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Rebuilding TBMs: Are Used TBMs as Good as New?
Much has been made worldwide of the difference in performance between new and rebuilt TBMs. Worldwide, a bias exists that seems to favor new machines, but is the bias warranted? The reuse of machines can, if done to exacting standards, reduce costs and time to delivery while also reducing the carbon footprint. But guaranteeing the quality of TBM rebuilds is another issue—one that seems only minimally improved by the existence of international guidelines. This paper discusses the process of machine rebuilds and the use of rebuilt TBMs with performance examples from projects worldwide. It seeks to establish guidelines and recommendations based on real experiences of success in the shop and in the field.
- Long Haul TBM: Use of a Rebuilt Main Beam Machine at the DigIndy Tunnel System in Indianapolis, IN
- Evaluating TBM Design and Performance, 30 Years Apart: The Lesotho Highlands Water Tunnel, Phase 1 and Phase 2
- Use of a Tunnel Boring Machine on Nepal’s First and Second TBM-Driven Tunnels
- Record-Setting Large Diameter Mixed Ground Tunneling in Turkey: The Eşme-Salihli Railway Tunnel
- Lessons Learned During Excavation of the Incredibly Challenging Yin Han Ji Wei Water Diversion Tunnel