MUCKING IN TUNNELS AND SHAFTS

Definition: Clearing and loading broken rock and other excavated materials, as in tunnels
or shafts.

Example of Materials removed through the process of mucking in tunnel:

Figure 1 : muck extracted during drilling

Shaft/Tunnel Mucking Systems from Electromech

ElectroMech has developed a unique and cost effective bulk material handling system for
extraction and disposal of overburden generated during construction of tunnels. This system
can very efficiently remove overburden generated during construction of deep shafts as well
as the overburden generated during the tunneling operation itself.
Briefly the system consists of:

 A high speed, high lift winch located at ground level

 A support structure complete with columns and gantry girder and rails
 A motorized trolley atop the gantry girder
 A lower block from which a self- dumping bucket is suspended
 A heavy duty, side dumping rectangular or square cross section bucket
 A self-dumping station where the laden bucket is emptied of the overburden into
dumpers for onw- ard transportation to dump site.
 All the associated electricals
Figure 2: Illustration of how the ElectroMech muck system operates

The entire shaft/tunnel mucking system operates as under:

 After every blast/drilling operation carried out to extend the shaft/tunnel, the
overburden generated needs to be removed immediately in order to proceed further.
 Once the affected area is approachable, the empty bucket is lowered to the appropriate
elevation.
 The bucket is then filled with the generated overburden, either by payloaders or
manually depending on the space available below for movement of men and
machines.
 The laden bucket is then automatically hoisted to a pre-determined height above the
surface using the winch and the hoisting arrangement.
 The laden bucket is then automatically traversed longitudinally to a pre-determined
distance using the trolley.
 The laden bucket is then lowered at the dumping station.
 The door locks are now released and the bucket further lowered using the winch,
emptying the overburden into dump trucks standing below.
 After the bucket is empty, the bucket is hoisted, the doors locked and are then
automatically traversed to the centreline of the shaft and the whole cycle is repeated
once more.
 The whole system is custom built.
OTHER EXAMPLE OF MUCKING SYSTEMS TO CARRY MATERIALS AWAY FROM
THE DRILLING SITE.

1. Conveyor belts

Figure 3: a conveyor belt carrying muck

2. Extraction of materials inside a Tunnel Boring Machine system (TBM) :

Figure 4: inside a TBM system