As with so many areas with the industry – with all the infrastructure plans and construction projects, its proposed and actual R&D, and the many, many successes – there is far more going on that can be captured. But making such selections, on timely information, and to convey what has been – and is being – achieved, and what may yet come, is always an interesting challenge as well as pleasure.
We have a feature that presents a milestone note in the progress of HS2 high-speed rail project, where two TBMs recently completed their work on the Chiltern Tunnel. T&TI talks to the team and hears reflections on the tunnelling experience.
With not so much a shift of focus but more a wide casting of the net, in the following feature we see beyond the UK to a variety of large-scale mechanised tunnelling projects with machines soon to be tunnelling, getting underway, or having finished their tasks underground. Most are for TBMs for boring circular, segmentally-lined tunnels but one spotlights the tunnel completed by a rectangular pipejacking machine, in China.
The issue also presents a feature focused on using regression analysis to help further improve estimates of TBM performance when tunnelling in hard rock, under certain conditions.
Within the ITA guides – from a ITAtech activity group, focused on Excavation – the topics of focus are Chemical Consumables and Service, respectively. In the former, the guide addresses foam for soil conditioning and, separately, the requirement for main bearings and also tail seals of TBMs.
Fire safety rounds off the issue with a look at research and a project installation for a water-mist fixed fire safety system.
