The Taichung City Government spent NT$1.9 billion in constructing the Greater Taichung Transit Center. As of July, the overall progress is nearly 29%. Recently, many independent columns have appeared in the main structure at the job site, capturing a lot of attention and becoming a conversation topic. People start wondering what kind of construction method this is. Dr. Yeh, Chao-Fu, Director of Transportation Bureau announced the answer and said that this optimized construction method called PBSS, premade, build-up, safety and structure. It is a structure assembly with main column reinforcement and spiral stirrups bundled together. This is the first example of PBSS used in the public construction projects in Taichung in response to the seismic strength of Taiwan's earthquake zone, hoping to build the "Greater Taichung Transit Center Construction Project" into a benchmark project in Taichung. Dr. Yeh pointed out that Taichung City developed four major transit centers: Shuinan, Wuri, Fengyuan, and Taichung. Mayor Lu Shiow-Yen came up with a budget plan as she took office, and started construction of three transit centers. The one in Fengyuan has been completed and put into use. The Shuinan and Greater Taichung Centers are under construction. The Greater Taichung Transit Center is an important public transportation engine for the revitalization of the old city blocks. The project started in June 2022 and is expected to be completed and open for business in the second half of 2024. The project is on schedule and in good quality. Dr. Yeh said that Taiwan is located in a seismically active zone and the seismic building code is constantly being revised and improved. The main structure of the Greater Taichung Transfer Center largely consists of independent columns. For this, the contractor proposed the optimized "PBSS" method to improve columns’ seismic strength and structural quality. This construction method adopts an integral design where the column reinforcement and spiral stirrups are assembled into a whole assembly. CO2-gas metal arc welding is utilized to bond the reinforcement bars together, ensuring structural stability and improved resilience.
It is anticipated that the completion of the Greater Taichung Transit Center will have a positive impact on the surrounding commercial activities, revitalize the old city blocks, redirecting passenger and bus routes, and enhancing traffic flow in front of the train station. This heavy-weight transportation project is highly anticipated by the locals. The difference of the PBSS method from conventional ones caught the attention of many building contractors and architects for its unique appearance, and stimulated lots of online conversations and discussions. Dr. Yeh pointed out that most of the PBSS works are done at fabrication shop, which minimizes assembly errors and greatly reduces construction time. During the construction stage, large cranes are needed for heavy lifting, and metal braces added for propping, so that the columns are kept in an upright position for more accurate structure erection that follows. The Transportation Bureau pays close attention to the seismic strength and construction quality of public projects. At present, the optimized PBSS construction has been completed in July. The Transportation Bureau added that the Greater Taichung Transit Center is a structure with 3 floors under and 2 above ground; the 3 underground floors are designed as parking space to internalize parking needs; the first floor above ground is a transfer center for convenient transfer between city buses and railway. The second floor above ground is an artificial platform design as a pedestrian-friendly space. Once the Greater Taichung Transfer Center is open for business, it will achieve "7-to-7 transfer", i.e., transfer among railway, highway buses, MRT, city buses, automobiles and motorcycles, taxis, and bicycles. This will significantly simplify intermodal transfers within the old city blocks of Taichung. Contact: Mr. Hu of Transportation Bureau of Taichung City Government (Parking Management Office); Tel: 04-22221000, ext. 121