Photo: MRB Le Trung Hieu, Deputy Head of the Hanoi Urban Railway Project Management Board, said that the TBM apparatus is designed specifically for the project of urban railway No.3, section Nhon – Hanoi station. The machine is manufactured by Herrenkecht (Germany), has a length of more than 90 meters, weighs about 850 tons, enough to accommodate machine equipment and operating workers. The peach shield with a prominent red and yellow flag pattern, has a diameter of 6.58m, weighs 65 tons, including main parts such as cutting heads, rake blades, tilling tools and bucket teeth, etc. with geology of Hanoi.
Currently, 2 tunneling machines have completed the test and commissioning. Auxiliary works such as installation of air compressor station, water supply station, mortar mixing station, ventilation will be completed in the end of April.
In order to officially put into operation, the Hanoi Urban Railway Management Board has cooperated closely with the consultant, contractors and related parties to ensure the quality of tunneling machines and related work. assessment before construction.
Firstly, the TBM duo must be confirmed from the concerned parties that they have met the performance requirements including: Completed and complete installation; Integration with support systems is appropriate; Qualified critical process parameters; The functions of components and control systems work normally and are in accordance with requirements.
Through the pre-acceptance test at the site (SAT), the TBM machine has been checked the operation, parameters and measurement of the main components, including the equipment: digging shield, control room, material chamber , Conveyor, conveyor, drilling equipment, main drive, tunnel mounting kit, hydraulic system, lubrication system, plumbing system, gas system, safety system, electrical system, systems support system.

Second, special attention is paid to monitoring before, during and after construction. The Contractor has analyzed the affected area when designing to conduct a “buidings condition survey” (BCS) survey for all houses in the affected area. From the condom results, the Contractor has risk assessment analysis (BRA-buildings risk assesstment report) for buildings during construction. Photo: MRB Based on the BRA report, the contractor designs and installs monitoring equipment for buildings and ground, including: Monitoring settlement, inclination, fissure (if any), groundwater level … This will be installed prior to construction and will be monitored during construction for abnormal warning (if any).
In case of abnormal monitoring, the contractor will analyze the cause, assess the level of danger … and based on that result to have a plan for the construction to continue or stop to handle the problem. subject. This is a strict, closed process to ensure the most safety for the above and adjacent buildings.
Compared with conventional tunneling methods, TBM drilling method is said to minimize the impact of traffic, occupy less area or affect surrounding constructions. Because soil can be collected and transported after excavation, this method causes less dust, vibration and noise compared to other tunneling methods. This construction method is environmentally friendly. TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) works on the principle of soil pressure balance. Behind the digging shield is arranged a closed partition. The soil from the excavated shield will fall into the space and create a pressure balance between the excavated soil and the unearthed soil, making the digging mirror stable and not landslides. The soil pressure in the balance chamber is monitored by sensors placed directly in it. After a short 1.5m excavation, the tunnel cover (which is assembled reinforced concrete slabs) is immediately constructed. Where the drill goes, the cover of the tunnel is assembled there to avoid landslide of the soil and rock above. According to the design, in ideal conditions, each day the machine will dig about 10m tunnels.
When put into operation, the TBM duo will start drilling from S9 station to S12 station – Hanoi station at the end of Tran Hung Dao street with a total length of 4km.

Before the ship was successfully rescued, the photo became the raw material for netizens to create photos around the trapped Panama flag super ship. The excavator becomes small when standing next to the ship Ever Given. Photo: Reuters. Mission Impossible Abdelgawad, 26, is an excavator worker working in the Suez Canal, earning about $ 190 a month. At 7:00 a.m. on March 23 (local time), he started the shift as usual. However, the entrance to the workplace was locked and no one was allowed in. “I asked the security guard and he said there was a ship stuck in the canal,” said Abdelgawad. Later, he and his colleagues returned to the workers’ lodging in the al-Arbain area, about a 30-minute drive from the workplace. An hour later, Abdelgawad received a call from his manager, asking him to quickly go to the east bank of the Suez Canal. A car from the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) was waiting outside the door. “I told the manager I could not enter the work area because it seemed a boat was stuck in the canal. He told me that I would go there for the sake of this ship, ”said the 26-year-old excavator driver. “When I got there, I saw that the excavator had been loaded onto the truck so that I could get closer to the bow. Going more than 1 kilometer, my heart started beating hard “. “SCA engineers told me about the incident. With 8 years of experience working in the canal, I realized that perhaps it was necessary to suck up all the mud and sand clinging to the bottom of the boat and dig deep from both sides of the ship because the bow was buried deeply in the sand, ”said Abdelgawad. Under this option, the excavator would have to dig more than 15 m deep, while the dredging ships would have to suck up all of the sediment that clinging to underneath so that the ship floated again. The Ever Given was trapped in the middle of the Suez Canal. Photo: Getty. Real life hero Abdelgawad, alone, diligently steered the excavator through the layers of sand under the giant ship. He worked non-stop until the afternoon of March 24, when someone else came to replace him. During 5 consecutive days, he only rested for 3-4 hours per day. “I sat in the excavator and looked up, the ship popped up like a skyscraper. When I started the engine, my heart beat the hardest. Everyone was worried about me for working right underneath my baby. Such a giant ship is extremely dangerous, “said Abdelgawad. “I was scared, but still determined to continue. I’m just worried that if something unfortunate happens, how will my father and family live. He only has me as a boy, the rest are two sisters, “he said. Abdelgawad poses next to the excavator. Photo: Abdelgawad. “The sediment layer crumbles into pieces both on the surface and settles down to form very large sediments. If the ship is tilted to a certain degree, me and the little excavator will be crushed by it. I felt like a soldier in real battle, ”said Abdelgawad. On the side of the Abdelgawad family, they kept calling the excavator crew to inquire about his situation every day. Meanwhile, many people have posted photos of the single excavator standing next to the giant super ship Ever Given on social networks and accompanied by ridicule. “They posted it online and laughed at the excavator and I, tacitly said that all my efforts were hopeless. I felt very sad, but I quickly forgot about it with the efforts of the entire rescue team. has been paid back. The ship re-floated on March 29. ” “I captured that great moment and posted it on Facebook. It felt like I had won a war,” said Abdelgawad. Returning to the small village of Danjwan, located on the outskirts of Shirbin city (Daqhaliyah province) Abdelgawad is greeted as a hero. The villagers shouted his name and celebrated. “I know that I have done something great for the country. My dad said he was very proud of me. My life has changed completely, ”said the 26-year-old man.

26-year-old excavator driver Abdallah Abdelgawad The incident attracted worldwide attention. As a very important trade route for the world economy, the temporary closure of the canal caused the name Suez to appear in newspapers and social media posts. Photo: Reuters The size difference was too great between the two objects The image shared with dizzying speed of a small excavator trying to rescue the giant ship has surprised many people. The huge difference in the size of the two objects makes one think of an ant trying to get an elephant out of troubled waters. Abdallah Abdelgawad, who operated the small excavator, did not expect to become famous on social media one day. However, from anonymity, he actually became a star widely praised. At 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 23, Abdelgawad arrived at his workplace as usual. However, the gates are closed and prohibited from entering. “I asked a person and he said there was a boat blocking the canal,” said Abdelgawad, 26. He and his colleagues returned to their residence at Al Arbain, 30 minutes away. An hour later, Abdelgawad received a call from his manager, asking him to immediately go to the east bank of the canal. A Suez Canal Authority car was waiting to take him away. “I told him we were not allowed into the work site because a ship was blocking the channel,” the manager said. “You will come to work on that ship,” recalled Abdelgawad. While the authorities attempted to rescue the ship, Abdelgawad alone dug the silt under the giant ship’s bow. He worked nonstop for more than a day until someone else changed his shift. For the next 5 days, he only had 3-4 hours of rest in each working day to clear the maritime route connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. After extraordinary efforts, including a contribution from Abdelgawad, the super ship Ever Given was successfully rescued. In those days, when his family was worried about his health and phoned every day to inquire, pictures of the giant ship by the excavator were circulating on the Internet. “On social media, they said the excavator and me with the ship were like” ants and an elephant. ” At first I was sad, but then it felt normal that we were finally able to rescue the ship, ”Abdelgawad said in an interview. “On Monday, I was really exhausted. But when the ship was successfully rescued, I caught a video as it started to move,” he said proudly. My Facebook account and said that this achievement is due to my tiny miner. I feel as if I have won a war, “he added. Abdallah Abdelgawad takes a selfie with his excavator. – Photo: Facebook Abdallah Abdelgawad Abdallah Abdelgawad poses with workers at the spot along the Suez Canal, where the container ship Ever Given was stranded. Abdelgawad is paid 3,000 Egyptian pounds ($ 190) a month for his work as a excavator. After this incident, he was greeted as a “hero” when he returned to his small village on the outskirts of the city of Shirbin in Daqhaliyah province. “I know I did something big, when everyone gathered around me I felt proud and my dad said,” You made me proud. ” My phone still keeps ringing. I want to sleep, but I can’t sleep, ”he laughed. “My life has changed because of those pictures.” Even though his social media posts have earned him popularity, Abdelgawad has a message he wants to reach out to all those who mock him. “Don’t make fun of the weak or look down on them. This tiny excavator played a huge role in moving a ship more than 500 times its size. Now, I feel extremely proud of what I have done. I hope you all are proud of me too. ” Said Abdelgawad.

Abdullah Abdul-Gawad and the “tiny” excavator. Photo: BI

But what happened five days later is quite the opposite.

Ever Given – a container ship the size of a skyscraper was stranded on the banks of the canal on March 23. And Abdul-Gawad’s boss immediately called him to the scene.

“We need you to get in the car and come now because you are the only excavator driver nearby,” the leader told the 28-year-old male employee, who has been driving the excavator since college.

Abdul-Gawad vs “monster”

Liberating Ever Given was a combined effort, with winch, tugboat and excavator. But Abdul-Gawad was the one who really faced the problem. Once at the base of the ship, Abdul-Gawad had no choice but to start digging.

According to his estimates, the bow of Ever Given was stuck below about 6 meters of ground. The stern is also caught on the opposite shore. The ship blocked the Suez Canal, blocking all traffic.

The image of a tiny excavator facing a giant ship made many people laugh. But for Abdul-Gawad the situation is much less humorous. It is really dangerous.

The dreadful contrast between the size of the Ever Given ship and the size of Abdul-Gawad’s excavator. Photo: BI

Taking on the task of shoveling to release the bow, just a small mistake by Abdul-Gawad could cause the ship carrying tens of thousands of containers to collapse.

“I was afraid that the ship would be too tilted on one side or the other. If it leans on me, goodbye the excavator, goodbye Abdul-Gawad.

If you see the contrast between the size of the ship and the size of the excavator, you will find it very frightening. ”

Two other excavators were dispatched to the scene a few days later, but the drivers were too scared to do what Abdul-Gawad was doing. Instead, they were just sticking around clearing the rock that Abdul-Gawad dug.

21 hours / day

Wearing thin flip flops, Abdul-Gawad undertook digging for hours. When the tugs are active, Abdul-Gawad will receive a radio signal to temporarily retreat away.

“But you know, until I dig 5 or 6 meters, there’s still no movement.”

Photo: BI

When pictures of Abdul-Gawad’s excavator began to appear on the Internet, he said he felt as if “people were just making fun of me.”

“And that’s what made me more determined. I think, you’re making fun of me so I’ll prove I can do this. ”

Abdul-Gawad said that for several days, he and his colleagues were only allowed to rest at a barracks of border guards nearby.

“They know that if we go home, we won’t be back in about eight or nine hours,” he said.

Abdul-Gawad and his colleagues only slept about three hours a night. One day, only one hour of sleep.

Success

On March 25, a dedicated dredger – Mashhour – participated in the rescue effort Ever Given. Abdul-Gawad’s job at this time was to move soil, rock and sand from the bow of the ship to another place, while the Mashhour knocked silt off the canal.

This concerted effort – with the help of a high tide – brought hopeful signs the next day. And finally, the campaign was successful on March 29. The image of the Ever Given boat escaping made all the workers shout, and the tugboats honk to celebrate.

Abdul-Gawad said he and his colleagues were “half alive from exhaustion.”

“We were pushed to our limits,” said Abdul-Gawad. “But the moment we saw Ever Given off to sea, all fatigue seemed to vanish.”

Field survey officials. Photo: BI

Scary silence

The Suez Canal is a source of pride in Egypt, being called “Egypt’s Gift to the World” on billboards when it expanded in 2015.

President of Egypt – Abdel Fattah el-Sisi declared: “The Egyptians have ended the crisis of the ship stranded Ever Given despite all difficulties.”

But Abdul-Gawad said he hardly attended any of the celebrations. Apart from a small ceremony held by a newspaper, Abdul-Gawad received little or no official recognition for his role.

“I was invited to a ceremony, where they honor the people who took the ships out to sea.” But it is primarily intended for Suez Canal Authority employees, not including Abdul-Gawad because he works for a subcontractor.

Invitations were also sent to Abdul-Gawad at the last minute only. Because the celebration took place in a city four hours away by car. And Abdul-Gawad received an invitation an hour and a half earlier.

Abdul-Gawad said he felt deeply hurt.

“The Suez Canal Authority patted himself on the chest that they have done a great job. But in the end, without an excavator, the ship wouldn’t go anywhere. It can still get stuck. ”

Image of the jam seen from satellite. Photo: Maxar

In an interview on April 8, Abdul-Gawad said that he and his colleagues still have not received overtime pay, even though they work more than 21 hours a day.

However, Abdul-Gawad said he will look back on those extraordinary days with pride.

“This is an achievement,” he said. “At first it was an achievement for Egypt, but it was also an achievement for me. This event can only happen once in my life. Twice at most. It is something to be proud of.”