Metro West update - Geotechnical drilling
20.01.2022
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.