Second cutterhead change for Barcelona TBM
Jun 2010
NFM Technologies News Release
- The dual-mode NFM tunnelling machine working on Line 9 of the Barcelona Metro is undergoing its second cutterhead change.
- The 11.95m diameter machine has been working on the Metro's Line 9 project for the UTE LINIA 9 consortium of the Spanish and Catalan companies FCC / FERROVIAL / OHL / COPSICA / COPISA since 2003.
- At the beginning of 2010 its initial soft ground EPBM cutterhead was changed out for a rock cutterhead to work through 960m of fractured ground featuring large blocks of granite and schist. The machine completed the drive successfully and in just three months. The contractor confirms it is very satisfied with how the work progressed and with the resistance of the cutting tools throughout the particularly tricky section.
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Rock cutterhead needed ....
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...being moved into position....
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....... and attached
- The machine has since reached Guinardo Station where the second change of cutter head is currently underway.
- The rock cutterhead is being removed and the machine refitted with its initial EPB cutterhead to excavate the next 4,400m reach to Mandri Station. It will bore through approximately 4,000m of clay soil before once more coming across rocky conditions made up of granite and schist for the last 500m.
- For this next drive NFM Technologies has modified the initial EPB cutterhead to optimize its ability to cope with the changing ground conditions and cut through the final reach of rock without being replaced again.
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Breakthrough after the rock drive
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Barcelona Metro's orange Line 9
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The initial EPBM cutterhead
- UTE LINIA 9 has highlighted the efficient support supplied by NFM Technologies during all of its technical operations. To date, the tunnelling machine has bored through more than 7km on Line 9 of the city's metro.
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