TBM built in China for Indian project

A TBM built in China will be used for an Indian project.
By MJ Woof April 29, 2020 Read time: 2 mins
CRCHI is supplying a massive TBM for the Mumbai Coastal Road project in India - image © courtesy of CRCHI

A large diameter tunnel boring machine (TBM) has been built in China for a project in India. Manufacturer CRCHI has constructed the TBM at its main facility in Changsha, China. The TBM will be used to help construct a tunnel stretch for the Mumbai Coastal Road Project.

The TBM will be shipped from Shanghai to Mumbai for the coastal road project. Featuring an excavation diameter of 12.2m, this Slurry TBM is 80m long and weighs 2,300tonnes. It has an installed capacity of 7,280kW and a gradeability of 5%. It will be the largest diameter TBM ever used in India. 

The Mumbai Coastal Road Project is a key project for Mumbai and will measure 29.2km in length. The road will connect Marine drive to Kandivli. The CRCHI Slurry TBM will be used to drive a 1.92km tunnel comprising part of the route.

The tunnel construction work will have to deal with complex geological conditions that require excavation in deep overburden. The tunnel drive will pass through a compound stratum of basalt, breccia and shale, with the maximum uniaxial compressive strength up to 200MPa.

To solve the challenges, CRCHI Slurry TBM is designed with a mixed cutter head with eight spokes and eight panels, which will enable the machine to bore in the complicated strata for a long distance. To solve the problems such as mudcakes forming on the cutterhead and slurry discharge blocking, the TBM is fitted with a big-diameter slurry feeding port and several slurry flushing lines to increase the flow rate of slurry. In addition, 508mm diameter disc cutters are fitted to the TBM to improve machine’s rock breaking capacity and prolong its lifespan.  

In addition, this CRCHI Slurry TBM benefits from innovative features, such as a dual-chamber indirect slurry control system, a dual-circuit automatic pressure system, high-torque and retractable main drive, as well as a high-power slurry circulation system.

This is the 5th TBM supplied by CRCHI for projects in India.

Road Structures

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • High compaction screed from Dynapac
    April 27, 2021
    Dynapac is now offering a high compaction screed system that can help end-users to achieve better pre-compaction rates across a project. At the same time the system is also said to avoid the risk of crushing aggregate or displacing bitumen, for all layers and throughout the whole layer thickness
    Read More
  • Repaving an F1 racing circuit
    January 20, 2025
    The refurbishment of the Shanghai International Formula 1 was completed recently with great success. As an important milestone in the construction of racing facilities and modern high-grade roads in China, the project has attracted attention both inside and outside the industry.
    Read More
  • Beijing's BICES reflects China's economic growth
    February 27, 2012
    The busy BICES show reflects China’s booming infrastructure investment and growing economy – Mike Woof reports. The recent BICES trade show in capital Beijing was extremely busy, with high visitor attendance levels and crowded aisles. The interest in the event strongly reflects the country’s massive infrastructure growth, which continues to develop. The construction equipment business has been identified as a key economic priority by the Chinese Government, with manufacturers being offered numerous incentiv
    Read More
  • Gubler gets down with a Kemroc EK 100 chain cutter
    May 1, 2018
    Boulders are usually removed from site by breaking them with a hammer and then using a backhoe to extract the rubble: a time-consuming process. Swiss construction company Gubler, however, used a Kemroc EK 100 chain cutter to cut down on processing time as well as wear and tear on company equipment. With an EK 100 chain cutter mounted on their 22tonne excavator, Gubler excavated the foundations, footings and service trenches in the typical local molasse rock. The project is a large residential complex and
    Read More

Highlighted Content