable implications affect their outcome. These design challenges in-turn confront the existing sustainable knowledge. Such sustainable knowledge needs to not only include the provisions of sound environmental, economic and social implications, but also the technical specification. Nonetheless, it is these four key sustainable foresight that would thus provide a holistic approach for mega transportation Infrastructure. Subsequently, such a holistic approach could be refined as Infrastructure Performance Enhancement (IPE). Accordingly, this paper will discuss some of the IPE factors and their complex trends specifically for the mega transportation Infrastructure. To further add illumination to such outcomes the Sydney Metro will be utilized as a case study.

Complexities in mega rail transportation projects

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to initially evaluate the most current and important complications of sustainable mega rail transportation projects. This purpose is assisted by thoroughly reviewing the foremost uncertainties and challenging issues of STI. Once these factors are established, they will be the base of STI indicators. Finally, to consolidate such alignment, the Sydney Metro and Melbourne Metro are then compared and analyzed. The analysis would then create a platform to measure sustainability and relevant complexities in mega rail transportation projects. Design/methodology/approach To further consolidate such hypothesis, this research investigated two mega rail transportation projects in Australia. Both Sydney Metro and Melbourne Metro Rail were selected as the basis of case study, as both possess similar sustainability aspects. Findings As an outcome this research found that, complexities in both of these projects were based on future challenges and opportunities including imperfect equalization or not balancing all the four sustainability indicators; and where and how to emphasize the overlapping of these four indicators. In summary, these findings can assist the relevant planners, to better prepare and manage mega railway infrastructure and their operations. Originality/value While the sustainability for transportation infrastructure has been covered extensively by other authors, this paper strengthens the four specific and separate STI indicators – especially for mega rail infrastructure. Although, there are some crossover areas within these indicators, however, this research separately validates each as an independent entity. Commonly, there are three dimensions within the sustainability domain – environmental, economical and social. Nevertheless, for this research, a fourth dimension engineering which includes all the technical focus, has been separately developed. This is particularly important to effectively deal with all the complexities, particularly for mega projects, such as rail transportation infrastructure. Accordingly, separating the engineering dimension would thus reshape the triple bottom line factors to include a separate technical focus. To further evaluate this separation of the four specific areas, two mega Australian rail transportation projects are then reviewed as experiments.

Wandering a Metro: Actor-Network Theory Research and Rapid Rail Infrastructure Communication

Wandering a Metro: Actor-Network Theory Research and Rapid Rail Infrastructure Communication

Minimizing the environmental impacts of mega infrastructure projects

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the innovative approaches to further reduce the environmental impacts during the construction of mega transportation infrastructure, particularly for Australia. Design/methodology/approach As part of this research, the Sydney Metro was exploited as a case study. This included reviewing the elements of reducing the environmental impacts for the Sydney Metro. Findings This research has found that there are six elements of reducing the environmental impacts of the Australian public transport infrastructure process. Moreover, this research also found that for the Sydney Metro, first, the logistic planning and optimisation was carefully developed followed by the remaining five elements. Originality/value The originality of this research consists of carefully examining the Sydney Metro’s environmental implications including its on-going EIA and EPA compliance.

Assessment of ground pressure through soil–structure interaction

The Sydney Metro Northwest involves construction of a fully automated metro rail network in New South Wales, Australia. The underground stations are delivered under two contracts: the Tunnels and Station Civils contract, responsible for the excavation and temporary support, and the Operations, Trains and Systems contract, responsible for the station structures. At the Castle Hill station, the excavation intersects a regional Dural Dome fault, resulting in a rock wedge measuring approximately 20 m high by 80 m long being exposed during excavation. Due to the limited design life of the temporary support, the ground pressure will ultimately be transferred to the station walls. Capturing this, as well as the beneficial effects of the stress relaxation due to the initial excavation, is crucial in achieving an optimised design. This paper presents the integrated ground–structure interaction approach adopted for the permanent walls’ design, which resulted in optimised design ground pressures and station wall thicknesses.

Process Automation in Intelligent Transportation System (ITS)

Collectively, process simulation is an intricate element within an intelligent transport system (ITS); arrange of modeling techniques and subsequent transition operations also form components of such a system. Although the ITS incorporates asset of process automations such as systematic prototypes and simulation, it also integrates computational modeling, and therefore, efficient operational transitions. Processes such as automation, modeling, and operational transitions are at the core of a fastidious ITS. Accordingly, these system elements need to be holistically integrated and amalgamated through effective computationbased methods. Fittingly, the main objective of this study is to examine the utilization of process automation- and computation-based methods as the basis for ITS integration perspectives. In doing so, Sydney Metro will be included as a case study to further elucidate such integration processes.

Sydney Metro – ground characterisation and TBM selection for the Sydney Harbour crossing

AbstractThe Sydney Harbour crossing is a key element of Sydney Metro City &amp; Southwest, which includes 15.5 km of twin tube running tunnels extending from Chatswood at the north through to Sydenham, south of the Central Buisness District (CBD). One of the key features is the 1 % length of the alignment that passes under Sydney Harbour. The rest of the alignment is through rock, but the harbour crossing is designed to pass through harbour sediments and mixed face conditions undersea. An in depth study and analysis was required to confirm the feasibility of the safe construction of this short length of the tunnel in sub‐aqueous, soft ground conditions. It was necessary to carry out detailed, targeted investigation of the ground to enable the selection of an appropriate tunnelling technique for constructing the tunnels.

Results of pull tests of rock bolts and cable bolts in Sydney sandstone and shale

This paper discusses the result of 181 pull tests of rock bolts and cable bolts in the sandstones and shales of the Sydney region. The pull tests were carried out as part of the Sydney Metro Northwest tunnelling project. The tested bolts include: end-anchored corrosion-protected steel bolts, resin-grouted fibre reinforced plastic bolts, cement-grouted multi-strand cable bolts and friction bolts. Recorded and corrected bolt stiffness characteristics are presented by bolt type, grouting agent, lithology, bolt bar material and borehole diameter. Rock-grout and grout-bar interface bond strengths are assessed for different rock mass units and bolt parameters. Common problems with typical pull test arrangements and their impact on the resulting data are discussed. Examples of issues encountered during bolt installation, such as partial grout encapsulation and insufficient mixing of resin, are presented. Recommendations are made on how some of these problems can be detected and prevented.

Unbuilding the City: Writing Demolition

Unbuilding the City: Writing Demolition