Singapore success for Aquajet

Following the first use of an Aquajet water cutter by Australian contractor McConnell Dowell in Singapore, a second unit was ordered by China State Construction Engineering to speed remedial work on Singapore’s rail infrastructure. CSCE had won two contracts on the Downtown Line Stage 3 (DLT3) project that involve construction of Kaki Bukit and Kallang Bahru stations. Work began in July 2011 and completion is expected by 2017. The 21 km long DTL3 is the final stretch of the 42 km Downtown Line. The Aquajet unit is being used to carry out remedial work on a diaphragm wall as part of this work.

“In addition to high productivity and reduced manpower costs, they were looking for very precise work, which is not possible to achieve with jackhammers,” said Mr Lee, regional sales manager for Asia Waterjet Equipment, the Asia distributor for Aquajet Systems AB of Sweden. “The contractor wanted only a shallow cut to expose the rebar, so that surface panels could be installed quickly and accurately. The degree of control possible with the hydrodemolition robot meant that the delicate process of removing concrete without damage to the rebar could be controlled to a very fine limit.”