China creates world’s first boring and blasting tunneller to rip through hard rock
“The development of the boring and blasting machine can solve current challenges in long and large tunnel construction, offering a new solution for such projects,” he said in an interview published on Monday by China’s Science and Technology Daily.
The BBM uses a combination of mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, sensing, mechanics and guidance technologies, allowing for the simultaneous use of traditional drilling and blasting methods, alongside the power of modern tunnel boring machines
The machine features two cutter heads and leverages the complementary advantages of each method, improving efficiency while also being environmentally friendly.
“It effectively combines the functions of tunnel boring machines (TBMs) and traditional drilling and blasting methods, featuring multiple excavation modes,” Chen said.
According to the Science and Technology Daily report, the BBM has completed trials under three different working conditions. The trial results showed that “under extremely hard rock conditions, the efficiency of the hollow cutter head can be increased by 30 per cent after pre-cracking treatment”.
A limitation of conventional TBMs is their tendency to jam and cause delays when they encounter complex geological conditions such as rock bursts, fault zones, and significant deformations in soft rock.
Comments
Post a Comment