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Category: Webinars
Complimentary Webinar: Achieve Steady Results in Unsteady Ground
If you’re tunneling in mixed face conditions, where any combination of rock and soil may be present in the tunnel cross section, you expect the project to be a challenge. When variability is a constant, things like surface settlement, abrasive wear on your TBM, and the proper ground conditioning are a concern. Despite these variables, your project can still be a success. With the right technology, crew, and operating methods, consistent TBM advance rates are achievable in even the most variable conditions.
In this complimentary 60-minute webinar, Robbins Vice President Doug Harding and Engineer Greg Michaelson will explore mixed face conditions, delving into recent case studies of EPB and Crossover TBMs in the field. Harding and Michaelson will make recommendations based on proven designs and methods, drawing from the experience of our knowledgeable field service personnel. Whether you’re a contractor operating the TBM, a consultant specifying the equipment, or an owner with an upcoming project, consistent excavation is possible in variable geology.
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Complimentary Webinar: How to Get Through Squeezing Ground, Rock Bursting, and More
If you’ve ever faced mountainous tunneling conditions, then you know what it is to face the unknown. Most deep tunnels under high cover encounter some unexpected conditions, whether its fault zones, squeezing ground, or rock bursting. Without the proper planning, crew experience, and TBM design, these challenges can quickly halt a TBM in its path. From severe squeezing that can trap a shielded machine in place to highly pressurized rock bursts that can damage the TBM itself, mountainous tunneling can get serious fast.
So how do you keep your TBM moving when the going gets tough? Spend 60 minutes with our tunneling professionals and learn from the best in this complimentary webinar—the first in our 2018 series. Using real case studies, we’ll discuss some of the most difficult conditions encountered in our decades of tunneling in the field. Find out how to overcome obstacles while keeping your downtime to a minimum and your crew safe.
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2018 Webinars: A Look at This Year's Lineup
Have a taxing project coming up this year? Be sure to keep an eye out for the Robbins 2018 series of complimentary webinars. Over our long history, we’ve seen a variety of grueling tunneling situations from squeezing ground to water inflows to fault zones. Join us as we share our hard earned experience to help you face your own upcoming challenges.
Here’s a sneak peak at what the year will bring:
April: TBMs in Squeezing Ground & Mountainous Conditions
June: Tunneling in Mixed Ground Conditions
October: Water Inflows in Hard Rock Tunneling
Complimentary Webinar: Reducing Risk—How to Manage the Unknown in TBM Tunneling
Let’s face it: tunneling projects are inherently risky. The actual geology can harbor unforeseen conditions even with rigorous testing, and even when a highly-qualified consulting company creates the Geotechnical Baseline Report. In TBM-driven tunnels, the machine and the crew operating it are key components of the risk management strategy. So, how can we ensure that the tunneling operation is done effectively as often as possible?
In this complimentary 60-minute webinar from the manufacturer perspective, Robbins Chief Engineer Dennis Ofiara and Project Engineer Elisa Comis will explore that question, delving into contract structure, TBM design, case studies, and more to find the answer. Whether you’re a contractor operating the TBM, a consultant specifying the equipment, or an owner with an upcoming project, risk reduction is possible in even the most complex tunnels.
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Complimentary Webinar: Performance Under Pressure
Earth Pressure Balance Machines (EPBs) are by far the most widely used type of TBM in the tunneling world, but their proper design and use in varying geologies is not often discussed. Clay, sand, gravel, mixed face conditions and boulders each require unique EPB designs and expert operation. Whether that means utilizing abrasion resistant plating, heavy duty screw conveyors, or customized cutting tools, today’s EPBs are up for the challenge. With regards to operation, using the right RPM, the proper additives, and detailed monitoring can keep subsidence at a minimum and reduce downtime.
In this complimentary 60-minute webinar, Robbins Engineering Manager Brad Grothen and Robbins Chief EPB Engineer Shinichi Konda will explore how EPB TBMs work, their various designs, and real-world applications. They will draw from field data in multiple types of geologies to make informed recommendations on EPB design and operation. Areas for advancement will also be discussed”” including high tool wear and the ability to properly form a plug.
We invite you to submit your questions beforehand to webinars@robbinstbm.com to get a thoughtful and well-researched answer during the Q&A session at the end of the webinar.
Day: April 12, 2017
Time: 7 AM PDT/10 AM EDT/2 PM GMT
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Complimentary Webinar: Know What's Ahead of You
Your project has to keep moving forward, whether the challenge is high cover, squeezing ground, fault zones, or water inflows. New ground investigation and treatment options can give you the tools to conquer what you face while maximizing TBM performance and safety.
In this complimentary 60-minute webinar, Robbins Chief Engineer Dennis Ofiara will discuss Difficult Ground Solutions (DGS)–a suite of options available for shielded hard rock and Crossover TBMs that can keep your machine moving in long tunnels, high cover, and challenging geological features. DGS is about visualization: A machine shield doesn’t have to obstruct your view of the ground around you. With a host of features like 360-degree, long distance probe drilling, convergence measuring sensors that alert operators to squeezing ground, and canopy drills for ground consolidation, you can stay a stroke ahead of your TBM operation.
