Terratec TBM bound for Mumbai sewage project

It is the 25th TBM that Terratec has delivered to India in the past eight years during which its machines have excavated over 58km of tunnels on key metro, sewer and hydropower projects. This machine will be used by contractor Michigan Engineers working for the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM).

The first drive will be 1,857m long. The MSDP is one of a series of sewage projects being undertaken by the MCGM in its efforts to improve the quality and reliability of wastewater collection, treatment and disposal for an ever-growing population.

The TBM is designed to cope with varied geological conditions along tunnel alignments characterised by mixed ground, basalt and breccia. It boasts 25 rings of 17” rear-replaceable disc cutters and a high-torque main drive that can rotate up to five rpm. It is also equipped with a fully-active articulation system to accommodate a minimum curve radius of 250m. Due to size constraints and the installation of a full hyperbaric man-lock, the TBM’s main drive is hydraulic.

As the machine advances, its erector will install 200mm x 1,000mm reinforced concrete segments in a 4+1 configuration. Muck removal, segment conveyance and machine supply will be achieved by Terratec rolling stock and battery locomotives, while the company’s field service staff will be on hand to provide after-sales support.