Terratec TBM ready for shipment to Mumbai

30 September 2020


A 3.2m-diameter Terratec Open TBM that will be used for the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai’s Amar Mahal II Tunnel Project in Maharashtra, India has passed factory acceptance tests. It is now ready to be shipped to contractor Patel Engineering.

The project is one of a number currently being carried out by MCGM to augment and improve its wastewater distribution system to meet increased demand and ensure reliable supply.

The 3.2m-diameter open TBM will bore a total of 5,350m between three shafts of depths up to 105m. The finished 2.5m-diameter tunnel from Amar Mahal (Hedgewar Udyan) to Trombay Low-Level Reservoir and further up to Trombay High-Level Reservoir will lie at an average depth of 80-90m.

The TBM’s modular design allows launch and reception to take place through shafts, while disassembly can take place inside the tunnel. The cutterhead is equipped with 18 heavy-duty back-loading disc cutters while the VFD-controlled electric motors enable a cutterhead rotation of more than 10rpm with optimum torque.

To allow safe tunnelling throughout the alignment, the machine is equipped with ground supporting equipment, including a fixed probe drilling unit, two rock-bolting drills and a steel arch erector.

In recent years, Terratec has enjoyed success in the Indian market, having worked on numerous metro projects such as in Delhi, Lucknow, Ahmadabad, Mumbai and Pune.