Breakthrough on Sochi

Russian contractor Bamtonnelstroy announced last month that its Lovat RMP167SE TBM had completed its 2,848m drive and broken through at the North Portal on the Sochi project. The TBM, equipped with a rock cutterhead, was the second of two Lovat machines deployed on the project and being used to build utility/escape tunnels in conjunction with the larger transport tunnels being built from Adler to Krasnaya Polyana in preparation for the 2014 winter Olympics.

The machine began at the South Portal of Tunnel Complex no. 5.

Bamtonnelstroy reported an average advance rate of 14m per day, with a record month of 400m and a record advance rate of 25m per day. The machine encountered geology of mudstones and sandstones with compressive strengths ranging from 40-60MPa.

The breakthrough came after the first Lovat machine, the 5.9m diameter RME232SE Series 14701, completed its drive at the end of May. It had started its drive at the South Portal of Tunnel Complex no. 1 and broke through at the North Portal.

The total tunnel length of 2,300m (1,664 rings) was successfully completed in 311 days. The record month was set in April 2010, boring 352m (251 rings). The second highest recorded month was in its initial stages of the drive achieving 301.2m (215 rings) in October 2009.

The completed road will be nearly 48.2km long and will serve as the main access route for people making their way to the 2014 Olympic games, running from Adler to the mountain resort of Alpika.

The road is scheduled for completion towards the end of 2013.