Illusionist
May 5th, 2010, 12:07 AM
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa176/indrajal/Construction/AMR-India-Robbins-OFTA-site-assembl.jpg
India’s need for the advantages of TBM excavation is immense. Not for the labour saving benefits but for the speed and quality of construction by which TBMs can excavate long tunnels for hydro, irrigation, road and rail tunnels. India’s history with large scale TBM tunnelling however is limited and disastrous. The sorry saga of TBM drives for the Dulhasti and Parbati hydro schemes is recalled with much frustration by Indian engineers. Resorting India’s appreciation and confidence in large scale TBM tunnelling is a tough assignment and one that Robbins has accepted in full measure, starting with the AMR project in the state of Andhra Pradesh where it is working with lead India construction company Jaiprakash to ensure success of the longest, largest diameter, hard rock TBM tunnel in India’s history and claimed by Robbins as the longest in the world without intermediate access points. TunnelTalk visited the project to bring this report.
Shani Wallis, Editor
India’s need for the advantages of TBM excavation is immense. Not for the labour saving benefits but for the speed and quality of construction by which TBMs can excavate long tunnels for hydro, irrigation, road and rail tunnels. India’s history with large scale TBM tunnelling however is limited and disastrous. The sorry saga of TBM drives for the Dulhasti and Parbati hydro schemes is recalled with much frustration by Indian engineers. Resorting India’s appreciation and confidence in large scale TBM tunnelling is a tough assignment and one that Robbins has accepted in full measure, starting with the AMR project in the state of Andhra Pradesh where it is working with lead India construction company Jaiprakash to ensure success of the longest, largest diameter, hard rock TBM tunnel in India’s history and claimed by Robbins as the longest in the world without intermediate access points. TunnelTalk visited the project to bring this report.
“We are here to make sure this happens,” said John McNally, Project Manager on the AMR job site for The Robbins Company. “We have the first TBM now more than 1,900m into its drive from the downstream portal [early January 2008] and the twin TBM at the inlet portal is to start assembly in May.”
Fig 1. AMR project plan
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa176/indrajal/Construction/Fig1-AMR-Project-plan.png
McNally is speaking of the 43.5km (27 mile), 10m (32.8ft) o.d. hard rock tunnel being excavated as the main element of an extensive network of tunnels and open canals on the Alimineti Madhava Reddy (AMR) Project that will feed irrigation and potable water by gravity to a vast drought-prone area of farmland and villages in the central state of Andhra Pradesh(1). The long tunnel has been under study for several decades and passes from the upstream Srisailem reservoir on the Krishn balancing pond near Devarakonda on the Dindi River (Fig 1).
The long straight tunnel under the maximum 500m cover is needed first to avoid any pumping in the gravity feed system, and secondly to protect the natural environment. The tunnel passes under the Nagarjuna Sagar Tiger Reserve, the largest sanctuary for Bengal Tigers in India.
The large contract of India Rupees 1,925 crores or about US $400 million includes several miles of open canal work as well as a second 7.25km long drill+blast tunnel on the alignment and is in the hands of Jaiprakash, one of the five largest commercial and construction conglomerates in India. Jaiprakash has extensive experience in civil construction and drill+blast tunnelling, but little in the field of TBM tunnelling. When planning its approach for the long, large diameter tunnel, with no intermediate adits permitted, a TBM operation was self-selecting, but Jaiprakash needed more than a TBM supplier; it needed a partner to bring expertise and technological knowhow.
Extensive negotiations with The Robbins Company culminated in the signing of the largest TBM supply order in history. At a total of more than $US125 million, Robbins has three project contracts; one to supply two 10m diameter double-shielded gripper TBMs, a continuous conveyor muck haulage system for both, plus spare parts and cutters from the US; another to supply backup structures and other components from local Indian suppliers through Robbins India; and a third to supply, through Robbins India, a team of key personnel to manage the TBM boring process.
