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Search our list of case studies to get background information on past and present projects.
Search our list of case studies to get background information on past and present projects.
Zhengzhou, China
The Zhengzhou Metro consists of twin underground tunnels as part of a larger project for the 11th Bureau of the China Railway Construction Corp. (CRCC) to create the first metro system in the city. The two 6.3 m (20.7 ft) Robbins Earth Pressure Balance Machines (EPBs) boring part of the tunnels set a Chinese EPB record in their size class, excavating up to 720 m (2,362 ft) in one month.
Sochi, Russia
In 2012, the final of two Robbins Double Shield TBMs completed tunneling on schedule in Sochi, Russia in preparation for the host city's 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
Xi'an, China
Xi'an's 26.4 km metro Line 1 will run from north to south through the downtown area. Ten TBMs, including two 6.2 m diameter Robbins EPBs, excavated the new rail route. The route travels directly below some of the 3,100 year old city's most sensitive heritage sites, including the terra cotta warriors.
Featured Projects | Mexico City, Mexico
In an urgent effort to prevent flooding in the urban capital of Mexico City, the National Water Commission (CONAGUA) has ordered the construction of a 62 km (39 mi) long wastewater line, Emisor Oriente, which is expected to help increase Mexico City’s wastewater capacity and ease some of the city’s related problems. Torrential rains and continuing floods in Mexico’s capital during the rainy season have increased the urgency of the job, quickly making it the country’s most critical infrastructure project.
Chengdu, China
Chengdu’s Metro Line 2 includes 26 stations and 17.6 km (10.9 mi) of tunnels between Longquandong and Shiniu areas of the city. Seven lines totaling 274 km (170 mi) are planned to be operational by 2035, and will service 13.1 million daily passengers.
Shanxi Province, China
The Pinglu Tunnel, part of the Yellow River Water Diversion Project, was undertaken in 2006 by Joint Venture Sino-Austria Hydraulic Engineering Co. Ltd (SAHEC), led by Alpine Bau GmbH. At 24.5 km (15.8 mi), the Pinglu Tunnel marks one of the world’s longest single-drive TBM tunnels ever excavated.
Pahang and Selangor States, Malaysia
The Pahang Selangor Raw Water Tunnel, for the Malaysian Ministry of Energy, Green Technology, and Water, will convey raw water from the Semantan River in Pahang to the South Klang Valley area of Selangor state. The three tunnels, totaling 44.6 km (27.7 mi), will address projected water shortages due to the area’s rapidly growing population.
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Spanning 20 years and using over 30 TBMs, Chicago’s massive Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP) has been possibly the largest clean water project of the twentieth century. The TARP was created in 1975 to combat increased flooding and drainage problems that plagued Chicago and surrounding areas. After heavy rains, combined sewage overflows (CSOs) would seep into residential basements, nearby streams and rivers, as well as Lake Michigan – Chicago’s main source for drinking water. TARP was originally divided into two phases but now refers solely to Phase I.
Big Sky, Montana, USA
The Yellowstone Club, a private resort in Big Sky Montana, includes an 18-hole championship mountain golf course in addition to miles of ski trails. This golf course is irrigated by 318 ft (96.9 m) of pipeline from a nearby 79 million gallon reservoir.
Cleveland, Ohio
The Cleveland Heights Interceptor Project was a sewer system improvement project located in the Heights/Hilltop area of Cleveland. Larger-diameter pipelines were proposed to help reduce the basement flooding and sewage overflow problems which were common in the crowded urban area.
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Arizona's South Mountain water tunnel is part of a 27.3 km (17 mi) water pipeline that delivers 178 million liters (47 million gallons) of water a day to the city of Phoenix. Contractor Affholder chose a refurbished Robbins Double Shield TBM adapted for the variable rock conditions in the tunnel.
Tampa, Florida, USA
The South Central Hillsborough Intertie tunnel passes under the Alafia River in Tampa Bay. The contractor chose an innovative new solution to deal with the difficult ground conditions of the tunnel: a Robbins hybrid EPB shield machine.
Meråker, Norway
The Meråker Project consists of a system of power stations and underground tunnels that increase the electrical output supplying a local smelter and surrounding areas. Merkraft, a joint venture of Eeg Henriksem Anlegg a/s and a/s Veidekke, chose a Robbins 3.5 m (11.5 ft) diameter Main Beam tunnel boring machine (TBM) to bore 10 km (6.2 mi) of tunnel at Meråker.
Palisade, Colorado, USA
The Plateau Creek Pipeline was built to replace a pre-existing pipeline that supplied fresh water to rural and urban areas of Mesa County, Colorado, USA. The contractor used a 3.3 m (10.8 ft) diameter Robbins Main Beam TBM to bore two tunnel lengths of 1.0 km (0.6 mi) and 3.1 km (1.9 mi).
San Diego, California, USA
The San Vicente Pipeline, 17.7 km (11 mi) in length, connects the San Vicente Reservoir in Lakeside, California to the San Diego County Water Authority Second Aqueduct. Boring began on June 21, 2006 after an onsite TBM assembly of only 30 working days.
North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
The Seymour-Capilano Water Filtration Project seeks to improve the filtration of drinking water in Vancouver, British Columbia. Two 3.8 m (12.5 ft) diameter Main Beam Robbins TBMs bored the tunnels in intrusive granitic rock with strengths of 200 - 265 MPa (29 - 38 ksi).
Hong Kong Island, China
The 275 KV Cable Tunnel on Hong Kong Island provides a transmission line from a power station at nearby Lamma Island. Contractor Nishimatsu chose a 4.8 m (15.8 ft) diameter Main Beam Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) for the project, the first ever TBM to bore in Hong Kong.
La Réunion Island, France
The La Réunion Irrigation Project is located in a French territory in the Indian Ocean. The project consists of a system of tunnels that irrigates sugar cane crops and provides water to the general population on the island's west side.
San Manuel, Arizona, USA
The San Manuel Mine tunnel was developed to extend the life of the mine in Arizona. It is one of the largest underground mines in the world, but projections before the tunnel was built estimated its reserves would be depleted by 1998. The mine utilized a Robbins Main Beam TBM to access deeper ore bodies.
Shanxi Province, China
The Yellow River Water Diversion Project is an ambitious network of tunnels that brings water to chronically dry areas of Shanxi Province. The water system consists of multiple tunnels totaling over 100 km (62 mi) in length, and using Double Shield TBMs to bore some of the longest tunnels excavated by a single TBM. Multiple world records achieved on the project still stand.
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
The Chattahoochee Sewer Tunnel is part of a project that meets increasing wastewater capacity needs in East Cobb County. Robbins provided one new and one rebuilt TBM for the tunnels, which ran through Atlanta's hard granitic rock.
Lesotho and South Africa
Phase 1A began construction in 1991, which involved building the 180 m high Katse Dam, as well as approximately 82 km of TBM-driven tunnels to provide water to South Africa's arid Gaucheng Province.
Chicago, Illinois, USA
The Little Calumet Leg Tunnel was the final element in Phase 1 of Chicago's long-running Tunnel and Reservoir Project (TARP). The project involved storm water storage, reservoirs, and feeder tunnels that have greatly improved water quality in Chicago-area Rivers. The Robbins Main Beam TBM broke multiple world records and achieved the best cutter wear for any Robbins project.
Lanzhou, China
The Yindaruqin Irrigation Project is made up of 33 tunnels that are 75 km (46.6 mi) in length and divert water from the Datong River to dry regions of China's northern Gansu Province. The Robbins Double Shield machine supplied for the project was the first TBM ever to be used in China.
Sun-Moon Lake, Taiwan
The New Wuchieh Diversion Tunnel is part of a water transfer system that feeds into the Sun-Moon Lake Hydraulic Power Plant, one of the largest single power sources in Taiwan.
Sydney, Australia
The Sydney Urban Train System was extended with the addition of The Epping to Chatswood Rail Link. In 2002, two 7.2 m (23.6 ft) diameter Main Beam TBMs were built to bore parallel tunnels that curved through sandstone rock. Using an innovative conveyor and back-up system, the TBM achieved world records and lined the tunnel with a concrete invert.
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
The Boston Harbor Project included one of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the United States. The project required two undersea tunnels to carry wastewater to and from the new treatment plant.
English Channel (between England and France)
The Channel Tunnel, one of the world's most famous tunnels, is a 50 km (31 mi) tunnel under the English Channel linking Great Britain to France. This link consists of three parallel tunnels running for 39 km (24.2 mi) under the sea.
Fljótsdalur Valley, Iceland
The Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Project will create the Kárahnjúkar Power Plant to provide 4600 GWh of electricity annually to a nearby aluminum smelting plant. Three Robbins Main Beam TBMs endured bitter cold, water inflows and exceedingly hard rock to achieve multiple world records.
Lake Manapouri, New Zealand
The Manapouri Hydropower Station is the largest hydropower station in the country and supplies 5100 GWh of electricity annually. In 1997, the project owners, Electricity Corporation of New Zealand (ECNZ), proposed an expansion of the hydropower station from its then output of 585 MW.
Eastern Liaoning Province, China
The Dahuofang Water Tunnel is a large reservoir diversion project that will transport water from high rainfall areas to the dry, heavily industrialized Shenyang region of China. The total length of the tunnel is 85.3 km (53 mi) with over 60 km (37 mi) being driven by tunnel boring machines (TBM) -- one of the world's longest TBM-driven tunnels.
Tigard, Oregon, USA
In Tigard, Oregon, upwards of 1.8 km (1.1 mi) of gravity sewer were installed by general contractor Northwest Earthmovers Inc. for project owner Clean Water Services. Gonzales Boring & Tunneling was subcontracted to complete three crossings, which formed part of the Locust Street Sanitary Improvements Project No. 6335.
Mexico City, Mexico
The Mexico City Metro is one of the world’s largest, with over 200 km (125 mi) of rail and nearly 4 million daily passengers. The 25.4 km (15.8 mi) long route passes through 22 new stations between Tlahuac and Mixcoac neighborhoods. The 10.2 m (33.5 ft) EPB TBM used to bore the line was the largest to ever bore in Mexico.
Featured Projects | Queenston, Ontario, Canada
The Niagara Tunnel Project is an ambitious project to tunnel 10.4 km (6.5 mi) from the Sir Adam Beck Generating Complex to above Niagara Falls. A 14.4 m (47.5 ft) diameter Main Beam TBM, the largest hard rock TBM in the world, was assembled at the jobsite using Onsite First Time Assembly (OFTA) in less than 12 months.
Asturias, Spain
The Pajares Lot 4 tunnel is part of Spain's AVE high-speed rail link. The entire 49.5 km (30.8 mi) long tunnel connects Asturias to the Madrid-Valladolid high-speed link. A 10 m (32.8 ft) diameter Single Shield TBM bored the tunnel through sandstone, shale, limestone, molasse, and volcanic rocks.
Sierra del Valle de Abdalajis, Spain
Spain's high-speed rail network, known as AVE, involves links between the major cities Cordoba, Madrid, Seville, and Malaga. The twin 7.1 km (4.4 mile) long Abdalajis tunnels are part of this rail network and they will contribute to Spain's overall goal to keep all major cities within four hours travel time from Madrid.
New Delhi, India
Phase II of the New Delhi Metro Extension Project is an ambitious plan to add 53 km (33 mi) of new rail lines to cut transportation times, particularly during the Commonwealth Games in 2010. On February 1, 2007, Robbins and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) signed a contract with the CEC/Soma JV for two 6.5 m (21.4 ft) diameter EPBMs, back-up systems, and cutting tools.
New York City, New York, USA
New York City’s East Side Access Project involved construction of a new subway line needed to relieve heavy traffic congestion between the boroughs of Queens and Manhattan. The line will serve approximately 160,000 commuters daily between Grand Central and Sunnyside rail stations.
Vorarlberg, Austria
The KOPS II Hydropower project is located inside the Alps Mountains, drawing from the same reservoir as the KOPS I hydropower station, commissioned in 1969. Construction began at Kops II in 2004/2005, after Swietelsky Tunnelbau GmbH, Torno SA and Torno Int. S.p.A JV signed the contract for a 5.54 m (18.0 ft) Robbins Double Shield TBM.
Laos
The Theun Hinboun Expansion Project is a hydroelectric project that requires a 5.5 km (3.4 mi) headrace tunnel bored by a Robbins Single Shield TBM – the first instance of TBM-driven tunneling in the country of Laos.
Southern Connecticut, USA
EIC Associates were contracted in 2006 to construct over 13 km (8 mi) of a 115 kV power transmission line through Stamford, Darien, and Norwalk in Connecticut, USA. EIC used a Robbins 1.5 m (60 in) Double Shield Rockhead (SBU-RHDS) to excavate two crossings under the Metro North Railroad in Darien, which turned out to be particularly difficult rock.
Guangzhou, China
Guangzhou’s metro expansion is part of the Pearl River Delta Inter-City Rapid Rail Project and China’s first ever inter-city rail link. The 32.2 km (20 mi) Guang-Fo line running between Guangzhou and Foshan was awarded in 12 separate lots. The owner, Guangzhou Metro Company, chose to utilize 16 different TBMs.
Olmos, Peru
The Olmos Trans-Andean tunnel has been more than 100 years in the making, with several attempts made in the 1950’s using drill and blast techniques. The tunnel, more than 20 km (12 mi) long in total, will transfer water from the Huancabamba River on the Eastern side of the Andes to drought-ridden areas on the Pacific Ocean Watershed via a tunnel bored through the continental divide.
Sigirino, Switzerland
The AlpTransit Project is a massive rail project designed to provide more efficient rail freight routes via base tunnels through the Gotthard and Ceneri mountain ranges.
Norway
Approximately 99 percent of the total electric power in Norway is derived through hydroelectric projects, making these large schemes a key part of the country’s infrastructure. In 1988, Statkraft contracted Robbins to supply five machines to bore 57 km (35 mi) of tunnel for the new Svartisen Hydro Project, or 62 percent of the tunnels needed for the project.
Richmond, Indiana, USA
Contractor Midwest Mole decided on a Robbins Rockhead for two long bores of 120 m (400 ft) each in shale and limestone rock.
South Wales, U.K.
In one of the U.K.'s most extensive infrastructure developments, the Milford Haven Gas Connection Project extends over 300 km (190 mi) across South Wales. The pipeline was created to deliver liquefied natural gas (LNG) from a port at Milford Haven, providing up to 20% of the U.K.’s natural gas for owner National Grid.
Dulles, Virginia, USA
With more than 27 million passengers a year, the Dulles International Airport is one of the busiest hubs in the country. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, project owner, created a scheme to maximize transportation efficiency at the airport via an extensive subway system.
Kota City, Rajasthan, India
After many failed attempts at hand mining, spanning the course of eight years, just three hard rock crossings remained on a vital water supply line in Kota City, Rajasthan, India. After researching various technologies, Vichitra purchased a 1.5 m diameter Robbins Small Boring Unit (SBU-A) with 11.5 inch disc cutters and a Robbins 60-1270 Auger Boring Machine (ABM) to get the job done.
Prakasam District, Andhra Pradesh, India
Beneath India’s largest tiger sanctuary, the Nagarjuna Sagar National Park, tunnel boring machines are orchestrating one of the largest water transfer schemes in India. A Robbins Double Shield TBM is boring tunnel No. 2 of the Pula Subbaiah Veligonda project.
Gansu Province, China
The West Qinling tunnels are part of the Chinese Government’s Lanzhou to Chongqing Railway, a massive 820 km (500 mi) long scheme that links the capital of Gansu Province (Lanzhou) with southwestern Chongqing, a mega-city of over 35 million people. Two Robbins Main Beam TBMs excavated the tunnels at world record advance rates.
Sacramento, California, USA
The Upper Northwest Interceptor (UNWI) sewer system in Sacramento, CA is comprised of nearly 30 km (18 mi) of tunnel. A 4.25 m (13.9 ft) Robbins EPB optimally designed for ground consisting of clay and running sand achieved some of the highest advance rates for an EPB, averaging 210 m (690 ft) per week.
Featured Projects | Andhra Pradesh, India
The tunnel will transfer floodwater from the Krishna River to arid regions of India’s Andhra Pradesh state, providing irrigation to 1,200 km2 (400,000 acres) of farmland and clean drinking water to 516 villages.
Featured Projects | Lorain, Ohio, USA
In 2000, the Ohio EPA ordered the City of Lorain to address overflows that violated the City’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The mammoth 7.0 m (23 ft) diameter Double Shield machine was built using Onsite First Time Assembly (OFTA)--a Robbins-developed method that saves contractors in shipping time, costs, and man-hours worked.
Featured Projects | Queensland, Australia
The Grosvenor Mine, a greenfield coal operation, was the first to utilize TBM technology for mining tunnels in Queensland. Owner Anglo American opted for an 8 m (26 ft) diameter Robbins Dual Mode “Crossover” TBM.
Featured Projects | Ankara Province, Turkey
Driven through a mountainside with 600 m (1,968 ft) of cover in Central Turkey, the Kargi Kizilirmak Hydroelectric Project is one of the most challenging tunneling projects ever completed in the region. The extremely challenging ground conditions of this project made it necessary for the machine to be modified in-tunnel. The results of which largely contributed to the creation of the Crossover machines used today.
Jaipur, India
For this project, Contractor Continental Engineering Corporation (CEC) decided to refurbish their two 6.52 m (21.3 ft) diameter Robbins EPBs. The machines bored twin tunnels 2.3 km (1.4 mi) in length, directly beneath Jaipur's historic Chandpole Gate built in 1727.
Featured Projects | Mexico City, Mexico
A Robbins Crossover (XRE) TBM was chosen to bore a 5.8 km (3.6 mi) tunnel as part of Mexico City’s wastewater management efforts, making it the first Crossover machine to bore in North America. The machine achieved two national records for TBM advance—one for excavating 57 m (187 ft) in one day and another for boring 702.2 m (2,303.8 ft) in one month.
