Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) engineers are using a myriad of innovative geo-technological methods to design and plan construction of SRL East – including 26km twin tunnels and six underground stations between Cheltenham and Box Hill.
Teams conducting pre-construction survey work in Box Hill have used seismic testing in several locations around Box Hill, including Box Hill Gardens, Station Street, Severn Street and Thames Street. Seismic surveys test how vibration travels through the ground. The type of seismic survey undertaken for SRL involves dropping a weight onto a metal plate on the ground.
Laser scanners have been used to map building basements and underground car parks in buildings, to help engineers understand their exact size. This is especially important in Box Hill, with its existing medium and high-rise buildings. The results of the surveys are then used to form 3D models of the sites.
Traditional drilling also remains a vital part of the engineering assessments. A total of more than 10km below ground has been drilled so far along the SRL alignment between Cheltenham and Box Hill, to gather information about local ground conditions.
SRL will provide vital transport connections through Melbourne’s middle suburbs and open up access to key education, health and shopping destinations for many thousands of Victorians. SRL East between Cheltenham and Box Hill will open by 2035, with a turn up and go service delivering better transport connections, and better access to jobs, education and health services. Within a year of opening, around 70,000 passengers will use the service every day.
Construction starts next year, creating up to 800 early direct jobs.
