Robbins TBM overcomes high overburden at Olmos
Sep 09, 2008
A 5.3 m (17.4 ft) Robbins TBM is standing up to the pressure in Peru. The Main Beam machine is boring a 13.9 km (8.6 mi) long tunnel through the Andes Mountains, beneath up to 2,000 m (6,500 ft) of hard, potentially squeezing rock.
The TBM was launched in March 2007 for sub-contractor Odebrecht Peru Ingenieria y Construccion, S.A.C (OPIC). General contractor Concesionaria Trasvace Olmos, S.A. won a 20-year build-operate concession from the Peruvian National Government and Lambayeque Regional Government in July 2004.
The machine is boring in complex geology consisting of quartz porphyry, andesite, and tuff from 60 to 225 MPa (8,700 to 32,600 psi) UCS. Over 400 fault lines are present along the entire tunnel, including two major fault lines approximately 50 m (160 ft) wide. The overburden has created another problem — high in-tunnel temperature, predicted to exceed 54 degrees Celsius (130 degrees Fahrenheit). To cope with the high temperature Robbins has designed the machine with a unique ventilation and air cooling system. Two interacting systems are being used to cool the tunnel to 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) or below. The high jobsite elevation (1,080 m / 3,500 ft) results in less dense air and less heat transfer capacity per cubic meter of air, so the two systems will make it possible to blow more air into the tunnel for a maximum cooling effect.
The Robbins machine has overcome not only tough geological conditions but also unpredictable weather. A flood in April 2008 covered the jobsite in a thick layer of mud and debris and washed out the only access road leading to the construction area. Despite the three-week delay the machine is still on schedule for a projected finish in March 2009. The machine is now averaging 3.2 m (10.5 ft) per hour, with production rates of up to 38.3 m (126 ft) per day. As of August 2008 the TBM had advanced 6,000 m (20,000 ft).
By March 2010, the first phase of the tunnel project will be operational and will supply more than 2 billion cubic meters (500 billion gallons) of water annually for irrigation of 560 km2 (130,000 acres) of farmland. The second phase will involve construction of at least two more drill and blast tunnels and two stations for hydroelectric power. The facilities will be capable of generating 600 MW each.
Contact:
The Robbins Company (Headquarters)
29100 Hall Street
Suite 100
Solon, OH 44139
USA
Brianna Home, Marketing Director
Desiree Willis, Technical Writer
Email: marketing@robbinstbm.com
Phone: +1 253 872 0500
Fax: +1 440 248 1702
Web: www.robbinstmb.com
More News and Articles
Apr 19, 2024
News
WATCH: Overnight with SAERTEX-LINER H20 in São Paulo
Available through Pipe Core, high-quality liner SAERTEX-LINER H20 performed under pressure in São Paulo, Brazil.
Maintaining aging potable water pipe infrastructure is a constant challenge …
Apr 17, 2024
News
Immersive media provides wastewater experience in Denmark
An immersive media experience (IMX) may not be what most people want when they think about industrial wastewater, but that is exactly what visitors can expect when they visit a new installation …
Apr 15, 2024
News
Spotlight on gender diversity at Pipe Core
Since founding in 2008, Pipe Core’s team has grown across all areas of the business and is now in a position where there are more females than males across the organisation. Research published in Harvard …
Apr 12, 2024
News
New Wave of Startups Scale Innovation to Solve Global Water Challenges
Innovators from Around the World Join Xylem’s 2024 Accelerator Program to Deploy Breakthrough Innovations for Utilities and Industrial Users of Water
A new group of startups …
Apr 08, 2024
News
Integrated sustainable electricity and clean drinking water systems
Altitude Water and New Use Energy Solutions have partnered to create integrated, mobile solar-plus-water generation systems that produce sustainable electricity and clean drinking …
Apr 05, 2024
News
How to Evaluate Hydraulic Fracture Risk in HDD Design
The design of horizontal directional drill (HDD) installations often requires an evaluation of the potential for hydraulic fracture of the soil layers through which an HDD passes. Evaluating …
Apr 02, 2024
News
Historic Project Linking Rome and Vatican City Uses Advanced Technology and Local Knowledge to Keep Water Flowing
Relocation of Major Sewer Infrastructure Enables Construction of Pedestrian Link for 35 Million Visitors to the 2025 Jubilee
Water …
Mar 27, 2024
News
USU Study Looks at Water Main Break Rates in the U.S. and Canada
Report Highlights Correlation Between Material and Diameter
Utah State University (USU) has published new research on water main breaks in the United States and Canada, examining …
Mar 26, 2024
News
Update BE-21: New Material in Course and Modules on Trenchless Pipe Installation
Online training on the topic of pipeline installation in civil engineering: Trenchless technology for underground drainage construction can be a resource-efficient, …
Mar 25, 2024
Article
Bacteria as a new weapon in wastewater treatment
In early November, San Diego based startup Aquacycl officially opened its first European office and test center at the Water Campus in Leeuwarden. The Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) …
Mar 22, 2024
News
A superior HDD offering
Building on its relationships with leading horizontal directional drilling companies, TRACTO Australia has delivered three new rigs to operator Superior HDD.
Based in New South Wales, Superior HDD specialises in horizontal …
Mar 20, 2024
News
New portable water filtration technology could improve access to clean drinking water worldwide
The University of Texas at Austin has developed an injectable water filtration system with the aim to aid the over two billion people worldwide who …