One of two TBMs that will build Sydney’s Western Harbour Tunnel has passed its Factory Acceptance Test.
The 15.7m-diameter CREG 1459, manufactured by China Railway Engineering Equipment Group (CREG), is the largest-diameter TBM to be exported from China.
The slurry TBM is 113m long and features technology such as an automated cutting tools-changing robot, said to be five to eight times faster than manual changing; segment handling and semi-automatic assembly systems; and real-time monitoring of disc cutter wear and grouting efficiency.
The Western Harbour Tunnel is part of the NSW government’s biggest-ever infrastructure programme.
By creating a western bypass of the Sydney CBD, the Western Harbour Tunnel will take pressure off the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Harbour Tunnel, Anzac Bridge and Western Distributor corridors to improve transport capacity in and around Sydney Harbour.
It connects to WestConnex at the Rozelle Interchange, crosses underneath Sydney Harbour between Birchgrove and Waverton, and connects with the Warringah Freeway near North Sydney via a 6.5km tunnel with three lanes in each direction.
The tunnel follows an S-shaped alignment, reaching depths of 52m below sea level, and will pass through complex geological formations including sandstone, silt, and clay, with compressive strengths up to 80 MPa.
In March, a roadheader broke through on Western Harbour Tunnel stage 2 to connect the Western Harbour Tunnel and Warringah Freeway Upgrade.
