Tunnel Engineernig TBM's

Modern
TBMs:
Enabling the Next Wave of
Infrastructure Growth in India
Bhavani
Bhavani Balakrishna
Balakrishna

ith sizeable investments

envisaged for infrastructure
sector INR 5 trillion in roads,
INR 1.2 trillion in hydropower, INR 1.8
million in water and sewerage systems
and INR 1 trillion in metro rail projects
in the 12th plan, tunnel works are going
to be in the spotlight. And with increased
focus on development of world class
tunnel infrastructure, the Tunnel Boring
Machines (TBM) industry is expected
to witness a lot of activity in the coming
years.

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TBMs in India
The tunnel TBMs were earlier
employed primarily in the water supply
sector and later in hydro-electric
projects. A TBM was used first in India
in 1984 for excavating a tunnel of
diameter 3.5 meters under a project for
the Bombay Water Supply Scheme.
Although TBMs made an entry in early
1980s, conventional drill and blast
methods remain predominant in India.
Despite, the progress rates achieved

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with such traditional methods being

extremely low 7.5m to 81.0m on monthly
average basis based on the size of
tunnel and factors like geography, one
of the main reasons for not using TBMs
for such tunnel jobs was the high
prohibitive cost of the imported
equipment and procedures involved in
import of the modern equipment.
However, what was not considered
was that tunneling by drill and blast
methods, particularly in soft rocks, often
resulted in over-breaks of the order of

Tunnel Engineernig TBM's

metro rail projects of several metropolises in India. In fact, the Government, recognizing the significance of
these machines in hydroelectric and
road projects, has provided full
exemption from basic customs duty
and additional duty of customs (CVD)
on tunnel boring machines and parts
and components thereof for use in the
assembly of Tunnel boring machines
used in hydroelectric and highway
development projects.
TBMs operate in all kinds of geologies
comprising hard rock, soft ground and
mixed-face conditions with high
overburden and high ground water
pressures. The application range of
soft ground machines such as earth
pressure balance shields or slurry
shields have allowed a considerable
expansion of the application areas of
shield tunneling leading to increased
economic feasibility of these tunneling
systems. The choice of a single or
double shielded TBM depends on the
type of rock strata and the excavation
speed required and trailing support
mechanisms. Double shielded TBMs
are normally used in unstable rock
strata, or where a high rate of advancement is required. Single shielded
TBMs, which are less expensive, are
more suitable to hard rock strata.
Behind the shield, inside the finished

The soft ground tunneling

market is expandingparticularly in India and
China- and we would like to
meet the growing
requirements of customers in
these countries.

Lok Home
President, Robbins

part of the tunnel, several mechanisms

for shotcreting, rock bolting, precast
lining segments and steel ribs support
are present.
While more and more projects in
India are switching to TBM technique
over conventional technique, tunneling
in Himalayas has always been a major
challenge to project planners. The
experiences of TBM in Dulhasti and
Parabati have not been successful and
the contractors had to fall back on drill
and blast methods. The Himalayan
geology is quite varying with folds and

Picture Courtesy: www.opg.com

10-15% leading to time and cost

overruns.
However, with focus on quality and
tight schedules, use of TBMs has
become imperative to achieve safe
tunnelling while maximizing the rate of
advance in excavation. This advantage
has somewhat offset the high capital
cost involved with this equipment.
Since then TBMs have been used in
hydroelectric projects, roads and water
supply but these machines have been
lately in the limelight for their role in the

