The 15m diameter TBM that will excavate the double tunnel of the €500M S19 highway section between Rzeszów Południe and Babica, in Poland, has started boring. Nicknamed “Karpatka” by the Polish public, the TBM has been refurbished to meet the needs of this complex project, which is considered one of the most technologically advanced infrastructure projects in the country.
The 4000 tonne, 112m long TBM was refurbished at the company’s Technology Park in Noblejas (Toledo) to adapt it to the needs of the project. The Construction Support Department refurbished an old EPB TBM that was used more than 16 years ago in the M-30 underground work in Madrid, where it set the world record for excavation diameter in its year of manufacture.
To refurbish the TBM, the two cutting wheels of the old machine had to be reduced to one. In addition, improvements have been introduced, such as the replacement of the mortar with a two-component system, the incorporation of a rapid unloading system for the segments, or the assembly of the ring in semi-automatic mode. An innovative geological prediction tool that allows data to be collected from the tunnel face without the need for drilling has also been added.
The TBM will work at a maximum depth of 100m to construct a 2.2km double tube tunnel that will be included in this new 10.3km stretch of road, which will consist of two lanes and 15 intersections, as well as an additional emergency crossing. ACCIONA, contractor for the project, will also construct two technical buildings and a tunnel management centre to ensure the proper operation of the tunnel and guarantee maximum safety for users.
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