Market Background
With the acceleration of the urbanization process in China, the demand for the use of urban underground space has significantly increased, resulting in the large scale construction of urban railways and long, large, deep cross-river and cross-harbor tunnels, which makes China the one of most promising markets for tunneling and underground engineering worldwide. Chinese Central Government's top ten measures to stimulate the economy by increasing domestic demand, followed by the 4 trillion RMB (585.3 billion USD) investment plan, have brought about unprecedented opportunities for the development of tunnels and underground space.
From 2000 to 2020, China is planning to build a total length of 6000 kilometers of tunnels at the speed of 300 kilometers a year, including railway and road tunnels, subways, underground public facilities, and tunnels for hydropower projects, West-East natural gas transmission project, and South-to-North water diversion project. The construction speed of China's urban rail transit has ranked the first in the world. By 2010, the length of operational underground urban rail track is expected to exceed 1200 kilometers, and it is estimated that the annual growth rate will be 180 kilometers.
The planning of urban underground space development has also been prioritized on governments' agenda. Organic underground network systems will be built, coordinated with the development of the aboveground space. According to the 'Urban Underground Space Development and Utilization Management Plan' from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, P.R.C., by 2010, cities with a population of more than 1 million residents will be required to complete the special planning for urban underground space development. So far, more than 20 cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Qingdao have already started preparing the plan to regulate the development of urban underground space. By 2020, the Beijing's developed underground area will reach 90 million square meters, and that of Qingdao will total 25 million square meters.
From 2000 to 2020, China is planning to build a total length of 6000 kilometers of tunnels at the speed of 300 kilometers a year, including railway and road tunnels, subways, underground public facilities, and tunnels for hydropower projects, West-East natural gas transmission project, and South-to-North water diversion project. The construction speed of China's urban rail transit has ranked the first in the world. By 2010, the length of operational underground urban rail track is expected to exceed 1200 kilometers, and it is estimated that the annual growth rate will be 180 kilometers.
The planning of urban underground space development has also been prioritized on governments' agenda. Organic underground network systems will be built, coordinated with the development of the aboveground space. According to the 'Urban Underground Space Development and Utilization Management Plan' from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, P.R.C., by 2010, cities with a population of more than 1 million residents will be required to complete the special planning for urban underground space development. So far, more than 20 cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Qingdao have already started preparing the plan to regulate the development of urban underground space. By 2020, the Beijing's developed underground area will reach 90 million square meters, and that of Qingdao will total 25 million square meters.
