Robbins TBM mobilizes at Ceneri

Mar 13, 2008

On February 15 a cutterhead turning ceremony marked the official startup of adit tunneling on the Ceneri Base Tunnel. The 9.7 m (31.8 ft) Robbins machine will excavate a 2.4 km (1.5 mi) long access tunnel in Sigirino, Switzerland for the Consorzio Monte Ceneri (CMC) JV-a consortium of CSC, Lugano, Frutiger SA, Thun, Rothpletz, Lienhard + Cie, and Aarau.

Machine components were shipped to the Sigirino jobsite after refurbishment and diameter change of the TBM in a facility near Milan, Italy. The machine had previously bored a 14.6 km (9.1 mi) long drive on the headrace tunnel of the Kárahnjúkar Hydroelectric Project in Iceland.

The TBM is boring in rock consisting of schist, Swiss molasse, and Ceneri orthogneiss with a UCS of 30 to 130 MPa (4,300 to 18,800 psi). At the end of the adit tunnel, two installation caverns will be excavated by drill and blast. The caverns will include an internal concrete batching plant, and will also serve as starting points for excavation of the 15.4 km (9.5 mi) long Ceneri main tunnels. Excavation of both the adit tunnel and installation caverns will take approximately two years.

Contracts for the Ceneri main tunnels have not yet been awarded. The first contract will include two 8 km (5 mi) sections of D & B tunnels for the north running main line, while the second contract for the south running line will include two 1.8 km (1.1 mi) sections of D & B and two 4 km (2.5 mi) sections of TBM-driven tunnels. The new tunnels are part of AlpTransit's project to provide more efficient freight and passenger rail routes through the Gotthard and Ceneri mountain ranges. All tunnels are scheduled to be operational by 2019.

Contact information:
The Robbins Company
Brianna Home
Marketing Director
5866 S. 194th St.
Kent, Washington 98032 USA
phone: +1 253 872 4484
fax: +1 253 872 0199
eMail: homeb@robbinstbm.com
Web: http://www.therobbinscompany.com

The Robbins Company
Desiree Willis
Technical Writer
5866 S. 194th St.
Kent, Washington 98032 USA
phone: +1 253 872 4490
fax: +1 253 872 0199
eMail: willisd@robbinstbm.com

Contact

The Robbins Company

44139 Solon, OH. USA

Phone:

+1 440 248 3303

Fax:

+1 440 248 1702

E-Mail:

sales@robbinstbm.com

Internet:

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