Musashi Canal Reconstruction Project was awarded for Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award by Japan Society of Civil Engineering for 2016 16 May, 2017
Under the Musashi Canal Reconstruction Project, four organizations jointly developed the special engineering technology to process the renovation work in extremely narrow clearance under railway bridge above a canal. Four organizations are Japan Water Agency, East Japan Railway Company, Totetsu Kogyo Co., Ltd.and Giken Ltd.
Musashi Canal is now conveying Tone River water, holding relatively abundant water, to Ara River in order to provide 1/3 of domestic water for metropolitan Tokyo area as Ara River water was not abundant enough to provide total amount water needed in Tokyo. Due to the aging of Musashi Canal, reconstruction work was carried out to reinforce the canal facilities.
In the process of renovation work under the bridge where JR Takasaki Line was running, there was the clearance of just 1.5 m only between the bridge beam and the canal water surface and 1.0 m between the bridge beam and the top of steel sheet pipes which were used to separate the work area from running water. To enable the workers to proceed with the work within the limited clearance and seal the special steel sheet from water, a new machine was invented as well as special new joints were invented to stop water from intruding the work area underneath the limited clearance.
This new technology was awarded for the above-mentioned outstanding civil engineering achievement award this time.
Development of press-in machine which can drive steel sheet piles in narrow space
Development of special steel sheet piles which enabled multiple-stage diversion
Railway bridge after the reconstruction