The "Seminar on New Shield Tunneling Technologies and Special Case Studies" was held today at Cheng Shiu University of Science and Technology. The event featured prominent shield tunneling experts, including Cheng Shiu University's Honorary Overseas Professor Atsushi Koizumi from Waseda University and Manabe Hisashi, Deputy Director of Mizuho Research & Technologies, who has over 30 years of experience in shield tunnel design. Both traveled from Japan to share their expertise and promote advances in shield tunneling technology to improve construction quality.

In response to the increasing interest in shield tunneling technology, Cheng Shiu University Professor Ko Wu-Te and the Special Working Group on Shield Tunneling Technology organized the seminar. Participants included representatives from various agencies such as the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, the Water Resources Bureau, Taipower’s Southern Engineering Department, and the Taiwan Water Corporation. Over 130 attendees from organizations such as the Water Resources Agency, National Land Surveying and Mapping Center, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation, major engineering consulting firms, construction companies, and the Taiwan branches of Japanese firms also joined, with many traveling from Taipei and Taichung.

In his opening remarks, Cheng Shiu University President Gong Rui-Zhang highlighted the ongoing shield tunneling projects in Taiwan. To improve tunneling technology and construction safety, the university held three shield tunneling events last year. By collaborating with industry and facilitating knowledge exchange from scholars and experts, the university contributes to society.

Deputy Director of the Kaohsiung City MRT Bureau, Guo Lin-Yao, mentioned that after last year’s light rail project, the MRT Yellow Line is about to begin construction. The 25-kilometer line will use twin-tunnel construction, with over 20 shield tunneling machines operating underground, making safety a critical concern.

It has been more than 16 years since the shield tunneling work for the Kaohsiung MRT Red and Orange lines was completed, and there is now a shortage of engineers with shield tunneling experience in southern Taiwan. In his presentation, Waseda University Professor Atsushi Koizumi discussed incidents such as the collapse in front of Hakata Station and the Kurashiki Undersea Tunnel accident. He emphasized that insufficient preliminary investigations and overconfidence in routine procedures are often the root causes of issues in shield tunneling projects. He stressed the importance of caution to reduce the likelihood of accidents.

Manabe Hisashi from Mizuho Research & Technologies introduced the latest Japanese shield tunneling design methods and shared case studies. Of particular note, the "Murakami-Koizumi Design Method," widely used in Japan, was developed by Professor Koizumi.

The seminar concluded with a comprehensive discussion moderated by Associate Professor Ko Wu-Te, convenor of the Shield Tunneling Design and Construction Standards Working Group. The event concluded successfully after enthusiastic discussions among the participating engineers.

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