Elements of TBM Tunnel Drilling Machine

Underground construction includes two types:

• Conventional: Means drilling and blasting
• Mechnical: TBM  (tunnel-Boring-Machine), Roadheader, excavator: Special Excavation methods in soft ground, in presence of water.

The TBM (Tunnel Drilling Machine) consists of the following elements: cutterhead with shield tubbing segment erector, backup trailer with hydraulic units and filtration plant, allow backup trailer with the monorail device to allow the unhindered construction of the temporary according road. The backup trailer consists of the flush ventilator, the rock bunkers and the tubbing and material yard. Finally is the back-up trailer with airduct magazine and cablebobine.

The advancement is split into 3 phases:

Phase 1: The shield will be pressed by means of hydraulic cylinders to the cutterhead. The cutterhead is equipped with concentric disks, to allow to split rock.

Phase 2: After the incremental advance the pressure ring will be removed towards cutterhead to have free space in the area of the shield to install the tubbing ring.

Phase 3: Secured by the shield the tubbing ring ring will be placed by means of an erection.

Possible erection phases:

1. Erection of the right bottom element
2. Erection of the left bottom element
3. Erection of the right sidewall element and support with roller.
4. Erection of the left sidewall element and support with roller,
5. Erection of te vault element and support with erector.
6. Spreading of the bottom elements with hydraulic cylinders and insertion of the key element.