Success for new EPBM solution in Miami
07 Aug 2013
Herrenknecht News Release
- Completion of the Port of Miami tunnel marks success for the specially developed Water Control Process (WCP) solution developed jointly by manufacturer and client for mechanized excavation in challenging geological conditions predicted along the twin running subsea drives.
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EPBM ready for launch to Dodge Island
- "The TBM did very well," said Herrenknecht project manager Georg Schleer. "The customer used EPB mode on two-thirds of the route and WCP mode on the middle sections where pressures were higher than three bar."
- The solution, developed by Herrenknecht together with the client, Bouygues Civil Works Florida, was to extend the application range of the EPB machine type and adapt it to the unique high-pressure geological conditions of the project.
- The aim was to safely control both the soft but stable grounds at the tunnel entrance and exit as well as the porous limestone containing corals that were subject to expected high water pressures beneath the middle of the drives. The WCP system ensured that the water pressure could be handled while at the same time ensuring transport of the excavated material. The water-soil mixture was transported away via the screw conveyor with an attached Slurryfier box and an integrated stone crusher, via the closed slurry circuit, rather than via the open belt conveyor commonly used by EPB machines.
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Final breakthrough marks completion of twin 1.2km traffic tunnels
- Hundreds of spectators attended final breakthrough of the second bore of the 1.2km-long tunnel on May 6, 2013. The 12.86m diameter machine completed both drives, connecting Watson Island with Miami Port on Dodge Island, in just 17 months. Top performances were 18.7m of excavated and lined tunnel in a single day, and 100.5m in a single week.
- "With this second breakout, we have successfully completed one of the most technically challenging tunneling projects undertaken in the world to date," said Bouygues Project Manager Louis Brais. From next year (2014) the twin-tube tunnel with two lanes for traffic in each direction, will connect the largest cruise ship port in the world with Interstate Highway 395 and Interstate Highway 95, relieving downtown traffic considerably. At the present time, around 16,000 vehicles make their way through the narrow streets of the city center day after day. In addition to the cruise traffic, Miami is an important freight hub with around seven million metric tonne annually.
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Subsea alignment for twin 1.2km drives
- After the start of the construction work in November 2011, the TBM needed nine months to excavate the first tunnel tube. Following breakthrough of the first tunnel in late July 2012, the 2,900-tonne machine was turned on Dodge Island and began its return journey for the excavation of the second, western tube, in October (2012).
- Another Herrenknecht TBM innovation – the Variable Density TBM – has been specially developed to drive through the karstic geology of Kuala Lumpur for the Klang Valley MRT in Malaysia. The first of four VD-TBM machines was launched earlier this year (2013).
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Excavation wraps up on Miami Port link - TunnelTalk, May 2013
First drive through for Miami Port link - TunnelTalk, August 2012
Groundbreaking gets Port of Miami Tunnel underway - TunnelTalk, July 2010
World's first VD-TBM launches in Malaysia - TunnelTalk, June 2013
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