Workers emerging as a TBM breaks through under the India capital, New Delhi

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Tunnel Engineernig TBM's

Hybrid Earth Pressure Balance Machine (EPB TBM) built using Onsite First Time Assembly (OFTA).
Narmada Valley, located in Central India's Madhya Pradesh state, is a drought-prone region for eight
months out of every year. The Sleemanabad Carrier Canal is part of the Indian Government's Bargi
Diversion Project, which will source water from the Narmada River to irrigate 250,000 acres (100,000
hectares) of land.
The major trans-valley canal will stretch 194 km (120 mi) from the existing Bargi Dam on the Narmada
River to arid areas. Once complete, the Bargi Diversion Project will transfer 152 cubic meters (40,000
gallons) of water per second to Katni, Satna, Panna, and Jabalpur districts, irrigating over 100,000
hectares (250,000 acres) of land.
The contractor, a joint venture of M/s Patel Engineering, SEW, and Coastal Projects Limited (CPL),
signed a contract with Robbins for the supply of a 10.0 m (32.8 ft) diameter EPB, as well as the back-up
system, cutting tools, spares and continuous conveyor system. CPL also opted for Onsite First Time
Assembly (OFTA) of the machine at the jobsite, in order to expedite the project schedule.
The hybrid EPB was completed using Onsite First Time Assembly (OFTA) in Madhya Pradesh, India
on March 14, 2011. A commissioning ceremony celebrated the launch of the TBM at the 12 km (7.5 mi)
long Sleemanabad Carrier Canal.
The launch ceremony also marked the first time OFTA has been used on a hybrid EPB. The Robbinsdeveloped method allowed the TBM to be initially assembled on location, rather than in a manufacturing
facility. Critical subsystems, such as the electrical and hydraulic systems, were tested before being
shipped to the jobsite. Once completed, the tunnel will have a diameter of 9.2 m and is expected to be
operational in 2013.

A worker standing inside one of the tunnels created by the 14 TBM's used by India to overcome the
challenges of a tight schedule for the common wealth games.

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large number of small and big faults,

thrusts, shear-zones. Moreover, the rocks
of Shiwaliks and Lesser Himalayas are,
jointed, sheared, fragile and weak.
These together make Himalayan rocks
a difficult tunneling media.
Experiences have suggested that
TBM excavation needs meticulous
planning and several problems can be
avoided if a thorough site investigation
is done. Almost every aspect of a
tunneling project is influenced by the
geology of the area. Inadequate
geological investigation and poor
anticipation of the nature and magnitude
of problems result in delays and higher
cost of construction. Faced with cost
and time constraints, detailed
investigations are often compromised
resulting in lack of quality construction
riddled with problems and time and
cost overruns in the long term.
Prior understanding, obtained in a
correct manner, of the geological and
geotechnical conditions of the site is
fundamental for the development of
underground works. Probe holes and
the use of geophysical exploration
techniques could be used to ascertain
the presence of groundwater. Advanced
geophysical methods like tomographic
analysis and radar, though expensive,
can be cost effective in the longer run
particularly in Himalayas. Forward
probing from a TBM driven pilot tunnel
or a main tunnel is not an alternative to
an adequate pre-investigation. Up to
now, too little money has in general
been spent on preliminary investigations.
It has in fact been demonstrated that
money spent on such investigations is
greatly compensated by the savings
made in terms of construction cost
and time.
The choice of TBM is another
important aspect that needs a critical
analysis at planning stage. The
selection of the TBM should then be
based on the interpretations of this
geotechnical investigation report.
Expert & independent advice should
be sought on the selection of the type
and TBM. Lastly, it is the men behind the
machine that matter. An experienced

Tunnel Engineernig TBM's

team with a strong leader is the way

forward.
In India, the TBM market is largely
dominated by Robbins, Herrenknecht,
Hitachi Zosen and SELI. In 2008,
Herrenknecht put into operation an
assembly plant for tunnelling systems
and service in Chennai covering an
area of 40,000 square meters. Coastal
Projects Limited, a Hyderabad-based
tunnel engineering company recently
acquired 26% stake in Italian based
SELI. With increased number of
tunneling projects in India expected to
be implemented using Tunnel Boring
Machines (TBMs), Coastal Projects
stands to benefit from its association
with SELI as it also designs and builds
hard rock and soft ground tunnel boring
machines and auxiliary equipment. In
2009, BEML Limited signed a
Memoranda of Agreement with NFM
Technologies for the manufacture of
tunnel boring machines in India. NFM
Technologies is the second largest
manufacturer of TBM in the world with a
global market share of 20%. Last year,
Hitachi Zosen Corporation established
an Indian subsidiary, Hitachi Zosen
India Private Limited (HZIND) in
Gurgaon to handle the giant Indian
market Hitachi Zosen delivered two
slurry-type shield tunneling machines
to India for the first time for the
Bangalore Metro subway construction
project in Bangalore, Karnataka State.
Projects
Pula Subbaiah Veligonda Project
A Robbins Double Shield TBM is