We invite you to submit your questions beforehand to webinars@robbinstbm.com to get a thoughtful and well-researched answer from Dennis during the Q&A session at the end of the webinar.
Day: November 2, 2016
Time: 7 AM PDT/10 AM EDT/2 PM GMT
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Complimentary Webinar: What is the Total Cost of Owning a TBM?
Subject: What is the Total Cost of Owning a TBM?
Date: September 24, 2015
Time: 07:00 PST, 10:00 EST, 15:00 BST
Hosted By: Robbins
Register Now, Limited Spaces Available!
Tunnel Boring Machines exist today that have excavated over 50 km (31 mi) of tunnel, and have been in operation for nearly 50 years. These workhorses have been built and rebuilt to satisfy requirements of various tunnels while their durable steel structure endures.
Today’s underground construction contractors often face a higher capital cost during the initial investment for a TBM, but what is the total cost of owning a TBM? Much more than the initial price tag must be taken into account: while a heavier TBM with durable steel structure may cost more initially, reusing it on multiple tunnels will ultimately result in substantial savings. Paying for a custom-designed machine often results in increased efficiency and faster advance rates, with the end result that the tunnel is completed on or even ahead of schedule.
In this complimentary 60-minute webinar, Robbins Vice President-Sales Doug Harding will explore the true cost of owning a TBM, considering the entire lifespan of the machine. He will draw on real project data and cost estimates to demonstrate that a machine designed for multiple tunnels will pay for itself over time.
We invite you to submit your questions beforehand webinars@robbinstbm.com to get a thoughtful and well-researched answer from Doug during the Q&A session at the end of the webinar.
Fast-Track Your Mine with Proven TBM Technology
Subject: Fast-Track Your Mine with Proven TBM Technology
Date: June 24, 2015
Time: 13:00 PST, 16:00 EST, 06:00 AEST
Hosted By: Robbins
Register Now, Limited Spaces Available!
Second Option: Pre-Recorded Broadcast
Date: June 25, 2015
Time: 07:00 PST, 10:00 EST, 15:00 BST, 16:00 CEST
Hosted By: Robbins
Register Now, Limited Spaces Available!
Today’s mine development projects are no longer being done from the surface. Worldwide, easily accessible ore deposits have been spent, requiring mines to aim for deeper ore bodies, often kilometers underground, to keep operations viable.
This changing mine environment brings a need for access tunnels, first to reach the ore, then to provide long-term muck haulage. Tunnel boring machines provide efficient, safe, and fast access to those ore bodies. Mines around the world are accustomed to methods such as drill & blast, roadheader, and other types of conventional excavation. However, TBMs have been proven on multiple projects to complete tunnels two to three times faster than drill and blast; when considering roadheaders that number is often 10 times faster.
In this complimentary 60-minute webinar, Ryan Gratias, Project Engineer at Robbins and Adam Foulstone, General Manager-Grosvenor for mining company Anglo American, will discuss the changing face of the worldwide mining industry. From machine design to application and real-world examples, Gratias will prove that early adopters of the TBM method will be able to better meet increased demand and extend the life of their mine. Foulstone will discuss the recent use of a Crossover (XRE) TBM at the Grosvenor Decline Tunnel in Australia™ wildly successful use of a TBM that resulted in access tunnels bored 14 times faster than the traditionally-used roadheader method.
We invite you to submit your questions beforehand to webinars@robbinstbm.com to get a well-researched answer during the Q&A session at the end of the webinar.
Complimentary Webinar: A Myth Dispelled by President Lok Home
Subject: A Myth Dispelled: In Difficult Ground, the Time for Drill & Blast Excavation has Passed
Date: April 15, 2015
Time: 10:00 AM EST, 2:00 PM GMT, 2:00 PM WEST
Hosted By: Robbins
Register Now, Limited Spaces Available!
In the modern-day tunneling industry, one outdated perception remains: Traditional, tested methods are always the best. When presented with difficult ground””from fault zones to water inflows to mixed face conditions””many consultants and contractors rely on decades-old field studies and conclude that conventional excavation methods like drill and blast are the best option. With today’s Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) technology, this assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. Modern TBMs are highly adaptable and capable of offering all of the same ground support and excavation capabilities of their conventional counterparts””most often with a safer setup and faster performance, not to mention at a lower overall cost.
In this complimentary 60-minute webinar, Robbins President Lok Home will analyze recent tunneling projects in difficult ground conditions where TBMs have proven their worth, including Turkey’s Kargi Kizilirmak Hydroelectric Project and Peru’s Olmos Trans-Andean Tunnel. At Kargi, a shielded hard rock TBM overcame incredibly difficult mixed face conditions with the help of in-tunnel machine modifications””ultimately completing the tunnel at an advance rate more than twice that of a drill and blast operation proceeding from the opposite end of the tunnel. At Olmos, the world’s second deepest civil works tunnel, a TBM ultimately succeeded at boring where drill and blast had failed: below 2,000 m of volatile volcanic rock in the Andes Mountains.
We invite you to submit your questions beforehand to marketing@robbinstbm.com to get a well-researched answer during the Q&A session at the end of the webinar.