CARVING A DEEP NICHE

A review is presented of the range of tunnel boring machines (tbm's) available. Large full-face tbm's of over 8 M diameter have been developed by robbins and howden for work on the channel tunnel. Brief details are given of their mode of operation and excavation rates. Roadheaders traditionally used in mining are now being designed for road and rail tunnels as well as for larger cavern areas. Weights range from below 10 t to over 100 t and excavation areas between 7 and 70 square metres. Many companies are building roadheaders including atlas copco, paurat, westfalia lunen and in Britain dosco and meco international. Decon and markham are companies which illustrate an increasing trend towards collaboration with foreign manufacturers from e.g. Japan and West Germany. Trenchless pipe-jacking for smaller diameter pipes is gaining popularity. Details are given of the iseki range of microtunnelling machines. Details are also given of decon's backhoe system being used to construct a 6.25 million sewer below London. The equipment which has a novel mucking and segment handling system also illustrates the amount of tunnelling that can be carried out from one point where access is limited. Large putzmeister muck pumps capable of removing up to 1000 cubic metres of muck an hour are also described.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00107859
• Corporate Authors:

  Reed Business Information, Limited

  Quadrant House, The Quadrant
  Brighton Road
  Sutton, Surrey  United Kingdom  SM2 5AS
• Authors:
  • Webb, C
• Publication Date: 1989-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 32-4
• Serial:
  • CONTRACT JOURNAL
  • Publisher: Reed Business Information, Limited
  • ISSN: 0010-7859

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Equipment; Excavation; Excavations; Full face tunneling; Mucking; Pipe laying; Spoil; Tunneling machines; Tunnels
• ITRD Terms: 3674: Equipment; 5155: Excavation (process); 3383: Full face tunnelling machine; 3371: Pipe pushing; 5126: Spoil removal (tunnel); 3374: Tunnel
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00498131
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 30 1990 12:00AM