Hard-rock TBM
Open-type gripper TBM
The open-type gripper TBM is built for tunnelling in tough hard rock, with the machine pushing forward off side-wall gripper shoes and disc cutters breaking the face. CRCHI builds gripper machines across small to large diameter classes for water conservancy, hydropower, rail and urban transit tunnels where the bore is dominantly through hard rock and no segmental lining is required.
Working principle
An open-type gripper TBM has no closed shield around the excavated tunnel. The cutterhead at the front carries disc cutters that break the rock face into chips, and the machine reacts thrust into the side walls through gripper shoes that extend hydraulically against the rock. Because the side walls take the reaction loads directly, the configuration depends on rock that is competent enough to grip without crushing.
The support method is shotcrete and rock bolting installed behind the cutterhead, rather than a segmental lining. When the machine encounters unstable soft rock or a fracture zone, the on-board drilling and grouting system reinforces the ground from the face before the drive resumes, and advance pauses until the rock is stable enough to take the gripper reaction.
Features
Configurable across small to large diameter classes to project requirements
On-board drilling and grouting system reinforces unstable soft rock or fracture zones before advance resumes
Wear-resistant cutterhead built with HARDOX plate or composite chromium-carbide wear-resistant plate, with hard-alloy cutterhead edges for long service
Main drive on a double-row cylindrical roller thrust bearing for service life and safety
PLC control system with real-time monitoring and data acquisition
Multi-material transport system handles segments, pea gravel, consumables and other tunnel material
Reference projects
North Hubei water diversion project
- Location
- Hubei, China
- Diameter
- 4,030 mm
- Machines
- 1
Taizhou water diversion project
- Location
- Zhejiang, China
- Diameter
- 4,030 mm
- Machines
- 1
Beijiang water diversion project
- Location
- China
- Diameter
- 4,530 mm
- Machines
- 1
Inner Mongolia water diversion project
- Location
- Inner Mongolia, China
- Diameter
- 4,750 mm
- Machines
- 3
San Gaban hydropower project
- Location
- Peru
- Diameter
- 5,830 mm
- Machines
- 1
Shaanxi mining project
- Location
- Shaanxi, China
- Diameter
- 6,530 mm
- Machines
- 1
Central Jilin water diversion project
- Location
- Jilin, China
- Diameter
- 7,930 mm
- Machines
- 1
Beijing Yanqing utility tunnel project
- Location
- Beijing, China
- Diameter
- 10,230 mm
- Machines
- 1
Lake Lucerne water-conveyance tunnel
- Location
- Switzerland
- Diameter
- 3,850 mm
- Machines
- 1
- Configuration
- first Chinese TBM exported to Switzerland; zero-settlement crossing under live rail with pipe-roof support
China Beishan Underground Laboratory access tunnel
- Location
- Mazong Mountain, Gansu, China
- Diameter
- 7,000 mm
- Machines
- 1
- Configuration
- world-first large-gradient spiral hard-rock TBM (Beishan #1); 7.1 km spiral, 260 MPa rock, +/-50 mm unmanned
| Project | Location | Diameter | Machines | Configuration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Hubei water diversion project | Hubei, China | 4,030 mm | 1 | |
| Taizhou water diversion project | Zhejiang, China | 4,030 mm | 1 | |
| Beijiang water diversion project | China | 4,530 mm | 1 | |
| Inner Mongolia water diversion project | Inner Mongolia, China | 4,750 mm | 3 | |
| San Gaban hydropower project | Peru | 5,830 mm | 1 | |
| Shaanxi mining project | Shaanxi, China | 6,530 mm | 1 | |
| Central Jilin water diversion project | Jilin, China | 7,930 mm | 1 | |
| Beijing Yanqing utility tunnel project | Beijing, China | 10,230 mm | 1 | |
| Lake Lucerne water-conveyance tunnel | Switzerland | 3,850 mm | 1 | first Chinese TBM exported to Switzerland; zero-settlement crossing under live rail with pipe-roof support |
| China Beishan Underground Laboratory access tunnel | Mazong Mountain, Gansu, China | 7,000 mm | 1 | world-first large-gradient spiral hard-rock TBM (Beishan #1); 7.1 km spiral, 260 MPa rock, +/-50 mm unmanned |
Applications
Open-type gripper TBMs are specified where the bore is dominantly through hard rock, the side walls are competent enough to take the gripper-shoe reaction loads, and segmental lining is not required. CRCHI has supplied gripper machines for water conservancy and water diversion tunnels, hydropower headrace tunnels, rail tunnels, urban rail transit and utility tunnels. The most prominent international reference is the San Gaban hydropower project in Peru, alongside a fleet of water-diversion and mining-access drives across China including the Beijing Yanqing utility tunnel.
Configuration and engineering
Every CRCHI TBM is engineered to project. Shield diameter, cutterhead geometry, drive power, segmental ring design and back-up arrangement are configured to the alignment, ground conditions and water pressure of the drive. Project-specific scope beyond the standard envelope is engineered to brief, and where a drive calls for it, a machine is developed from the ground up. CRCHI Australia is the engineering, commercial, commissioning and aftermarket point of contact for Australian projects.
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