New virtual reality technology is being used to prepare workers for construction on the North East Link Project, the largest ever investment in Melbourne’s north-east.
This training will take place at the Victorian Tunnelling Centre (VTC) and will provide virtual reality simulated training, as well as practical training, highlighting the importance of safety during major tunnelling and construction works.
The VTC also includes life-sized replicas of mined and bored tunnels and a massive tunnel boring machine (TBM) cutterhead.
The facility is the only one of its kind in Australia and is skilling up the massive pipeline of tunnelling workers needed in Victoria – with North East Link, Metro Tunnel, West Gate Tunnel and Suburban Rail Loop East projects expected to create around 31,000 construction jobs combined. More than 4200 North East Link workers including tunnelling specialists and construction workers have already completed the safety training.
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Focus has shifted to tunnelling works on the North East Link following the completion of works on the West Gate Tunnel Project and the Metro Tunnel Project. The North East Link Tunnels will take 15,000 trucks off local roads every day and reduce travel times by up to 35 minutes.
North East Link’s TBMs will be among the biggest in the southern hemisphere at 90m long, 15.6m in diameter and weigh around 4000 tonnes. They will arrive later this year in pieces, before being assembled and prepared for launch.
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