China has completed the production of its largest tunnel-boring machine (TBM) to date, marking a significant milestone in the country’s tunnel construction capabilities.
Named “Jianghai,” meaning “river and ocean” in Chinese, the new machine is notable for its massive size, measuring 16.64 meters (54.5 feet) in diameter, and an impressive weight of approximately 5,000 metric tons (11 million pounds). At 475 feet (145 meters) long, Jianghai stands as the largest TBM ever designed and manufactured in China.
China Railway Construction Heavy Industry (CRCHI) and China Railway 14th Bureau Group (CR14G) developed the machine in Changsha, Hunan Province, through a partnership.
To build a tunnel beneath the Yangtze River in Jiangsu province, Jianghai will connect the cities of Nantong and Suzhou as part of a major 24-mile (39-kilometer) highway project set for completion by 2028.
The tunnel will span 7 miles (11.2 kilometres) beneath the Yangtze River and reach depths of 246 feet (75 meters), demanding extreme precision due to challenges posed by underground water, soft soil, and silt.
According to CR14G’s chief project engineer You Shaoqiang, these conditions would make traditional manual tunneling unfeasible.
The advanced TBM, designed for precision tunneling within 1 centimeter (0.4 inches) to ensure the safety of river dams, can progress at 12 to 16 meters (39 to 52 feet) per day.
Tunnelling operations are projected to span two and a half years.
With a cutter head diameter comparable to a five- to six-story building, Jianghai embodies the industrial advancements China has made in large-diameter tunnel boring technology, stated CRCHI chairman Zhao Hui.
A Leap Forward in Infrastructure Innovation
China has been ramping up innovation in tunnelling technology. In May, the country unveiled the world’s first boring and blasting machine (BBM), a breakthrough in tunnelling efficiency.
China Railway Science & Industry Group Corporation developed this new system in partnership with Tsinghua University’s National Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering.
Capable of a 30% efficiency increase, the BBM leverages specialized blasting techniques to overcome geological obstacles, benefiting water conservation, mining, railways, and highway projects.
Additionally, the new TBM has built-in intelligence, storing data on previous tunnelling challenges.
As explained by CRCC senior engineer Fan Ruiqiang, this feature allows the TBM to recommend solutions to drivers facing similar geological conditions, further enhancing efficiency and safety.
Wang Jun, deputy head of Jiangsu’s transport project bureau, remarked that this advancement signifies a breakthrough for China’s manufacturing sector, both in terms of technology and scale, and sets a benchmark for future infrastructure projects.
The machine’s hollow cutter head, a recent innovation from Tsinghua University, enables smooth navigation through complex geological zones and supports a dual-mode operation for simultaneous drilling and blasting.
This new design has been found to increase excavation efficiency by 30% in extreme rock conditions, demonstrating China’s growing leadership in advanced tunnelling technology.
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