Press Releases
Robbins Single Shield Launched on Laotian Hydro Scheme
March 11th, 2010
In February 2010, contractor CMC di Ravenna oversaw the launch of the first tunnel boring machine ever to excavate in Laos. The 7.6 m (25.1 ft) diameter Robbins Single Shield TBM is digging a new hydroelectric tunnel for the Theun Hinboun Expansion Project.
Continue Reading
-
Robbins Main Beams Burrow Under Low Cover
March 4th, 2010Two 6.4 m (21.0 ft) diameter Robbins Main Beam TBMs were launched in winter 2009-2010 beneath Chongqing, China--a mega-city of over 35 million people. The two machines are excavating twin 12 km (7.5 mi) long tunnels for Line 6 of the Chongqing Metro, and are the first hard rock TBMs to be used in the city.
-
Robbins Commissioning Ceremony Celebrates Triple TBMs
February 12th, 2010On February 2, 2010, a mix of contractors, reporters, and government officials gathered to mark the assembly of three Robbins EPBs. The ceremony, held in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA, culminated in the cutterhead turning of one fully assembled, 8.93 m (29.3 ft) diameter machine.
Archived Press Releases
- Onsite Assembly Fits Up with Robbins EPB
In January 2010, Mexico City officials celebrated the completion of the country’s largest ever TBM with a cutterhead turning ceremony. The 10.2 m (33.5 ft) diameter Robbins EPB will begin excavation in the first week of February after just eight weeks of assembly.
(January 25th, 2010) - Robbins Small Boring Unit Earns a Place in the Record Books
On December 7, 2009 a new milestone was reached for ABMs using disc cutterheads. Contractor Gonzales Boring & Tunneling bored a landmark crossing length of 600 ft (183 m) using a 42 inch (1.0 m) diameter Small Boring Unit (SBU-A). The feat is a record for any diameter of SBU-A, making it the longest distance ever excavated with the boring attachment.
(December 14th, 2009) - Robbins EPB Racks Up Records for Sacramento Breakthrough
A 4.25 m (13.9 ft) diameter Robbins EPB is rewriting the industry standard for soft ground tunneling rates. The machine excavated a 5.7 km (3.6 mi) long tunnel in Sacramento, California, USA, achieving rates of up to 210 m (690 ft) per week before breaking through on November 21, 2009.
(December 9th, 2009)