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What’s Going On? A Quarterly Worldwide Jobsite Roundup

At any given time, Robbins TBMs are operating at dozens of jobsites around the world.  Our dedicated Field Service personnel take video and pictures of the TBM progress often, so we’ve decided to offer a quarterly roundup of what’s going on in picture and video format–from deep TBM assembly in New York, USA to an epic TBM launch in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal. Read on to found out the latest.

TBM Assembly in a Deep Shaft in New York, USA

A 6.8 m (22.3 ft) Robbins Single Shield TBM, designed for water pressures up to 20 bar, is undergoing assembly and testing at the Delaware Aqueduct Repair Project. The TBM will be launched from a starter tunnel at the bottom of a 274 m (900 ft) deep shaft.

TBM Assembly at the Delaware Aqueduct Repair in Newburgh, New York, USA. The shaft is an incredible 274 m (900 ft) deep.

TBM Assembly Time Lapse

Epic TBM Launch in the Himalayan Mountains

In the Siwalik Range of the southern Himalayan Mountains of Nepal, a 5.06 m (16.6 ft) Robbins Double Shield embarked to bore the Bheri Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project (BBDMP). The TBM launched on October 14. See the drone footage taken by our own Field Service TBM Mechanic Thomas Fuchs:

Launch of the Robbins Double Shield at Nepal’s BBDMP on October 14.

Crossover Machine Startup in Akron, Ohio

On October 19, a Robbins 9.26 m (30.4 ft) diameter Crossover (XRE) TBM launched below Akron, Ohio, USA to bore the OCIT tunnel. The machine is excavating in soft soils that will transition into mixed face and then full face shale.  Before its launch, personnel at the jobsite filmed the cutterhead testing in a unique way. Watch the video below for more:

A worker surveys the TBM prior to its launch on the Akron OCIT October 19.

Desiree Willis