tunnel boring machine

Latest Issue

BDC 321 : Oct 2024

tunnel boring machine

Giant HS2 TBM cutterhead’s impressive journey back to start second dig in Warwickshire

Night-time operation in Warwickshire takes the giant ‘Dorothy’ Tunnel Boring Machine’s cutterhead back to Long Itchington Wood Tunnel north portal Impressive sight as the 160 tonne cutterhead was moved upright on a 12 metre-long, 48-wheel Self Propelled Trailer (SPT) on its 2.5 mile journey Once reassembled, ‘Dorothy’ will start her second tunnel bore later this year Dramatic photos and video capture the night-time transportation of HS2’s Long Itchington Wood Tunnel TBM’s giant cutterhead back to the tunnel’s north portal site in Warwickshire. After HS2’s first tunnel breakthrough by Tunnel Boring Machine ‘Dorothy’ at the south portal site in July this year, the front part of the TBM has been dismantled and transported back to the tunnel’s north portal in a 24/7 intricate operation, managed by the plant and logistics team at HS2’s contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV). The cutterhead, weighing 160 tonnes and with a 10-metre diameter, was moved during the night of Wednesday 21 September. Standing upright on a 12 metre-long, 48-wheel Self Propelled Trailer (SPT), it was transported from the south portal site, along the A425, through the village of Ufton and onto HS2’s north portal site.  The TBM’s 120 tonne tail skin, also 10 metres in diameter, was also moved in the same operation. The 2.5-mile journey took 180 minutes, with the loads arriving at their destination at 03.00 hours on Thursday 22 September. Eight other large pieces from the TBM’s front shield and middle shield, have already been transported by specialist equipment, which was used specifically to avoid any temporary alterations to the road layout through Ufton. The rest of the 120-metre long TBM will be pulled back through the one-mile tunnel by a special ‘caterpillar’ system, at a pace of 150 metres per day. Once all the parts are back at the north portal, the TBM will be reassembled before starting the second bore later this year. Tom Comer, Balfour Beatty VINCI’s Logistics Manager said: “This has been an intricately planned operation, using specialist equipment to transport these large, heavy pieces of machinery safely and carefully, over a 2.5-mile route, and onto our north portal site. The whole team was proud to see the operation culminate in such an impressive sight, as the huge TBM cutterhead completed its short journey. “We worked closely with the local authority, Warwickshire Police and British Transport Police, and would like to thank them for helping us ensure a safe operation, carried out at night to minimise disruption to the local community as much as possible.” Alan Payne, HS2’s Senior Project Manager said: “The BBV logistics and site teams have done a great job to make this a safe and successful operation. We’re now looking forward to the reassembly of the TBM over the coming weeks, and the start of the second bore of the tunnel later this year. When we celebrate the breakthrough next summer, this will be the first fully completed twin bore tunnel on the HS2 project.”

Read More »

National Grid celebrates ‘Boring’ landmark for London Power Tunnels with breakthrough at Eltham

• National Grid’s Tunnel Boring Machine completes almost 7km journey across South London • 140-tonne machine travelled at depths of up to 50m from Hurst to Eltham • Key moment for £1 billion project to rewire London and prepare it for future electricity demands National Grid team members were celebrating a landmark moment for the London Power Tunnels (LPT) project this week (21st June), as the first of five drives by four tunnel boring machines (TBMs) was completed at Eltham. The 140-tonne TBM, named ‘Christine’ after Christine Townley, the former Executive Director of the Construction Youth Trust, known for her championing of diversity and STEM careers, began its journey at the LPT site in Hurst in July of last year. In total, it has travelled 6.7km underneath London, reaching depths of up to 50m underground in the process. The completion of the drive represents a key moment for the £1 billion project to rewire London and prepare it for future electricity demands as the city continues to grow. LPT will also help provide crucial infrastructure for helping the UK energy sector to reach net-zero targets. Members of the LPT project team gathered at the Eltham site to witness this major milestone and celebrate their achievement. National Grid’s three other TBMs, “Edith”, “Grace”, and “Caroline” continue their tunnelling work deep underground across sites in South London. Speaking at the breakthrough, Gareth Burden, Project Director, London Power Tunnels, National Grid, said: “The completion of Christine’s journey from Hurst to Eltham represents a significant milestone for all of us working on London Power Tunnels today. After close to a year of tunnelling, it is exciting to see the first connection between sites. The team has worked so hard to make this happen, in the face of tough ground conditions.Thanks to HMJV, our engineers, fitters, miners and all else involved. A special thanks also goes to the JGL gangs who put in some hard yards down in the tunnel. It’s great to take a moment to celebrate with them all today and see so many flags and kits proudly on display. LPT is a crucial infrastructure project that will ensure people living in Eltham and Londoners more widely can continue to access safe and reliable electricity supplies. LPT is currently under-budget and on time. The project is part of National Grid’s continued investment across the network – connecting, expanding and maintaining through projects such as Hinkley Connection Project, a £900 million investment to connect low carbon energy to six million homes in the South West. It also has a planned series of investments along the East Coast of England to deliver on the government’s target of 50GW of offshore wind generation by 2030. For more information about the LPT project, please visit National Grid’s project website www.londonpowertunnels.co.uk

Read More »