Skip to main content

Take a breather with Herrenknecht’s ventilation shaft boring machine

For fast underground construction of slot holes with small diameters within highway tunnels, Herrenknecht is highlighting its Boxhole Boring Machine. The BBM is for slot holes, or boreholes, such as ventilation shafts, either inclined or vertical, with diameters of up to 1.5m and lengths of up to 60m. The machines are designed for stable rock with compressive strengths of 180 Megapascal or more. Herrenknecht, based in Schwanau, southwest Germany, uses pipe jacking technology for its BBM. A drilling un
February 10, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
For fast underground construction of slot holes with small diameters within highway tunnels, 2592 Herrenknecht is highlighting its Boxhole Boring Machine.

The BBM is for slot holes, or boreholes, such as ventilation shafts, either inclined or vertical, with diameters of up to 1.5m and lengths of up to 60m. The machines are designed for stable rock with compressive strengths of 180 Megapascal or more.

Herrenknecht, based in Schwanau, southwest Germany, uses pipe jacking technology for its BBM. A drilling unit at the head of the pipe string is pressed forward from the launch point. Further jacking pipes are installed one after the other in the pipe string and pushed forward, thus lengthening the jacking route.

A cutterhead excavates the rock at the tunnel face, which then falls through the centre of the rig due to the force of gravity. Removed material exits through a muck chute running inside down the length of the jacking pipes. After each jacking stroke, the drilling process is stopped briefly to secure the pipe string and the drilling unit. Then the next jacking pipe can be installed at the bottom of the pip string in the jacking frame.
 
When the desired drilling length is reached, the drilling unit is retracted and jacking pipes are removed one by one until the complete pipe string is dismantled. The drilling unit is retracted back into the jacking frame and a crawler unit can easily move the unit to the next job.

All videos

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • New drilling and blasting technology aids efficient quarrying
    March 15, 2012
    Innovations in drilling and blasting and crushing and screening are bringing major economies of scale to aggregate production operations. Drilling and blasting is an area where new technology is offering major saving to quarrying companies. This is another important factor in the quarrying process, as inefficient drilling and blasting can have major financial repercussions.
  • Be more productive and accurate with Sandvik's Alpha 360 drilling tool
    July 30, 2019
    Sandvik says its new drilling tool system Alpha 360 is a reinforced and amplified version that complements the company’s Alpha 330 system. It can last twice as long as a standard thread in the industry. Its hole accuracy also enables higher productivity in tunneling and mine development, says Robert Grandin, product manager for underground top hammer, at Sandvik Rock Tools. The Alpha 360, with its strong tread design, is designed for hole diameters of 48-51mm in face drilling and bolting. The short thread
  • Innovations in piling technology
    December 15, 2017
    The market for piling machines is seeing new technology come to market – Mike Woof writes UK firm BSP is now offering an improved range of piling systems, with its SL30 model and compact BH120. The SL30 can be used to drive Z piles in pairs and its hammer has a drop weight of 2.5tonnes, delivering an impact energy of 30kNm at up 84blows/minute. The SL piling hammer is designed for driving sheet piles and small bearing piles and is available with legs and inserts for use when freely suspended or with back
  • Record breaking underground parking facility for Shanghai
    August 4, 2023
    CRCHI is helping build a record breaking underground parking facility in Shanghai