Typical 10.0m cross section of a double shielded TBM

Shielded TBM's are generally used for fractured rocks with the help of concrete segments to support
the unstable tunnel walls behind the machine. Double Shield TBMs have two modes; in stable ground
they can grip against the tunnel walls to advance. In unstable, fractured ground, the thrust is shifted to
thrust cylinders that push off against the tunnel segments behind the machine. This keeps the significant
thrust forces from impacting fragile tunnel walls. Single Shield TBMs operate in the same way, but are
used only in fractured ground, as they can only push off against the concrete segments.

boring tunnel No. 2 of the Pula Subbaiah

Veligonda project for Coastal Projects
Ltd. (CPL), of the CPL/ Hindustan
Construction Company (HCC) JV. The
Veligonda tunnel no. 2 is located in
sedimentary rock on the western margin
of the Cuddapah Basin, where a number
of faults and folds make for complex
geology. Rock includes quartzite with
interbedded shale (60%) and shale
with limestone and phyllite (40%)
ranging from 90 to 225 MPa (13,000 to
33,000 psi) UCS. Two major faults are
expected along with some ground

Herrenknecht India Private Limited inaugurated the extension of

its manufacturing unit (assembly hall, warehouse and steel
manufacturing unit) in Chennai on December 14, 2011. As India
is one of the fastest-growing markets in the Asia-Pacific region
with very high demand, the factory set-up has been expanded by
2,000m for a new assembly workshop, 830m for the warehouse
and 840m for the steel manufacturing unit. In these facilities
Herrenknecht will assemble and/or produce TBMs up to 9 meters
in diameter, as well as cutting tools, project-specific jobsite
equipment and will handle spare and wear part.
Frank Hurst, Managing Director Herrenknecht India Private Limited

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water. The Double Shield machine

utilizes sixty-seven 20-inch diameter
back-loading cutters to combat the
tough ground conditions. Specially
designed drive motors allow the
machine to run at a higher than normal
RPM, compensating for low penetration
rates in the hard rock. In squeezing
ground, the cutterhead is also capable
of vertical movement allowing for
overboring. The machine also has a
probe drill which allows for verification
of geology 30 m (98 ft) ahead of the
TBM. The drill is capable of 360 rotation
and can alternatively serve as a grout
consolidation drill. Large 40 kW (54 hp)
dewatering pumps located on the
back-up system have been specially
designed to pump any water away
from the tunnel face. As the TBM bores,
it erects 300 mm (12 inch) thick concrete
segments in a 6+1 arrangement, making
the final tunnel diameter 9.2 m (30 ft).
Muck haulage requires one of the most
extensive conveyor systems ever used
in India. The continuous steel cable
belt, the longest single flight ever
provided by Robbins, will extend 19.2

Tunnel Engineernig TBM's

unprecedented onsite assembly. Both

of the machines were initially assembled
onsite using the Onsite First Time
Assembly (OFTA) process. Geologic
conditions consist of quartzite zones
up to 450 MPa (65,000 psi) UCS, layered
and separated by shale for approximately 50% of the length, with granite
(160 to 190 MPa/ 23,000 to 28,000 psi
UCS) for the remaining 50%. Both
machines feature back-loading 20-inch
diameter cutters for longer cutter life in
the abrasive conditions. Other design
modifications include specially designed
drive motors to run each machine at a
higher than normal rpm for optimal
penetration rates in the hard rock.
New Delhi Metro Extension Project
Workers in the tunnel below the capital, New Delhi, working toward the completion of the 2nd Phase of the
New Delhi Metro Extension Project

km (11.9 mi) and requires four main

drives and three booster drives. The
machine was assembled in just four
months using Onsite First Time Assembly
(OFTA). OFTA is a process that allows
machine components to be initially
assembled at the jobsite, rather than in
a manufacturing facility, typically
providing savings in terms of manhours and shipping costs.
A huge Herrenknecht Hard Rock
Double Shield is also currently at work
on the project. The 2,800kW TBM is
boring the 18.8 kilometer-long tunnel at
depths of as much as 550 meters.

