Addis Ababa Institute of Technology

Department of civil Engineering

Presentation on
TUNNELING EQUIPMENTS

Presented by:
Beruk Dereje
Kiflu Andargae
Martha Teshome
Fissaha Asfaw
Instructor: Nasir B. (Ato) 1
 TUNNELING
EQUIPMENTS
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 INTRODUCTION

 Conventional methods of tunneling such as:

drilling and blasting,
benching and heading
are losing their utility nowadays due to the
boom in the construction industry categorically in
transportation engineering.
 there is a time restraint, which they are unable
to meet.

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 INTRODUCTION

 Though the initial cost of acquiring the

machinery is high, Using mechanical means
of tunneling
 has drastically reduced the construction time.
 the reduction in manpower,
 Reduction in explosives and materials required has
led to lowering of the overall tunneling costs.

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 INTRODUCTION

 Tunnel Boring Machines(TBM’s) and Road

headers are the most widely used machines for
construction of tunnels with diameter ranging
from 1m to more than 15m and shapes of:-
 circular
 oval
 rectangular cross-section.

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 TUNNEL BORING MACHINES(TBM)
 Tunnel boring machines are used as an alternative
to drilling and blasting (D&B) methods.
 are used to excavate tunnels through a variety of
geologies.
 They can be used to bore through
 hard rock or
 sand and
 almost anything in between.

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 TUNNEL BORING MACHINES(TBM)
 Description:
A TBM typically consists of
 a rotating cutting wheel located At the front end of the
shield
 one or two shields (large metal cylinders)
 Trailing support mechanisms.
 Behind the cutting wheel there is a chamber where,
depending on the type of the TBM, the excavated soil
is either
 mixed with slurry or
 left as-is.

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 TUNNEL BORING MACHINES(TBM)
 Behind the chamber there is a set of hydraulic jacks
supported by the finished part of the tunnel which are used
to push the TBM forward.
 The rear section of the TBM is braced against the tunnel
walls and used to push the TBM head forward.
 Behind the shield, inside the finished part of the tunnel,
several support mechanisms which are part of the TBM can
be found:-
 dirt removal,
 slurry pipelines if applicable,
 control rooms,
 rails for transport of the precast segments, etc.
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Operation of TBM

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 Types of TBM

Types of TBM are:-

1-Earth pressure balance tunnel boring machine
(EPB TBM)
2-Double shield tunnel boring machine (TBM)
3-Gripper tunnel boring machine (TBM)
4-Mixshield tunnel boring machine (TBM)
5-Slurry pressure balance tunnel boring machine
(SPB TBM)

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1-Earth pressure balance tunnel boring machine
(EPB TBM)
 The EPB gets its name because it is capable of
holding up soft ground by maintaining a balance
between earth and pressure.

The EPB consists of :

 the cutter head.
 a cutting chamber - used to mix the soil + water
foam
 belt conveyor/ train cars circulating in the tunnel

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1-EPB TBM

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 2-Double shield tunnel boring machine (TBM)

 The main elements in the construction of the shield

tunnel boring machine are
 the shield which gives the machine its name, a construction
like a steel tube in which all other components of the
machine are embedded,
 the cutter head and its drive housing,
 the advance mechanism
 and the robot-like device for installation of the tunnel lining,
the so-called erector.
 The tunnel lining, usually consisting of prefabricated
concrete sections, is installed with the erector, protected by
the rear shield mantle, the so-called tail shield.
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 2-Double shield tunnel boring machine (TBM)

• This type of boring machine is used for tunneling in

stable to unstable rock for the excavation of
– traffic tunnels (road and rail),
– supply tunnels (water, gas and electricity) and other special
applications.

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 3-Gripper tunnel boring machine (TBM)

 This type of boring machine is suitable for

driving in stable rock and is used for
 the excavation of traffic tunnels (road and rail),
 supply tunnels (water, gas and electricity),
 pressure water utility tunnels for hydroelectric
plants,
 tunnels for cable cars high in the mountains,
 tunnels for geological investigations and other
special applications.

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 3-Gripper tunnel boring machine (TBM)

• The main elements in the construction of the open

tunnel boring machine are
– the cutter head with its associated drive housing,
– the support construction (the so-called gripper) and
– the advance mechanism.

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 4-Mixshield tunnel boring machine (TBM)

Are new type of machines and have been developed to meet the
requirements of complex projects in strongly varying
geologies.
Dual mode - two process technologies in one
As the term 'dual mode' indicates, two process technologies are
combined in these machines. i.e:-
the functional features of a hard-rock shield tunnel boring
machine and,
optionally, of a slurry shield or a hydro shield machine
(Bentonair, slurry shield).

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 4-Mixshield tunnel boring machine (TBM)

They are always used when tunnels have to be driven alternately in

stable and unstable sections.
Where conventional tunneling techniques had to be used formerly,
these machines now open the way to lower-risk and lower-cost
tunneling in difficult geological conditions

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 5-Slurry pressure balance tunnel boring
machine (SPB TBM)
 The basic principle of this TBM is to maintain the
tunnel's cutting face during the excavation phase by
filling the working chamber, located behind the cutter
head, with slurry.
 Slurry pressure is carefully controlled by a large air
bubble which is maintained by a separately-
controlled air supply system. This air bubble acts as a
damper by absorbing sudden variations in mucking
output.

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5-Slurry pressure balance tunnel boring machine
(SPB TBM)
• Bentonite slurry, consisting of a specific clay and water
mixture is universally used in boring and digging operations.
The slurry has numerous properties:
– sealing of the cutting face,
– reduced friction on the TBM's structure, and
– transport of cuttings to the separation plant outside the tunnel.

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 TUNNEL BORING MACHINES(TBM)
 A TBM has the advantages of
 Not disturbing surrounding soil and
 Producing a smooth tunnel wall.
 Has drastically reduced the construction time.
 The reduction in manpower,
 Reduction in explosives and materials required has led to
lowering of the overall tunneling costs
 The key disadvantage is cost.
 TBMs are expensive to construct,
 difficult to transport and
 require significant infrastructure.

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 II-Road Header
 is a continuous mining and tunneling machine that can
economically excavate a wide range of rocks.
 can be used for building mine entrances, galleries, tunnels and for
mining coal and ore.
 The machine is typically mounted on crawler tracks that enable it
to move forward in to the rock face. In addition, road headers
deploy a loading device such as a conveyor for the removal of
muck sliced from the rock face to the rear of the machine for
loading.
 Road headers are widely used in the excavation of soft to medium
rock in both underground mining and tunneling, and have become
a viable alternative to full-face tunnel boring machines to create
openings in various configurations and sizes without disturbing the
surrounding rock face
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 II-Road Header
 The advantage of a road header is that it is more flexible and
versatile in soft to medium rock excavation because it has the
capacity to excavate and clear muck from the tunnel
simultaneously. This is accomplished with additional ground
support in the form of rock bolting, shotcrete, steel supports,
or a combination thereof.[7]
 As a mechanical excavation tool, a road header can also cut a
range of cross-sections, change diameter and direction
quickly, and move towards and away from the face under its
own power.
 drawback cutterhead blade is not yet durable enough to
excavate in hard rock despite extensive field-testing and
structural changes made in the machine’s weight, framing,
and cutterhead power.
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II-Road Header

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II-Road Header

 In our country we use TBM in local projects

like:
 Hydro power projects
 Gibe II
 Tana beles
 The tunnel boring machine digs 24 metres a day
with a diametre of 8.1 metres
 Road construction

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10Q
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