First metro line unaffected by falling groundwater

The SMC4 contractor has stopped work on the tunnel on Le Loi Street for two weeks due to the fall in groundwater levels and the abnormal sinking of neighboring works.

In response to the announcement from the HCMC Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) on the sudden drop in groundwater levels caused by the execution of the hotel and housing project at 129 Le Thanh Ton Street, Pham Huu Tao, deputy head of quality management for construction works, said on April 22 that the department had quickly dispatched experts to the related sites to evaluate the situation.

However, the project at 129 Le Thanh Ton Street has been put on hold while the project at 125-127 Le Thanh Ton Street is in the process of pumping up the groundwater.

At a meeting at the site, a Japanese expert from the unit in charge of constructing the tunnel section for the urban railway insisted that the dipping groundwater levels would not cause the metro line’s foundation to sink, according to Tao.

In accordance with the Japanese contractor’s construction standards, it is necessary to put on full alert neighboring buildings that have sunk by three centimeters.

The Japanese side was concerned by residents’ complaints and claims of adjacent buildings sinking, leading to the expedited progress of the metro line project, Tao said.

As such, the Japanese contractor needs a clear decision from the authorities as the contractor will be held accountable for failing to construct the metro line on schedule if the project at 125-127 Le Thanh Ton Street affects its construction progress, Tao added.

Nguyen Van Hiep, former deputy director of the municipal Department of Construction, said that the diaphragm walls of the Le Loi tunnel section, with its firm and deep foundation, will be unaffected by falling groundwater levels.

He said that even though it was not the address provided by MAUR, the department had carefully checked the project at 125-127 Le Thanh Ton Street and asked the owner of the project to present its construction method documents, measurements of neighboring buildings and groundwater lowering methods.

After reviewing the submitted documents to check whether the contractor has applied the technical requirements correctly and is capable of completing the project, the department will issue a final conclusion on the project’s influence on neighboring structures.