TBMs mobilise for Moscow metro extensions
Nov 2012
TunnelTalk reporting
- The first of three Robbins 6.6m diameter EPBMs, two new and one refurbished, has begun excavation of a 2km section of Moscow's metro. Meanwhile, two more are mobilising for contractor Engeocom in the north west of the city, and a fourth of 6.2m diameter will take on a 2.3km section of the Line 7 extension in the south east for SK Most.
- With a growing population of nearly 12 million, Moscow Government has issued new metro projects across the Russian capital city that utilise multiple TBMs from manufacturers including Herrenknecht, NFM Technologies and Lovat to complete a total of 50km of underground alignment by 2018.
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Robbins 6.6m EPBM for Moscow metro
- All Robbins TBMs have been custom designed to handle the area's complex geology of fine sand, gravel, sandy loam, stiff clays and limestone. Each TBM is equipped with a mixed ground cutterhead capable of switching out carbide cutting tools with disk cutters, depending on conditions.
- Besides their mixed ground capabilities, each EPB will utilise a Robbins continuous conveyor system for maximum efficiency during muck removal. Surface monitoring devices will also be employed to limit settlement due to the project's densely urban environment in the heart of Moscow.
- The refurbished Robbins machine, named Julia, was launched on one of three 2km drives for Engeocom in August (2012) and has excavated approximately 100m in sticky clays. The remaining pair of Robbins launches, which are part of overall construction of 6.2km of twin running tunnels on a new radial line in the north west of the city (Fig 1, dotted orange) are expected to occur between now (November 2012) and March 2013.
- Meanwhile, on Line 7 to the south east of the city, Vadim Bocharov of SK Most said: "We will be carrying out extensive surface monitoring to limit settlement. Another challenge will be keeping all equipment and operations running at maximum efficiency in the cold Moscow winter."
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Moscow's metro extensions
- The Robbins machine for SK Most, which is excavating the right hand tube of an interstation tunnel between Vykhino and Lermontovsky Prospekt stations on Moscow's Taganskaya-Krasnopresnenskaya line 7 (Fig 1, dotted purple), is expected to launch later this year. Tunnel depth for this alignment is an average of 15m. A Herrenknecht machine that launched on the left hand tube in June (2012) has almost completed its 1.77km drive.
- In addition to the connecting tunnels, the scope of SK Most's contract includes construction of a ventilation shaft and open pit excavation of Lermontovsky Prospekt Station and internal civil works.
- Two Herrenknecht machines and one from Lovat have also been procured by SK Most to complete the two remaining sections of the Taganskaya-Krasnopresnenskaya line extension. The Lovat machine launched in April on the Lermontovsky-Zhulebino section immediately to the south. Once it has completed the left tube drive it will be dismantled and transported back to the Zhulebino launch site for the parallel drive.
- A second Herrenknecht machine is to drive the parallel 780m tubes between Zhulebino and Kotyelniki stations.
- NFM Technologies of France is selected by Engeocom to manufacture a 6.6m diameter TBM to work alongside the three Robbins machines excavating the new radial line between Hodynskoe Pole and Delovoy Tsentr stations in the northwest of the city (Fig 1, dotted orange).
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NFM to build EPBM for Moscow metro - TunnelTalk, June 2012
Top down EPBM escalator drives - TunnelTalk, February 2001
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