TUNNEL BORING MACHINES

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
REQUIREMENTS OF TUNNEL
MAIN PURPOSES

PROCEDURES INVOLVED
METHODS OF TUNELLING
INSTRUMENTATION USED

METHOD TO SELECTION
THE OTHER SIDE

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS A TUNNEL?
A tunnel is an underground passageway,
completely enclosed except for openings for
egress, commonly at each end.

A tunnel may be for road traffic,road

traffic,canal,hydroelectric station,sewer etc.
The Delaware Aqueduct in New York USA is
the longest tunnel, of any type, in the world
at 137 km (85 mi)
it is very useful where bridge fail to fulfill
requirements like in sea ,in urban area

and in mountains.
efficient when compared to bridges.
in war time it is much difficult to destroy
a tunnel but destruction of bridge is too
easy.
lots of land and time is saved.

MAIN PURPOSES
IN ROAD TRAFFICS
IN SEWERS
IN MINING
IN RAIL TRAFFICS
IN HYDROELECTRIC STATIONS ETC.

THE PROCESS FOR BORED TUNNELLING INVOLVES ALL

OR SOME OF THE FOLLOWING OPERATIONS:
Probe drilling (when needed)
Grouting (when needed)
Excavation (or blasting)
Supporting
Transportation of muck
Lining or coating/sealing
Draining
Ventilation

PROBE DRILLING
This type of drilling is done in order to find

out suitable method for drilling

It consist of drilling in sample, by various
method to find most suitable
It is necessary part of all drilling operation .

EXCAVATION
Excavation is the digging and recording of artifacts

at an archaeological site.
It is necessary to know the archaeological
importance of a site before digging .
This is performed by experts in a scientific way.
Many governments grants permission for tunneling
after finding a go certificate in excavation.

GROUTING
It is the process of providing additional

support to drilled mine.

It is done by a liquid called grout ,consist
of water ,cement ,color tint and
sometime fine gravel .
Good surface is achieved .

SUPPORTING
After initial mining , tunnel need supports for further

processing .
For the sake of life a perfect planning is needed for
support.
In ancient time timber and masonry were the main
methods.
Today support is provided by injecting final pipe or
building it completely before further tunneling

TRANSPORTATION OF MUCK
In ancient time transportation was done by

steam engine and by Manual transport.

Today it is done by modern methods and process
is automatic .
TBMs are also come with proper arrangment for
the transport of muck.

DRAINING
Draining is the process to remove the water

or other liquid from working site

Very important where water level is very
high.
Pumps and pipes are used for this purpose.

LINING OR COATING
Lining of proper material is done by modern

methods like polishing ,painting to prevent wear

and tear and corrosion.
Very necessary part where corrosive metals are
being used.

VENTILATION
Proper ventilation is required for safety of

workers.
This is done by proper checking of oxygen and
other parameters .
Proper installations for exit of hazardous gasses
coming out from tunneling .

TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION METHODS:

Classical methods
Cut-and-cover
Drill and blast
Tunnel boring machines (TBMs)
Immersed tunnels
Tunnel jacking
Other methods .

CLASSICAL METHODS
Among the classical methods are the Belgian, English,

German, Austrian, Italian and American systems. These

methods had much in common with early mining
methods and were used until last half of the 19th
century.
Excavation done by hand or simple drilling
equipment.
Supports were predominantly timber, and
transportation of muck was done on cars on narrow
gauge tracks
Progress was typically in multiple stages
The lining would be of brickwork.
These craft-based methods are no longer applicable.

THE ENGLISH METHOD

Crown-bar method- started from a central top

heading which allowed two timber crown bars to be

hoisted into place, the rear ends supported on a
completed length of lining, the forward ends propped
within the central heading. Development of the
heading then allowed additional bars to be erected
around the perimeter of the face with boards between
each pair to exclude the ground. The system is
economical in timber, permits construction of the
arch of the tunnel in full-face excavation, and is
tolerant of a wide variety of ground conditions, but
depends on relatively low ground pressures.

THE AUSTRIAN (CROSS-BAR) METHOD

required a strongly constructed central bottom heading
upon which a crown heading was constructed. The timbering
for full-face excavation was then heavily braced against the
central headings, with longitudinal poling boards built on
timber bars carried on each frame of timbering. As the lining
advanced, so was the timbering propped against each length
to maintain stability. The method was capable of withstanding
high ground pressures but had high demand for timber.

THE GERMAN METHOD

(core-leaving method) provided a series of box headings within which the successive sections of the side walls of the
tunnel were built from the footing upwards, thus a forerunner of the system of multiple drifts. The method depends on
the central dumpling being able to resists without excessive movement pressure transmitted from the side walls, in
providing support to the top 'key' heading prior to completion of the arch and to ensuring stability while the invert arch is
extended in sections.

