Challenge

Jakarta, the Capital City of Indonesia has a population of over 25 million. An exponential increase in population has had several detrimental impacts such as chronic traffic congestion, increasing road accidents and air pollution. To alleviate these issues the government of Indonesia set out to develop a comprehensive, mass public transport system, with capacity to grow.

The project was built by Indonesian contractor PT. Adhi Karya under a design and build contract. In April 2017, the Employer appointed Oriental Consultants Global in association with SMEC and four other consultants as the Supervision Consultant to oversee quality and progress of the works. The supervision team included PT. Jaya CM (JAVA), PT. Oriental Consultants Indonesia {OCI), PT. Perentjana Djaja (PD), PT. RayaKousult (RK), PT. lndraKarya (IKA).

The project team overcame many unplanned challenges such as the covid pandemic and global price inflation, which impacted the supply and cost of essential building materials.

Solution

Oriental Consultants appointed four international experts from SMEC in the following roles:

• Chief Railway System & Integration Expert: responsible for the overall integration of all systems for the LRT Jabodebek project into a cohesive system. This included the electrical systems, the mechanical systems, the signaling systems, and the operating systems.
• General Electrical Expert: responsible for the design review, procurement, installation, and commissioning of all electrical systems for the LRT Jabodebek project. This included the power supply system, the traction system, the lighting system, and the signaling system.
• General Mechanical Expert:  responsible for the design review, installation and site supervision and testing & commissioning of all mechanical systems for the LRT Jabodebek project. This included VAC systems, sanitary and drainage, rainwater system, water supply, elevators and escalators, fire protection, fire suppression system for stations, sub-stations and depot.
• Telecommunication Expert:responsible for the design, procurement, installation, and commissioning of all telecommunications systems for the LRT Jabodebek project. This included the communication system (SCADA), the CCTV system, and the public address system.

SMEC worked with the client to adopt safe work practices and COVID protocols as well as participating in VE to optimise cost expenses. A key consideration for the SMEC team was to ensure that the project was constructed with a reliable automation and communication system. Grade of Automation Level 3 will transmit information between the train control system, the signalling system, and the safety systems. The automatic train control system controls the speed and movement of the driverless trains. In this regard, SMEC’s responsibilities included the management of:

• The train control system that automatically controls the speed and movement of the train, optimising efficiency.
• The signalling system that provides information to the train control system about the location of other trains.
• The safety systems that prevent the train from colliding with other trains or obstacles.

Other key features of the LRT overseen by the supervision team include:

• U-shaped girders: One of the key features of the project is the U-Shape Girder used to construct the viaducts. The slim shape has proved to be an elegant and cost-effective solution, saving space in the dense urban surroundings. Prefabrication enhanced the buildability of the viaducts whilst their shape enables them to distribute the force of an earthquake more evenly.
• 3D model: The use of a detailed 3D model optimised the alignment of the LRT system and enabled the team to identify potential hazards, enhancing communication with the client and key stakeholders.
• Lead rubber bearings were used to isolate the track structure from earthquakes, which helps to protect the LRT system from seismic activity.
• Fiber optic cables are being used for the telecommunications system, which provides a more reliable and secure communication system.

Impact

The Jabodebek LRT was a complex and challenging project and a major milestone in Jakarta’s public transport modernisation. The project will improve the mobility of people in the Jakarta metropolitan area and reduce traffic congestion by an estimated 996,000 vehicles per day (source: BPJT, 2015). The LRT is also expected to boost economic growth and improve the quality of life for residents of the area.

Key impacts of features implemented by the supervision team include:

• The LRT is fully automated, which reduces operating costs. World class operating systems safeguard long term reliability. The use of automatic train control is designed to enhance safety and maximise efficiency in operations.
• State-of-the-art signalling enables trains to operate safely, efficiently, and autonomously. The operating system is also equipped with earthquake detection sensors which are programmed to respond to incidents in real time.
• SMEC was an early advocate for the installation of wet firefighting systems across the network. SMEC led the design and supervised the construction of the system which has been build in accordance with NFPA International Standards.
• Elevated U-Shaped Girders help to limit the impact on traffic and pedestrians whilst protecting against seismic activity. Lead rubber bearings have been used to isolate the track structure from earthquakes. This ensures the safety of passengers and the structural integrity of the system.