By ashleykaren
Manila Water celebrated the fourth aqueduct milestone on one of the Philippines’ largest water supply infrastructure schemes at a ceremony on August 14.
The Manila Times reported that the tunnel boring machine excavating the 3.1m-diameter NBAQ4 (Novaliches-Balara Aqueduct 4) project hole through at the La Mesa Reservoir having bored 7.3km as its launch at the Balara entry shaft in Quezon City.
The invited guests and workers witnessed the machine broke through the soft concrete of the exit shaft. Now, the TBM is going to be disassembled in the shaft to enable the construction of the intake and outlet towers. The project is anticipated to be completed in summer 2022.
Novaliches-Balara Aqueduct 4 includes the construction of a fourth aqueduct from La Mesa Reservoir to the Balara Water Treatment Plant and has the purpose to upgrade the reliability and security of the Philippine capital’s raw water conveyance system. The new aqueduct is going to complement the current three constructed in 1929, 1956, and 1968.
Arup, the engineering consultancy, has provided project management and detailed design review services for NBAQ4, working alongside the Novabala JV including design and construct contractor CMC di Ravenna, First Balfour, and Chun Wo Engineering.
