A Robbins Double Shield TBM broke through at the Black River Tunnel Project on April 29, 2014. The project marks the first use of Onsite First Time Assembly (OFTA) in the United States. Project geology consisting of soft shale made for great advance rates and minimal cutter wear − only seven cutters were changed during excavation. The creation of local jobs by contractor Super Excavators boosted the town of Lorain’s local economy. A unique tunnel lining method of ring beams and lagging was used, instead of segments.

Three Robbins Main Beam TBMs completed excavation of Southeast Asia’s longest tunnel in 2014.

In the course of the visit to China by the German Minister of Economy and Energy, Sigmar Gabriel, a contract was signed yesterday in Kunshan (Jiangsu Province) for the delivery of two tunnel boring machines for a large multifunctional tunnel in Wuhan (central China).

_{Dr.-Ing. E.h. Martin Herrenknecht together with Federal Minister Sigmar Gabriel, the German Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China Michael Clauss and Mr. Yu Xuanping, General Manager of STEC (from left to right). Photo: Frank Ossenbrink}

Der baden-württembergische Minister für Verkehr und Infrastruktur, Winfried Hermann, besuchte heute die Herrenknecht AG in Schwanau/Süddeutschland, den weltweiten Marktführer für Tunnelvortriebsmaschinen. Unternehmensgründer und Vorstandsvorsitzender Dr.-Ing. E. h. Martin Herrenknecht informierte den Minister über das aktuelle, internationale Projektgeschäft von Herrenknecht. Anschließend besichtigten der Unternehmer und der Minister die Montagewerke am Hauptsitz in Schwanau. Während des Treffens kamen auch die Themen Geothermie und „Multimodaler Netzwerkknoten Lahr“ als Lösungsansatz für die Infrastruktur-Agenda 2020 zur Sprache.

Crossrail tunnelling giant Jessica has completed another epic journey through the heart of east London; but this time it was on the back of a lorry.

Recently a Robbins Main Beam TBM completed one of the longest and deepest water supply tunnels in Asia, the Mumbai Water Tunnel. The 6.25 m (20.5 ft) diameter machine displayed excellent performance throughout the 8.3 km (5.2 mi) bore, and achieved impressive advance rates along the way.

Near the banks of the Black River, a 7.0 m (23 ft) diameter Robbins Double Shield TBM and continuous conveyor system are starting up. The mammoth machine was built using Onsite First Time Assembly (OFTA)–a Robbins-developed method that saves contractors in shipping time, costs, and man-hours worked.

Two high-tech Herrenknecht tunnel boring machines completed an endurance test with bravura during long-distance tunnelling through the Pyrenees. After a total of 8.2km tunnelling through hard rock, the target line was reached with the final breakthrough in April 2013. The resulting cross-border tunnel project will be used for a high-voltage line to connect the French and Spanish electricity network with each other.

Zwei Tunnelbohrmaschinen von Herrenknecht absolvierten einen Härtetest beim Langstreckenvortrieb durch die Pyrenäen. Mit finalem Durchschlag im April 2013 war nach insgesamt 8,2 Hartgesteinkilometern die Ziellinie erreicht. Das so entstandene, grenzüberschreitende Tunnelbauwerk wird für eine Hochspannungsleitung das französische und das spanische Stromnetz miteinander verbinden.

On March 13, 2013 a tunnel boring machine from Herrenknecht successfully completed excavation of the second headrace tunnel for the new pumped storage power plant at Limmern (Switzerland). Equipped with a new safety concept for securing the machine, the Gripper TBM was able to cope with the 40 degree gradient of the two tunnels without incident.

Eight tunnel boring machines from Herrenknecht excavated almost 16 kilometers of tunnel in only 20 months, crossing beneath the emerging metropolis of Wuxi. The machines mastered challenging tunnelling stretches with small overburdens. The last breakthrough, for the time being, was celebrated on March 3, 2013. The first two metro lines in the 3000 year old town on Taihu Lake near Shanghai are expected to start operation in 2014. A total of 5 metro lines are planned.