THE BELGIAN SYSTEM

(underpinning or flying arch method) started from the construction of a top heading, propped approximately to the level
of the springing of the arch for a horseshoe tunnel. This heading was then extended to each side to permit construction of
the upper part of the arch, which was extended by under- pinning, working from side headings. The system was only
practicable where rock loads were not heavy.
The first sizeable tunnel in soft ground was the Tronquoy tunnel on the St Quentin canal in France in 1803, where the
method of construction, based on the use of successive headings to construct sections of the arch starting from the
footing, was a forerunner to the German system described above.

Road headers

CUT & COVER METHOD

The principal problem to be solved in connection with this
construction method is to how to maintain surface traffic, with
the least disturbance during the construction period. One
method is to restrict traffic to a reduced street width, another
to direct traffic to a bypassing street.
Another way of supporting the sidewalls of open trenches is to
substitute sheet-pile walls by concrete curtain walls cast under
bentonite slurry (ICOS method), and using steel struts. This is
especially a requisite in narrower streets trimmed with old
sensitive buildings with their foundation plane well above the
bottom level of the pit. This type of trench wall becomes a
requirement for maintenance of surface traffic due to the
anticipation of vibration effects potentially harmful to the
stability of buildings with foundations lying on cohesion less
soils.

DRILL AND BLAST

1.Before the advent of tunnel boring machines, drilling and blasting was the
only economical way of excavating long tunnels through hard rock, where digging
is not possible.
2.Even today, the method is still used in the construction of tunnels.

HOW DRILL AND BLAST IS BEING DONE.

Mechanical Drilling and Cutting-Crushing Strength of rock

TBM
Various size Tunnel Boring Machines(TBM) are used for drilling a vast

type of tunnels .
Transportation of muck , supporting and all other actions are done

automatically.
Very useful in boring tunnel where all other methods fail.
A main method in use in now a days.

FULL FACE SLURRY TBM in South Africa

IMMERSED TUNNELS
THESE AREA PARTLY OR WHOLLY
ARE UNDERWATWER
THEY DO NOT BLOCK THE ROUTE
FOR SHIPS
HENCE NO PROBLEM OF
CONGESSION OF TRAFFIC AS IN
CASE OF BRIDGES OVER
RIVERS OR SEAS

TUNNEL JACKING
IT IS A PROCESS TO MAKE TUNNELS
IN ALREADY EXISTING BODIES SUCH
AS ROADS ,RAILWAYS
IN THIS METHOD ESPECIALLY MADE
PIPES ARE PUSHED BY A HYDRAULIC
RAM IN GROUND
MAXIMUM DIAMETER OF TUNNEL
BY THIS METHOD IS AROUND 2.4
METER

The choice of tunneling method may be

dictated by : Geological And Hydrological Conditions

Cross-section And Length Of Continuous Tunnel

Local Experience And Time/Cost Considerations
Limits Of Surface Disturbance
Tunnel Methods
Required Speed Of Construction

Shape Of Tunnel
Managing The Risk Of Variations In Ground Quality

THE OTHER SIDE

Beside of many security measures , tunnelling is still not fool proof.
Failure of automatic system will cause deadly results as depicted in

Hollywood flick Die Hard 4.0.

High cost than bridges, but more fruitful from previous.

Drill-and-Blast Method
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

A number of holes are drilled into

the rock
They are then filled with explosives
Detonating the explosive causes the
rock to collapse
Rubble is removed and the new
tunnel surface is reinforced
Repeating these steps will
eventually create a tunnel

 The positions and depths of the holes

and the amount of explosive in each

hole are determined by a carefully
constructed pattern

Together with the correct timing of

the individual explosions, will guarantee

that the tunnel will have an
approximately circular cross-section

 The machine, known as Jumbo

tunneling machine
Used to drill and form holes inside
the tunnel for placing of explosive
Machine is computer controlled
and can drill 3 holes at the same
time with direction or angle
precisely set

Tunnel Construction using New Austrian

Tunnel Method
Principle :Subdivide the tunnel section into several arched
smaller sections for the sake of easier control
and safer supporting during excavation
The newly formed surfaces are often required
to temporary supported by girder sections,
shotcrete, nails or anchors.

Tunnel Construction using Drill-and-Blast

Method
A trial tunnel section
being formed

Tunnel Construction using Drill-and-Blast

Method
After the tunnel formed by drill
and blast process, the newly
formed tunnel surface is to be
lined with an in-situ concrete
lining to stabilize the exposed soil
or rock faces
The photo shows the gantry-type
formwork used to form the in-situ
concrete lining.

Tunnel Construction using New Austrian

Tunnel Method
A trial section of tunnel
excavation making use of the
concept of New Austrian
Tunnel Method

Tunnel Construction using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)

The tunnel boring machine for the forming of
the 3.8m diameter tunnel tube on Butterfly
Valley side.

