Made in Henan! China’s largest-diameter double-shield hard rock TBM begins operation

Henan Daily

Zhengzhou: The “Henan-made” tunnel boring machine (TBM) has set a new record. On January 5, a double-shield hard rock TBM with the largest diameter of its kind in China, developed by China Railway Engineering Equipment Group (CREG) in Central China’s Henan province, commenced operation on a project to divert water from the Yangtze River to the Hanjiang River in Hubei province.

Named “Jianghan Ping’an”, this machine is the largest and most advanced double-shield hard rock TBM designed for water diversion projects in China. It boasts a diameter of 11.93 meters, a total length of about 180 meters and a weight of around 3,550 tons.

TBMs, often called the “King of Construction Machinery”, are crucial for underground excavation projects. With ongoing technological innovations, TBMs produced by CREG have become increasingly intelligent. To tackle complex geological conditions, such as deep excavation, hard rocks, rock bursts and high external water pressure, the “Jianghan Ping’an” TBM is equipped with cutting-edge technologies, including the Induced Polarization (IP) method for geological surveying, an early warning system for machine jamming, an cutter status monitoring system, and an innovative normal pre-drilling system. Additionally, the R&D team has developed the “TBM-SMART” Intelligent Tunneling System, capable of automatically assessing surrounding rock conditions, precisely optimizing excavation parameters, and ensuring safe and efficient operation. These advancements provide vital technical support for the project.

According to a source from CREG, the Yangtze-to-Hanjiang Water Diversion Project is part of the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. It is also a key step in accelerating the development of the country’s main water network. CREG is set to provide 6 TBMs for the project, 4 of which have already been completed, and 3 have successfully started excavation.