Engineering:Tuen Mun–Chek Lap Kok TBM
| Mixshield S-880 "Qin Liangyu" | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Tunnel boring machine |
| Application | Tuen Mun–Chek Lap Kok Link |
| Dimensions | Length: 120 metres (390 ft) Diameter: 17.6 metres (57.7 ft) |
| Weight | 4,850 tonnes (4,770 long tons; 5,350 short tons) |
| Launched | 2015 |
| Cost | US$2.3 billion (2015) or HK$18.2 billion (2015) |
| Builder | Herrenknecht AG |
The Tuen Mun - Chek Lap Kok TBM otherwise known as Qin Liangyu or more formally, the Mixshield S-880 was the world's largest tunnel boring machine launched in June 2015 by Herrenknecht in Germany.[1][2] The TBM was used to drill a 5 km tunnel connecting Tuen Mun to the Hong Kong International Airport, part of the Tuen Mun–Chek Lap Kok Link project. The contract for the project was around HK$ 18.2 billion (US$ 2.3 billion)[3]
Specifications
The machine had a diameter of 17.6 metres (57.7 ft),[4] 0.1 metres (0.3 ft) more than Bertha, the previous largest tunnel boring machine.[5][6] Outside of its cutting diameter, it had an overall length of 120 metres (393 ft 8 in) and weighed 4,850 tonnes (5,346 US-tons).[2]
Operations
The machine would excavate a 5 km-long underwater tunnel, working at pressures as high as 5 bars. The drilling had taken place in depths of up to 50 m below sea level.[7]
By 25 March and 3 November 2015, the TBM's shield was converted into one the much smaller 14-m to complete the rest of the tunnel alongside another Herrenknecht TBM.[2] The two 14-m TBMs broke through to complete the tunnels on 27 February 2019.[2]
The tunnel boring project began in October 2018 after the cutterhead conversion and was completed by the end of 2020.[8] Tuen Mun–Chek Lap Kok was disassembled after the completion of the tunnel.[8]
References
- ↑ "5 Biggest Tunnel Boring Machines in the World". https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/5-biggest-tunnel-boring-machines-in-the-world.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Largest tunnel boring machine". https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/78259-largest-tunnel-boring-machine.
- ↑ "Start-up for world’s largest TBM". https://www.constructionbriefing.com/news/start-up-for-world-s-largest-tbm/1108473.article.
- ↑ "Herrenknecht, Pioneering Underground Technologies. Visit of Herrenknecht AG by KIVI Engineering Society TTOW. Martin Forster, Technical Manager Sales | Traffic Tunnelling. Schwanau, 22.09.2016". http://www.cob.nl/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/KIVITTOW_20160922_Herrenknecht.pdf.
- ↑ "bouygues confirms largest tunnel boring machine launch". 9 June 2015. http://www.geplus.co.uk/news/bouygues-confirms-largest-tunnel-boring-machine-launch/8684451.article. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
- ↑ "Long-Term Relations Between Joint Venture Partners – A Supplier’s Perspective". http://www.eic-federation.eu/media/uploads/ga_rotterdam_2015/4_herrenknecht_lehmann_eic.pdf. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
- ↑ Wallis, Shani; Kenyon, Peter (25 September 2014). "Hong Kong mega-machine explanations". TunnelTalk. http://www.tunneltalk.com/Hong-Kong-15Sep2014-Tuen-Mun-Check-Lap-Kok-Link-world-record-TBM.php. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "World's Biggest Tunnel Boring Machines". https://blog.iseekplant.com.au/blog/world-biggest-tunnel-boring-machines.
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