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Metro West update - Geotechnical drilling

20.01.2022

Close up shot of drills used during geotech investigations at White Bay Power Station Close up shot of drills used during geotech investigations at White Bay Power Station
Two construction workers working at White Bay Power Station in full PPE suits Two construction workers working at White Bay Power Station in full PPE suits
Construction worker wearing a helmet, face mask and PPE suit, pulling a metal pipe. Construction worker wearing a helmet, face mask and PPE suit, pulling a metal pipe.
A look inside the old boiler room at the heritage-listed White Bay Power Station. A look inside the old boiler room at the heritage-listed White Bay Power Station.
A view of inside the turbine hall at White Bay Power Station. A view of inside the turbine hall at White Bay Power Station.
A view of the roof and windows inside the turbine hall at White Bay Power Station. A view of the roof and windows inside the turbine hall at White Bay Power Station.
A view from the ground looking up at the sky at large smoke stacks at White Bay Power Station. A view from the ground looking up at the sky at large smoke stacks at White Bay Power Station.
A view from outside White Bay Power Station looking through barbed wire outside while power lines are in the sky above. A view from outside White Bay Power Station looking through barbed wire outside while power lines are in the sky above.

Geotechnical investigations are being done along the length of the Sydney Metro West alignment to inform the final design of the tunnels and station boxes.

More than 50 bore holes are being drilled, ranging in depth from 10 metres to 100 metres.

Geotechnical work has also been done at the White Bay Power Station, including inside the turbine hall and boiler room.

Data captured from each borehole includes the depth of each layer of soil and rock, the properties and strength of the soil and rock and the type of soil and rock in each location – for example, determining if its Ashfield Shale, Mittagong Formation or Hawkesbury Sandstone.

The Sydney Metro West tunnel alignment runs about 22 metres under the power station, which was built in 1917 and decommissioned in 1983.

The heritage-listed power station was the longest serving Sydney power station and is the only one to retain a representative set of machinery and items associated with the generation of electricity in the early and mid-20th century.

It’s also been used as a set for films like The Matrix Reloaded and The Great Gatsby.

First escalators installed at Waterloo Station

First mega boring machines ordered for Sydney Metro West

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