Year: 2018

喜马拉雅水力发电博览会

Event Name: Himalayan Hydro Expo
Dates: January 18-20, 2019
Location: Kathmandu, Nepal
Venue: Bhrikutimandap

The Robbins Company is excited to announce that we will be exhibiting at the Himalayan Hydro Expo January 18 through 20 in Kathmandu, Nepal. Stop by our booth to discuss the Bheri Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project, one of Nepal’s 11 National Pride Projects, currently being bored by the country’s first tunnel boring machine.

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2019国际隧道技术及设备展

活动: 国际隧道技术及设备展（STUVA Expo）
日期: 2019年11月26日至27日
地点: 德国，法兰克福
会场: 法兰克福展览中心

罗宾斯公司将参加于11月26日和27日在德国法兰克福举行的2019年国际隧道技术及设备展。我们诚挚邀请您来到D126号展台，与罗宾斯隧道专家一起聊聊当前的隧道项目。

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2019国际建筑和公用设施设备博览会

活动: 国际建筑和公用设施设备博览会（ICUEE）
日期: 2019年10月 1号至3号
地点: 美国，路易斯维尔
会场: 肯塔基世博中心

罗宾斯公司期待10月1日至3日在伊利诺伊州肯塔基州举办国际建筑和公用设施设备博览会（ICUEE）您相会。我们邀请您来参观3065号展台，了解租用或购买罗宾斯小型掘进设备（SBU）如何在下一个掘进项目上为您节省时间和金钱。

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2019快速开挖和隧道工程大会

活动: 快速开挖和隧道工程大会（RETC）
日期: 2019年6月16日至19日
地点: 美国，芝加哥
会场: 芝加哥凯悦酒店

罗宾斯公司将参加今年6月16日至19日在伊利诺伊州芝加哥举行的2019快速开挖和隧道工程大会（RETC）。我们邀请您前来观看罗宾斯隧道专业人员的案例分析，或到306号展台与我们谈谈，了解世界各地隧道工程使用的最新技术。

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2019世界隧道大会

活动: 世界隧道大会（WTC）
日期: 2019年5月3日至9日
地点: 意大利，那不勒斯
会场: Mostra d’Oltremare

罗宾斯公司将参加在意大利那不勒斯举行的世界隧道大会（WTC）和世界隧道组织大会（ITA-AITES）。5月3日至9日，我们邀请您来参观68号展台，了解更多关于我们过去成功的项目和激动人心的当前项目。

技术分享

为印度斯莱曼巴德运河项目作业的挑战复合地层隧道掘进
分享者： Jim Clark, 罗宾斯
时间和日期: 5月8日, 12:20-12:40
分场: 长公里和高埋深隧道
地点: Palacongressi, Europa Room

项目分享

地点: Teatro Mediterraneo

极端涌水：管理硬岩隧道掘进中的高涌水
分享者 Brad Grothen, 罗宾斯 和Danny Kough, Kiewit

克服越南最长隧道的极端隧道条件
分享者 Sindre Log, 李弼越和 P.N. Madhan, 罗宾斯

不良地面条件下掘进机的抢救与翻修
分享者 Detlef Jordan, 罗宾斯 和  Barrie Willis, iPS

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2019德国宝马展

Event Name: BAUMA
Dates: April 8-14, 2019
Location: Munich, