Central Kowloon Route highway project: setting an example for the industry

Traffic congestion is one of the major urban problems in Kowloon. In order to alleviate the traffic jams, the Central Kowloon Route (CKR) highway project was commenced in 2017. The new road network links Yau Ma Tei Interchange of West Kowloon with Kai Tak Development Area of East Kowloon, forming a trunk road across central Kowloon. The scale of the construction is unprecedented but the project team rose to the challenges by adopting various innovative construction methods. Ir Thomas Ho On-sing, Chairman of the CIC, Ir Albert Cheng Ting-ning, Executive Director, together with Ir Victor Cheung Chi-kong, Council Member, visited the Community Liaison Centre of CKR and Ho Man Tin shaft under Central Kowloon Route – Central Tunnel (CKR-CT) in late May to better understand the construction operations and how the team achieve productivity enhancement, sustainability and improvement in construction safety.
 

Data is the future of the industry

CKR with a total length of about 4.7km comprises flyovers, tunnels and roads. CKR passes through the busy downtowns and hotspots of Kowloon. The construction of CKR is complicated as it involves construction works like demolition of buildings and temporary reclamations and is being constructed under eight contracts. With challenges ahead, it is a must to employ new technologies. “It’s like a leap in the dark. I encouraged my team to try out technologies even though they are new to us. If it works on a small scale, we can thus apply them on a larger scale.” Said Ir Luk Wai Hung, Project Manager of the Highways Department Major Works Project Management Office. While Ir Wes Jones, Managing Director of Dragages Hong Kong and representative of the contractor of CKR-CT, Bouygues Travaux Publics, stressed on the importance of data as he said that data analysis and integration is the future of the industry.

Smart Site Management Hub

The construction industry has implemented the “Construction 2.0” scheme which advocates “Innovation”, “Professionalisation” and “Revitalisation”, aiming to uplift the productivity and sustainability of the industry. The CKR project team has successfully put “innovation” into practice by introducing an “integrated Digital Works Supervision System (Dwss)” and “Smart Site Management Hub (SSMH)”. The team integrated data from six different ongoing CKR contracts into one single platform, this “6-in1” management approach provides a holistic overview for project team management, hence improving efficiency and safety performance. The “Smart Site Management Hub” functions in four major aspects, namely the Automatic Movement/ Settlement Monitoring System, AI CCTV Monitoring, Worker Management System and Other IoT Devices. The team plans to introduce a Progress Monitoring System in the near future to allow management to grasp the latest construction progress and related information.

CKR includes a 3.9km long tunnel, the adverse working environment in the tunnel such as confined space and risk of collapse has added difficulties to the project. Besides, the tunnel passes through seven MTR lines and seven fault zones, adding complexity to the project. To overcome the technical challenges, Building Information Modelling (BIM) is adopted to generate three-dimensional models by digital representation to assist the project team in making accurate judgments and performs a variety of analysis to enhance construction quality.

Reduce the risk of working at height

Tunnel construction relied heavily on manual handling in the past that would inevitably put frontline workers at risk. With the missions to enhance safety performance and improve efficiency, the CKR project team has pursued alternative construction methods by replacing manual labour with the help of machinery. The Automatic Canopy Installation System introduced in the CKR project is the first-ever application in Hong Kong, this system enables the canopy tubes to be installed in a fully mechanised way by using remote controlled operation. Meanwhile, it protects workers by reducing time exposing to the risk of working at height and enhances the productivity.

In conventional practice, tunnel lining formwork demands skilled manual labour works as it requires workers to work extended hours at height. To minimise the risks and wastage of timber panels, the CKR team installed a mechanised lining shutter that consisted of a remote -controlled hydraulic metal formwork, achieving lining of high quality and hence lower the requirement for skilled labour. The team is developing a Concrete Pressure Sensor at present to allow the team to monitor the concrete pressure in real-time so as to ensure site safety and quality.

The use of heavy vehicles is common in sites, workers around are prone to accident from reverse parking, therefore the team has installed Blaxtair, the Artificial Intelligence Cameras at the back of wheeled vehicles to assist drivers in the tunnel. The dual lens of the camera enable depth perception and differentiate humans from other objects. If a worker walks past the back of the truck, the alarm will sound and flashing signals will appear on screen to alert the driver. Chairman Thomas Ho appreciated the way AI contributes to improve safety, and he suggested that our society has to nurture new talents to foster technological breakthroughs.

Design for Safety, Productivity and Sustainability

CKR is an epoch-making construction project, from the public's point of view, it helps ease traffic problems and improves citizens’ quality of living. From the construction industry’s point of view, the project team embraces new technologies and demonstrates how to design for safety, productivity and sustainability. This project has put ‘STEM’ into real practice and it serves as an example to inspire the next generation of the industry.