More here:
http://www.tunneltalk.com/AMR-India-Project1.php
On-site first time assembly of the first 10m-diameter Robbins double-shield TBM
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa176/indrajal/Construction/AMR-India-TBM-assemly-in-the-outlet.jpg
All report and photos are from Jan 2009
India’s need for the advantages of TBM excavation is immense. Not for the labour saving benefits but for the speed and quality of construction by which TBMs can excavate long tunnels for hydro, irrigation, road and rail tunnels. India’s history with large scale TBM tunnelling however is limited and disastrous. The sorry saga of TBM drives for the Dulhasti and Parbati hydro schemes is recalled with much frustration by Indian engineers. Resorting India’s appreciation and confidence in large scale TBM tunnelling is a tough assignment and one that Robbins has accepted in full measure, starting with the AMR project in the state of Andhra Pradesh where it is working with lead India construction company Jaiprakash to ensure success of the longest, largest diameter, hard rock TBM tunnel in India’s history and claimed by Robbins as the longest in the world without intermediate access points. TunnelTalk visited the project to bring this report.
Shani Wallis, Editor
India’s need for the advantages of TBM excavation is immense. Not for the labour saving benefits but for the speed and quality of construction by which TBMs can excavate long tunnels for hydro, irrigation, road and rail tunnels. India’s history with large scale TBM tunnelling however is limited and disastrous. The sorry saga of TBM drives for the Dulhasti and Parbati hydro schemes is recalled with much frustration by Indian engineers. Resorting India’s appreciation and confidence in large scale TBM tunnelling is a tough assignment and one that Robbins has accepted in full measure, starting with the AMR project in the state of Andhra Pradesh where it is working with lead India construction company Jaiprakash to ensure success of the longest, largest diameter, hard rock TBM tunnel in India’s history and claimed by Robbins as the longest in the world without intermediate access points. TunnelTalk visited the project to bring this report.
“We are here to make sure this happens,” said John McNally, Project Manager on the AMR job site for The Robbins Company. “We have the first TBM now more than 1,900m into its drive from the downstream portal [early January 2008] and the twin TBM at the inlet portal is to start assembly in May.”
Fig 1. AMR project plan
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa176/indrajal/Construction/Fig1-AMR-Project-plan.png
McNally is speaking of the 43.5km (27 mile), 10m (32.8ft) o.d. hard rock tunnel being excavated as the main element of an extensive network of tunnels and open canals on the Alimineti Madhava Reddy (AMR) Project that will feed irrigation and potable water by gravity to a vast drought-prone area of farmland and villages in the central state of Andhra Pradesh(1). The long tunnel has been under study for several decades and passes from the upstream Srisailem reservoir on the Krishn balancing pond near Devarakonda on the Dindi River (Fig 1).
The long straight tunnel under the maximum 500m cover is needed first to avoid any pumping in the gravity feed system, and secondly to protect the natural environment. The tunnel passes under the Nagarjuna Sagar Tiger Reserve, the largest sanctuary for Bengal Tigers in India.
The large contract of India Rupees 1,925 crores or about US $400 million includes several miles of open canal work as well as a second 7.25km long drill+blast tunnel on the alignment and is in the hands of Jaiprakash, one of the five largest commercial and construction conglomerates in India. Jaiprakash has extensive experience in civil construction and drill+blast tunnelling, but little in the field of TBM tunnelling. When planning its approach for the long, large diameter tunnel, with no intermediate adits permitted, a TBM operation was self-selecting, but Jaiprakash needed more than a TBM supplier; it needed a partner to bring expertise and technological knowhow.
Extensive negotiations with The Robbins Company culminated in the signing of the largest TBM supply order in history. At a total of more than $US125 million, Robbins has three project contracts; one to supply two 10m diameter double-shielded gripper TBMs, a continuous conveyor muck haulage system for both, plus spare parts and cutters from the US; another to supply backup structures and other components from local Indian suppliers through Robbins India; and a third to supply, through Robbins India, a team of key personnel to manage the TBM boring process.
More here:
http://www.tunneltalk.com/AMR-India-Project1.php
On-site first time assembly of the first 10m-diameter Robbins double-shield TBM
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa176/indrajal/Construction/AMR-India-TBM-assemly-in-the-outlet.jpg
All report and photos are from Jan 2009