Terratec continuously advancing tunnel conveyors are being prepared to support another TBM on Phase 1 of the Metro Manila Subway Project.
TBM3 is due to be assembled in January and will be supported by Terratec continuously advancing conveyors C11 and C12.
The conveyors are 1,850m long and can operate at a rate of 225m3/hour. With a single pulley head drive power of 160kW, the conveyors can handle the various materials extracted by the TBM along the length of the drive.
They are designed to handle mixed materials, including sandy gravel and boulders up to 400mm in diameter, and can be adapted to the challenging ground conditions. Key features include hydraulic tensioning for horizontal cassettes, wider-than-standard roller sets for enhanced tolerance, and two-roll vee-return idlers for improved tracking. Terratec’s patented advancing tail piece, employing an active hydraulic system, ensures smooth negotiation of curves, maintaining efficient spoil transport even in unsteady conditions.
The CP101 section, being built by Shimizu-Fujita-Takenaka-EEI Joint Venture, is expected to yield approximately 1.2 million m3 of excavated material. The entire alignment will generate around 7,419,940m3.
A total of four Terratec continuously advancing conveyors are being used on the CP101 33.1km subway section, connecting Mindanao Avenue in the northern part of Metro Manila to Western Bicutan in the south. They are all currently in place at the section between the Metro Manila Subway Depot and Quirino Highway.
The 1,500m-long Terratec C09 and C10 conveyors, which supported TBM1 and TBM2 in their successful breakthrough at Quirino Highway Station, are now being dismantled and stored.
TBM4, having completed its test run, will resume excavation this month.
In total, six TBMs are being deployed on the Metro Manila Subway Project – the first underground railway system in the Philippines. The subway is due to open in 2028 and will carry 370,000 passengers a day.