Featured Projects | Ankara, Turkey
The Gerede Water Transmission Tunnel is arguably one of the most difficult projects attempted in the world of tunneling. Dozens of fault zones and intense water pressures up to 20 bar are just a couple of the challenges to overcome.
Mumbai, India
The tunnel provides the city’s approximately 20.5 million residents with a reliable water supply, even during the seasonal monsoons that regularly contaminate Mumbai’s water resources. A Robbins Main Beam machine reached high rates of 870 m (2,855 ft) per month and 58 m (188 ft) per day, both records for TBM tunneling in India.
San Francisco, California, USA
San Francisco’s Central Subway rail tunnels, snaking through downtown areas, were required to be driven below the existing Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) line. Robbins provided two 6.3 m (20.7 ft) diameter EPBs to bore twin tunnels for the city’s newest rail route.
Featured Projects | Gaziantep Province, Turkey
The Bahce-Nurdag Railway Tunnel will consist of two parallel 10.1 km (6.3 mi) tunnels, excavated by both drill and blast (2.9 km/1.8 mi) and TBM (7.2 km/4.5 mi). A unique Single Shield machine sealable to high water pressures is excavating in exceedingly hard rock conditions.
Featured Projects | Newburgh, New York, USA
A single shield hard rock TBM is set to bore in New York State where it will encounter water inflows with high volume and pressures up to 20 bar. The machine will bore a bypass tunnel below the Hudson River to repair the Delaware Aqueduct--the world's longest continuous tunnel.
Featured Projects | Shanxi Province, China
China's Great Hydro Network (GHN) is a mind-boggling feat of human engineering in the making. The network of tunnels will source water from the Yellow River to benefit up to 24 million people in the drought-ridden region. Once complete the tunnels will supply 2.3 billion cubic meters of water per year, improving both capacity and reliability of water supply.
Featured Projects | Thuong Kon Tum, Vietnam
Vietnam's Thuong Kon Tum Hydroelectric Project is a 17.4 km tunnel, which is the longest in the country. This project encountered numerous challenges before completion, including the original contractor leaving and the geology of the country hampering the equipment.
Featured Projects | Akron, Ohio
The Ohio Canal Interceptor Tunnel is the key component of the city’s Long Term Control Plan aimed at reducing Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) into the Little Cuyahoga River, and surrounding streams. The 6,200 ft long OCIT will be able to handle 450 gallons of CSO annually in a 27ft finished inside diameter tunnel. The tunnel will be able to achieve water storage and maximize conveyance and green infrastructure.
Featured Projects | Nepal
The Bheri Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project (BBDMP) is one of Nepal’s 11 National Pride Projects. These projects are prioritized plans sanctioned by the Government of Nepal to further develop the mostly rural country. The tunnel irrigates and provides hydroelectricity benefitting at least 30,000 households.
Featured Projects | La Ciotat, France
Galerie des Janots is one of fourteen operations designed to save water and protect resources in La Ciotat, France. This 2.8 km long tunnel, excavated in limestone known to have groundwater, karstic features, and voids, took two years to complete due to the challenges encountered.
Featured Projects | Moscow, Russia
With a growing population of nearly 12 million, the Moscow Government has issued an extensive city-wide metro project, totaling 50 km (31 mi) of new track by 2018. A total of five Robbins EPBs have bored multiple tunnel drives on the Moscow Metro. Combined, the EPBs have bored more than 8km of tunnel.
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
A Robbins SBU-RHDS excavated seven crossings for a sewer system in Clermont County, Ohio. The new system reduces the risk of pipe failure and protects the area's environmentally-sensitive Shayler Creek.
Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
The world-famous Youth Olympic Games were held in Nanjing in summer 2014, bringing 40,000 visitors. Two new metro lines were built to accommodate the anticipated increase in passengers. Robbins supplied four 6.5 m (21.4 ft) diameter EPBs with mixed ground cutterheads for Line 3 Lot 11 and Line 10 Lot 5, 40.2 km (25.0 mi) and 41.4 km (25.7 mi) long, respectively.
Clinton, Iowa, USA
Robbins supplied 2 SBU-As and 1 SBU-M for three crossings in Clinton, Iowa, USA. Clinton is one of three towns in Iowa in desperate need of updated water treatment systems, and the tunnels will allow for improved water quality and reduced capacity in treatment plants.
Truckee, California, USA
A Robbins Mixed Ground SBU leaves a lasting impression on contractor Silver State Boring Inc. after it successfully bores three crossings directly under an active hospital in Truckee, California, USA.
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