Tunnel Boring Machines and Tunnels

[matacaster]

As the crossrail TBM is being disassembled today, I wondered about the following questions, can anybody help?

1. Is a TBM reusable on a different project, is it designed for one type of ground condition or is it totally knackered after one project?

2. Can a TBM of say UIC gauge be used to bore out say a W6 gauge tunnel or are there better techniques?

3, Can the cutting head be changed to suit different ground conditions? eg could the crossrail TBM be used to drive a new tunnel through the pennines?

4. Does the design of a TBM vary according to the ground conditions? eg crossrail goes through London clay, pennines are hard rock.

5. how does time taken to tunnel vary according to how hard the strata is? eg london clay soft (when wet anyway), pennines hard.

 

[NotATrainspott]

You asked these questions in another thread on the Infrastructure forum:

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=119431

 

[matacaster]

You asked these questions in another thread on the Infrastructure forum:

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=119431

Yes, but I couldn't find the thread when I looked again several times.

Apologies for the duplicate post.

 

[Clip]

Yes, but I couldn't find the thread when I looked again several times.

Apologies for the duplicate post.

If you ever ewant to see a pots or a thread click on your user name in the top corner then statistics and it will let you look at your previous posts or threads