A Perspective on the Rapidly Developing Underground Construction Market in China

The large population base, complex geology of the large land mass, and notable commercial activity have accelerated the development of underground construction market in China. The projected lengths of underground openings per year in the various sectors are: hydro-tunnels, 180 km; coal mine entries, 40 km; transport-tunnels, 300+ km. An example of the mega projects (being planned by the Government) is the water supply scheme for connecting Yangtze river to Yellow river involving 131 km of water tunnels with a diameter of 8-10m. Several large projects are highlighted in the paper with reference to the schemes for generating hydro-power, mining of coal and minerals, and constructing transportation networks. The related problems of construction and geomechanics are outlined.