New Track Doubling Railway Project, Den Chai - Chiang Rai - Chiang Khong
Location
Chiang rai, Thailand
Client
CKST Joint venture
project type
foundation
soil nail
CHALLENGES & INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
CHALLENGE
Foundation Construction Hazards in Flood-Prone Excavations
Constructing a double-track railway involves excavating critical foundation pits. The execution of soil nailing (0.2 m diameter, depths of 1 m to 4 m) for earthquake resistance faced severe ground condition challenges due to water ingress.
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Severe Water Accumulation: Heavy rainfall and underground water flow continually threatened to compromise the excavation sites.
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Rapid Soil Degradation: The introduction of water turned the excavated soil pits into unstable mud pits, making traditional machinery operations nearly impossible.
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Operational Paralysis: Frequent flooding severely disrupted the project schedule, often forcing complete halts in construction activities.
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Restricted Mobility: Muddy terrain limited the mobility of standard drilling equipment between excavation pits.
SOLUTION
Equipment Modification for Remote Drilling Application
To overcome the hazardous mud and water conditions inside the pits, the engineering team eliminated the need for machinery to operate directly within the flooded zones.
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Auger Modification: Adapted a long-arm backhoe into an extended auger drilling machine.
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Remote Pit Access: The extended arm allowed the machinery to drill from stable ground outside the excavation pit.
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Optimized Maneuverability: The long reach minimized the need for the heavy machinery to traverse the muddy terrain extensively.
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Continuous Operations: This approach bypassed the flooded conditions, allowing work to proceed even when the pits contained water.
THE OUTCOME
Successful Subsurface Reinforcement Despite Flooding
By adapting standard equipment into an extended-reach drilling solution, the team bypassed the critical limitations of the waterlogged environment. This innovation allowed for the rapid, pit-by-pit installation of earthquake-resistant soil nails with high efficiency and precision. The final execution fully met the client’s rigorous technical standards and testing requirements, keeping the project moving despite the severe environmental constraints.
1 - 4 m
Soil nail depth
20 cm
Drilling diameter
1 Day
per pit (30-48 holes)
Construction time