Pradesh government to construct a

head regulator and two tunnels,
including the main 43.5 km (27 mi)
tunnel. On May 26, 2006, JAL awarded
a complete contract with The Robbins
Company for two 10.0 m (32.8 ft)
diameter Double Shield TBMs, as well
as conveyor systems, back-up systems,
spare parts, personnel, and technical
support. The first of the two machines
was launched in March 2008 after an

10 Herrenknecht TBMs (EPB

Shields, diameter 6,460 - 6,640 mm)
proved themselves in Delhi. For
example, they underpassed a major
railway route without any disruptions to
train traffic. Along one tunnel section,
the TBM unexpectedly had to master
rock formations, which meant that
Herrenknecht had to deliver a new
cutting wheel to the customer to pass
this fault zone and avoid a TBM recovery.
Two machines started tunnelling only a
few meters away from the India Gate,
one of New Delhi's landmarks, and
continued boring beneath the government

Alimineti Madhava Reddy (AMR)

Project
At 43.5 km (27 mi), the Alimineti
Madhava Reddy (AMR) Project will be
the longest tunnel without intermediate
access in the world when complete in
2012. The tunnel will transfer floodwater
from the Krishna River to arid regions of
India's Andhra Pradesh state, providing
irrigation to 1,200 km2 (400,000 acres)
of farmland and clean drinking water to
516 villages. Contractor Jaiprakash
Associates Ltd. (JAL) won the USD $413
million engineer-procure-construct
contract in 2005 from the Andhra

OFTA assembly site. It took a mere 4 months to complete the assembly

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district with its embassies without

problems. The 10 TBMs successfully
completed tunnelling with the last
breakthrough occurring in October
2009, which allows to open the new
metro lines to traffic in due time before
the Commonwealth Games.
Phase II of the New Delhi Metro
Extension Project involved multiple soft
ground tunnels to be bored by Robbins
Earth Pressure Balance Machines
(EPBMs) between underground stations
excavated by cut and cover. The tunnels
ranged from 8.6 14.0 m (28 46 ft) below
the water table in sandy silt, silty sand
and gravels. Both EPB cutterheads
featured a 55% opening ratio to allow a
smooth flow of muck and to avoid
clogging the cutterhead. The machines
used several types of tungsten carbide
bits for boring in soft but abrasive ground
and shaft-type screw conveyors to
remove water-bearing muck. Continuously erected lining along the length
of the tunnel consisted of reinforced
concrete segments 275 mm (11 in) thick.
Sleemanabad Carrier Tunnel
The Sleemanabad Carrier Canal is
part of the Indian Government's Bargi
Diversion Project, which will source water
from the Narmada River to irrigate
250,000 acres (100,000 hectares) of
land. The contractor, a joint venture of
M/s Patel Engineering, SEW and
Coastal Projects Limited (CPL), signed

We have exciting plans to

expand our investment in
India to meet the demand in
India's booming
infrastructure market.