Tunnel Construction using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)

Close up of the cutter head.
The cutting disc can cut into hard rock
and the granulated spoils will be collected
and removed by a conveyor system that is
positioned immediate at the back of the
cutting head.

Tunnel Construction using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)

Soil disposal wagons at the disposal area on
Butterfly Valley side portal. The spoil will be
kept at this location waiting for the removal
off-site by dumping vehicles.

Tunnel Construction using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)

Arrangement of the portal as viewed from the
tunnel exit. The spoil disposal
area is located on the right side of the exit with
rail track heading to that
direction. Rail track on the left is the depot and
servicing centre for the soil
disposal wagons, as well as for general loading
and unloading purposes.

Tunnel Construction using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)

A view of the tunnel interior with the partly
formed lining, tunnel supporting girders, rail
track for soil disposing wagon, ventilation
hose and other supply pipe lines etc.

Tunnel Construction using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)

A similar tunnel boring machine employed for the forming
of a cable tunnel for the Hong Kong Electric on the Hong
Kong Island side.
Observe the hydraulic jack systems behind the cutter head
that enable the machine to stabilize itself, pushing forward,
or even slight adjustment of its heading direction.

Tunnel Construction using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)

Tunnel Construction using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)

The working principle of the mixed-ground earth pressure
balanced tunneling machine under the open mode and earth
pressure balanced mode.

Tunnel Construction using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)

Tunnel Construction using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)

Tunnel Construction using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)

The cutter head is
being connected to
the shield of the
EPBM by the help
of a track-mounted
gantry crane
positioned on the
ground level. The
rows of steel tubes
on the background
are lateral support
used to stabilize the
25m deep tunnel
shaft.

Tunnel Construction using Cut-and-Cover Method

Large amount of cut-and-cover tunnels
were constructed in the
MTR Tseung Kwan O Line in the
reclaimed land of TKO New Town

Tunnel Construction using Cut-and-Cover Method

Cut-and-cover tunnel constructed in difficult environment

Tunnel Construction using Cut-and-Cover Method

Box-section tunnel tube constructed inside the tunnel trench using a set
of traveling-type tunnel formwork

Tunnel Construction using Immersed Tubes

Western Harbour Crossing is constructed
using precast oncrete immersed tube
sections. A total of 12 sections have been
used, each measures 113m x 33.5m x 8.5m
high and weighs about 35,000 tons. The
photo shows one of the 3 batches of
immersed tubes being formed in the casting
yard at Shek O, HK

Tunnel Construction using Cut-and-Cover Method

The arrangement of the approach tunnels on West Kowloon
Reclamation side. As can be seen here, the ventilation building also
serves as the coupling structure to receive the first approaching
immersed tube. After the tube being connected, the water embraced by
the elbowing land would be filled to
secure the coupling connection and make the tube land-bound.

Tunnel Construction using Cut-and-Cover Method

The second immersed tube being towed to the launching position for
sinking and connecting onto the first tube. The first tube at this stage
has already been firmly positioned at the seabed and cannot be seen on
the surface.

Tunnel Construction using Cut-and-Cover Method

Touching up of the land surface
after the completion of the
immersed tube connection. Note
also the construction of the
tunnels for the Airport Railway on
the right hand side of the
reclaimed land.

HAMMER TUNNELING HEAD MACHINES

Operating weight 18-45 tons
Hammer/bucket combinations
Hydraulic cutters and rock breakers
Mucking tools
Powerful diesel engines and electric motor: with

diesel drive into the tunnel and at the tunnel face

using emission free electric motor
Conveyor belt to rapidly move back the
excavated material

MUCKING & LOADING

MACHINES
Extremely versatile applicable to varied geological

formations
Digging and loading machines in soft rock
As loading machines with typical drill and blasting
heads
Scaling the tunnel face
Inverting
Powerful loading performance

TUNNEL EXACAVATOR
Efficient and precise
Upper carriage with short tail permits large swing radius
Along with swing bucket dipperstick exhibitshigh break out forces
Turbo diesel engines
165kW diesel engines with high pump capacity allows use of
powerful drill rigs

BALLAST LOADING
MACHINES
Excavation loading and conveyance takes

place in the same track

Slewing of conventional crawler not required
Loading capacity 3-4 cu.m. per min

ELECTRIC & SPECIAL

EXCAVATORS
Salt mining
Removal of cement residues in furnace
Demolition

HYDRAULIC CUTTING
UNITS
Adjustable to resp operating

conditions
Varies from 15kW to 120kW
Low noise cutting operation,
low vibration, smooth and
gentle use
CUTTING DRUMS- for tree
stump cutting anddust
removal systems

SPECIAL MACHINES
Crawler unit based road heading

machine
Universally rotating and swiveling
Cutting boom cuts profiles
accurately
For underground transport- quick
disassembly & reassembly

TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS