COMPANY NEWS
SELI celebrates 60 years in business
May 2010
SELI news release
- SELI marked its 60th anniversary as a company this week with delivery of the double-shield TBM that will bore the Kishanganga hydro tunnel in India. Painted gold for the special occasion, the 400-tonne machine was handed over to the main project contractor HCC (Hindustan Construction Company) at an official ceremony at SELI's factory in Aprilia near Rome in Italy.
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Special ceremony to hand over the Kishanganga TBM and celebrate a 60th anniversary
- The TBM is designed and dimensioned to cope with the adverse ground conditions it will encounter while boring the 14.5km long tunnel under the Himalayas. Cover above the alignment will range from 750m to 1,000m and critical geological conditions including poor and squeezing rock and several fault zones will be crossed, giving rise to the need for extensive pre-treatment grouting.
- The 6.18m diameter TBM is equipped with eight AC motors of 315kW each, generating a total cutterhead power of 2520kW, and is controlled by a VFD system. Main and auxiliary thrust systems have been over-dimensioned and a high conicity of the shields is designed to cope with squeezing rock. In addition the shields are equipped with a special bentonite injection system to lubricate the shield-to-rock contact and reduce friction.
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The machine was painted gold for the occasion
- Overboring and overcutting factilities will allow for further increase of clearances around the shields in bad rock conditions. The gripper shield is equipped with 26 holes for probe drilling and grouting the rock ahead of the face, while the tail shield is equipped with additional eight holes. Convergence measurements will be performed continuously during excavation through specific holes in the front shield.
- Delivery of the TBM celebrates SELI's 60th anniversary after its founding by Carlo Grandori in 1950. It was he who introduced mechanised TBM excavation technology to Italy in 1969 and alongside Dick Robbins, designed and manufactured the first double shield TBM, a system that was later used on numerous projects including the English Chain tunnel.
- SELI is one of only few companies in the world to act as TBM manufacturer as well as TBM tunnelling Contractor and has experience of 800km of tunnels for more than 100 projects on all continents of the globe.
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A cutterhead designed for tough conditions ahead
- This capacity and experience allows SELI to design and manufacture TBMs tailored to the specific projects as well operate them or assist the general contractors in their operation.
- The new SELI factory under completion in Aprilia will boost the TBM production capacity from the eight units per year of today to more than 20 units per year and with boring diameters of up to 15m diameter and more.
- For the Kishanganga project, SELI is providing a complete package of tunnelling equipment including the TBM and its backup system, the muck haulage and supply line rolling stock, segment moulds for the lining, and the ventilation system. It will also second a complete crew of TBM specialists for operation of the tunnel boring system. Excavation is expected to begin in October and finish in January 2014.
- Special TBM designed for Himalayan drive - TunnelTalk, March 2010
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