The MRT Jakarta Project

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40TH YEAR OF ASEAN-JAPAN FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION
Jakarta city
JONATHAN GROGAN
NDONESIA is a major
ASEAN power consisting of
more than 18,000 islands.
The population is the
largest of ASEAN countries,
exceeding 230,000,000, and
is on the increase. The capital
city of Indonesia, Jakarta, is the
ASEAN headquarters and its
city center, lined with high-rise
buildings, is attracting a lot of
foreign industries as one of the
worlds best mega-cities. Aside
from being a good location for
factories, Jakarta is gaining
attention for its consumer-goods
market and is as capital one of
the fastest growing countries
in Asia. Japanese experience
and technology is being used to
maximum effect for Jakarta's
growth. Japan and Indonesia
are also working on projects to
strengthen economic ties.
An outstanding example of a
joint venture between Japan and
Indonesia is the construction of
the first Indonesian underground
rail system, which is currently
underway in Jakarta. The
12
| highlighting japan
The MRT
Jakarta
project
construction of the underground
rail system is the most difficult
section of the Jakarta Mass Rapid
Transit (MRT) project. The joint
venture group lead by Shimizu
Corporation (Shimizu-ObayashiWijaya Karya-Jaya Konstruksi
Consortium) received the order
for construction of zone two
of the Jakarta MRT Line, and
execution is now underway. The
project was contracted by the
MRT Jakarta Company, owned by
the Jakarta Special District with
financial support provided by
Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA).
The purpose of this project is
to relieve one of the major issues
in the Indonesian capital; traffic
jams.
The new MRT not only has a
sleek and modern design but also
Automatic Train Protection (ATP)
systems to protect from accidents
in events of human failure; also
Platform Screen Doors (PSD) to
avoid passenger accidentally
falling off the platforms; a stateof-the-art operation control
center; automatic gates, ticket
vending machines and Automatic
Fare Collection (AFC); and
mound up entrances to prevent

flooding in case of natural disaster.
Jakarta is going to receive the best
underground railway system that
Japanese technology can build.
We talked with Naoki Kita,
civil engineer and deputy director
of the international division of
Shimizu Corporation.
What types of cutting-edge
technology are being used in this
project?
First we proposed an earth
pressure type shield machine, a
technology with which Japanese
are very well versed, and that is
ideal to minimize the effect on the
existing surface structures during
the tunnel excavation in Jakarta.
Then there is the kind of
procedure we are going to use in
building the underground stations:
we have to dig 20-30m beneath
the city because of the structures
on the surface. Normally, when
digging into the ground, it is
necessary to build a wall as a soil
retaining system (diaphragm
wall), and it is commonplace
for this wall to be temporary.
However, in this project, this
MRT So
diaphragm wall will also double
up as a permanent component of
the station structure. A merit in

What kind of cooperative
the facilitation of this project is
organization do you have in
the fact that no additional wall
place in regard to local people
will be constructed on top of the
employed on the project?
diaphragm wall, which means
A condition of the project is
reduced construction time and
that we undertake construction
cost.
work using local companies.
Cross-section of the final appearance of
MRT line, Jakarta
Another example of the
For these companies, this is
application of technology is
their first experience of subway
found in the way the subsections
construction in Indonesia.
of the underground station
Therefore, one of our tasks
What do you find satisfying
are constructed. Normally,
is to transfer the technology
about your job as a civil
excavation is conducted to the
needed to build the underground
engineer?
deepest level and then floors
railway line to them. This
The current subway
are built working upward. In
project is implemented as a joint
construction project is one such
MRT
South -however,
North Corridor
II
this project,
the floors Phase
venture.
Independence of the
example, but I think the role of
are constructed from the top to
local companies is the ultimate
civil engineers is to facilitate
the bottom, and each floor will
objective. Thus, we consider
peoples lives by providing
support the soil retaining wall as
all of the companies involved
necessary infrastructures. I feel
well, before excavating the next
in this joint venture as one big
glad that I chose to be a civil
level below. This method will
family. An education program
engineer when I achieve this
also minimize ground settlement
aimed at local employees has
goal. For example, in a remote
and subsequent adverse effect to
been put in place with particular
mountainous area in Laos, that
the existing surface structures
emphasis on safety education.
had never seen electricity, we
MRT EAST - WEST CORRIDOR (ALERNATIF 1)
during the station construction in With the aim of zero accidents,
had a project to supply this to
urban areas like Jakarta. Careful
work processes and procedures
the local people under Japanese
construction management and
have been established that
Official Development Assistance
data analysis will be needed
local construction workers
(ODA), and I felt great pleasure
to control the project. In this
and Japanese staff alike are
and happiness when I saw the
way, cutting-edge technology
following with careful attention.
local childrens happy faces when
provided by Japan also offers
Furthermore, there are some
we completed the project.
high value in terms of cost and
difficulties of language in
Projects such as the Jakarta
safety.
communicating with local
City MRT line, that strengthen
MRT EAST - WEST CORRIDOR (ALERNATIF
2)
employees,
therefore interpreters economic ties between Japan
have also been brought in
and Indonesia, also link with
to help. There is of course
improvement of Indonesias
some complexity involved in
infrastructure and technology.
forwarding the project with
That is to say, expansion of
Japanese industry contracting
Japanese business overseas is not
local companies. However, in
only for the benefit of Japan but
the future, local construction
also those countries that choose
companies will acquire the
to form a partnership with Japan,
outh - North
Corridor
I
Simulated
appearance Phase
of Underground
capability to manage such
in pursuit of the growth of a
station, MRT line Jakarta
projects by themselves.
prosperous Asia.
NOVEMBER 2013
13

The MRT Jakarta Project

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Feature

40TH YEAR OF ASEAN-JAPAN FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION

mound up entrances to prevent

the station structure. A merit in

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