Kazuhiro Fukumoto
General Manager, Sakai Factory, Hitachi Zosen

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Robbins is working with lead India construction company Jaiprakash to ensure success of the longest,
largest diameter, hard rock TBM tunnel in India's history and claimed by Robbins as the longest in the world
without intermediate access points.

a contract with Robbins for the supply

of a 10.0 m (32.8 ft) diameter EPB, as
well as the back-up system, cutting
tools, spares and continuous conveyor
system. CPL also opted for Onsite First
Time Assembly (OFTA) of the machine
at the jobsite, in order to expedite the
project schedule. The Robbins hybrid
machine is a fully functional hard rock
Single Shield and soft ground EPB
TBM, designed for long sections of 180
MPa (26,000 psi) UCS jointed rock and
marble, interspersed with clay and
gravel. In sections of soft ground, the
machine runs as a standard, pressurized
EPB with an abrasion-resistant, shafttype screw conveyor. When short
sections of rock or mixed ground are
encountered, the machine can be run
in non-pressurized EPB mode. In longer
sections of rock, the TBM can be
converted to a hard rock Single Shield
setup by switching out the screw conveyor
with a belt conveyor. The hybrid EPB
was completed using Onsite First Time
Assembly (OFTA) in Madhya Pradesh,
India on March 14, 2011.
East West Gas Pipeline (Tunnel
Length: 100m; Diameter: 1524 m)
The pipeline is planned to transfer

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30 billion cubic meters of gas from the

gas fields off India's east coast (Kakinada,
Andhra Pradesh) to the refineries
located in the west (Ahmedabad,
Gujarat). Two Herrenknecht Hard Rock
Single Shield TBMs were used since
2006 during the construction of the
pipeline. The machines crossed roads
and railway tracks along their tunnel
route. With minimum covers of only 1.5
meters 60-inch steel pipes were pushed
through the underground using the
pipe jacking method. The two machines
M-1118M and M-1120M with hard rock
cutterheads and electric drives were
optimally equipped for operating in the
hard and partially brittle rock formations. The system for the transport of
the excavated material was quickly
operational comprising belt conveyors,
muck skips and winches.
Ghatkopar High Level Tunnel
The project comprises a 2.6-km
long trenchless tunnel. Tunnelling
challenges include massive and
weathered basalt as well as the
groundwater level along the tunnel
alignment. A Herrenknecht TBM2500XH,
equipped with 21 discs, is deployed to
crack the basalt. The tail seal of the

Tunnel Engineernig TBM's

TBM avoids groundwater ingress

during ring installation. Water ingress
through the cutting wheel of the
micromachine is pumped out.
Varavalli Reservoir
Two Gripper TBMs with a diameter

of 3,000mm drove several freshwater

tunnels in Mumbai's northeastern
suburbs. Since rock strengths of up to
250MPa had to be mastered along the
overall 9.7 kilometer-long tunnel
sections, two Herrenknecht Gripper
TBMs were used. With diameters of 3.0

and 2.8 meters, they are the smallest

Gripper TBMs ever designed and
manufactured by Herrenknecht.
Bangalore Metro
Two 6.44 diameter Hitachi Zosen
Slurry Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)
were used for this tunneling project.
The tunneling geological profile was a
mixture of soil and bed rock, which
required a Slurry Type of TBM machine
equipped with 1200kW cutter head
drive power, a First machine of this type
in India, to meet such challenge.
Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project
The tunneling geological profile
was a mixture of basalt, andesite,
granite/granodiorite. SELI was involved
in the supply of a new Double Shield
Universal TBM, back-up system and
auxiliary equipment (rolling stock,
ventilation system, spare parts etc.).
The project involved excavation of the
Headrace Tunnel of 14,630 m by
double shield TBM having boring
diameter of 6,10 m, internal finished
diameter 5,20 m. Tunnel lining with
concrete segments.
Future Outlook
The TBM industry is subject to a
continuous improvement process with
the future trending towards larger
tunnel profiles, long tunnel drives,
tunnels at greater depths and with high
groundwater pressures, which have in
the past not been seriously considered
feasible. Demanding project requirements under grueling conditions and
innovative ideas of contractors and
planners are driving further technological
development in TBM technology.
Improved safety requirements and
comprehensive risk management are
also playing an increasingly important
role for all parties involved in the design
and execution of construction projects
with today's tunnels are passing beneath
densely-populated areas, mountain
ranges or rivers and estuaries.
Picture Source

Herrenknecht Hard Rock TBM used during the 2006 construction of the East-West gas pipeline

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www.robbinstbm.com, AP / Keystone / Batzarini

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