The construction of the Moscow Metro has been going at a record pace in recent years, providing the citizens of the most remote districts of Moscow with stations of their own. Mosinzhproekt plays the key part in it, engaging in construction of the Big Circle Line. In this interview, Yuri Kravtsov, General Director of Mosinzhproekt Holding, talks about the specifics of that ambitious project.
Interviewer: Yuri Nikolayevich, Mosinzhproekt has been the sole executive of the Moscow Metro Development Program over the recent decade. You have built hundreds of kilometers of metro lines and some fifty stations. But the Big Circle Line is a unique project and thus a unique experience. What does it mean for you?
Yuri Kravtsov: Mosinzhproekt participated in the construction of 51 stations as the general designer and contractor. Twelve of them are on the Big Circle Line. You can add another ten to this number: this is how many we intend to open before the end of the year. A simultaneous launch of so many new stations is a once-off experience for the Moscow Metro.
Naturally, the Big Circle Line is a unique project. It is the largest loop line in the world, 70 km long. But the scale is not the half of it; the key is that it is already integrated in the public transportation system of the city and the construction takes place in high-density urban areas. All of this is a real challenge, but Mosinzhproekt with its over 60 years of experience in underground construction is more than equal to the task. We are committed to what we do; the result of our efforts will be easy access to metro and less commuting time for millions of Muscovites.
I: Did the decision to speed up the construction and open all of the stations one year ahead of time require extra resources? More manpower, machinery, adjustment of logistics? What about the risk of a negative impact on the performance?
YK: We have enough resources to complete challenging tasks on a tight schedule. We employ over 21,000 people for the construction of the metro. 15,000 of them work on the Big Circle Line. We use the most up-to-date milling cutters as well as drilling and tunnelling machines, including the ones capable to bore double-track tunnels. The state-of-the-art equipment allows us to save time and cut the construction costs. Implementing a new project management methodology was also an important step. Working at a fast pace, we strictly observe the standards of quality and safety of our structures.
I: The tunnelling of the Big Circle Line is almost completed. Which part of it was the hardest? Did you have to think out of the box?
YK: I would say the Rizhskaya and Maryina Roshcha stations were the hardest. They required deep tunnelling work in a confined space at a depth of over 60 meters underground. However, no segment of the line was particularly easy; a lot of them run along existing metro lines or highways, or next to residential blocks, office buildings or some historical and cultural landmarks that are sensitive to vibration. We were able to keep geoecological impact to a minimum, implementing top-down and jet-grouting techniques. The latter involves inserting cement grout into soil to create a cement-stabilized wall.
I: What new digital technologies do you implement? How do they help?
YK: As we designed Kuntsevskaya and Terekhovo, we used building information modeling, or BIM. BIM allows us to determine the parameters of equipment and calculate the exact quantity of materials we will need, which speeds up the construction substantially. A BIM-software developer Autodesk, Inc. rated our design institute as the major BIM-user in Russia.
Currently, we are expanding our own BIM competence center and intend to digitalize every step of our planning and design processes. We will test the most advanced information modules that meet the most up-to-date international safety standards at the construction of the Krasny Stroitel depot on the new Biryulyovskaya Line. In the future, we plan to use them in the construction of other metro objects as well as other structures.
I: Mosinzhproekt has been climbing up the ranks of the world’s top-tier construction firms for years. What are your further plans for continued growth?
YK: Our aim is to be able to meet challenges of any complexity. The high rating of our holding is the result of our work, a valued opinion of the market’s professionals. Mosinzhproekt accumulated unique experience in construction of metro and motoring highways as well as in civil engineering. Aside from large-scale projects in Moscow, such as the National Space Centre, we participate in several urban development programs in the Urals. One of them is the construction of a public open space nicknamed “The Attraction” in Magnitogorsk that includes a recreation park and a sports area. Another major project is developing the public transportation system of Ekaterinburg. We are currently expanding our presence in the regions and intend to offer our customers turnkey construction of whole cities.
Mosinzhproekt possesses all competences needed to successfully integrate large development areas into the existing infrastructure of a city. We are able to develop a transportation system with all necessary utilities and design public and commercial facilities. We are willing to create urban environment that meets all the world’s safety and comfort standards, in the regions of Russia as well as abroad.
From “The Big Circle Line of the Moscow Metro”. Newsletter of the Moscow Construction Complex