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A TBM Article: Emerging Technologies in Tunnel Construction
A short article touching interesting developments in tunnelling technologies in recent times.
Some interesting questions:
Trend toward large bore tunnels by large-diameter TBMs
Challenges associated with building and using large-bore TBMs
Technological improvements to increase the practicality of large TBMs
Advantages of large bores vs. twin bores
Single large bore vs twin bore when it comes to cost of construction and maintenance
Safety considerations of large bore tunnels
Future of large bore tunneling
Status of hyperloop development
Role of tunneling in hyperloop development
I found it refreshing. Let me hear your opinions:
https://tunnelingonline.com/emerging-technologies-in-tunnel-construction/
Twin-bore tunnels have their challenges. The distance between the tubes must be carefully calculated taking into the geological conditions. Otherwise two bores sabotage each other because of the pressure.
And for large bores, I am very much in the same thinking with the article: exponential increase in cutterhead torque requirements, increased cutting tool wear and replacement, large variation of pressure across the tunnel face and large perimeter of the annular gap between the excavated diameter and the lining extrados.
More and more projects choose large bores for the wrong reasons, like prestige by greedy politicians. I think disadvantages of large bores surpass their advantages for now.
cover tunnel photo by: Matt Brown from London, England / CC BY
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Still prefer twin bores to large bores. Large bore technology is not mature I think.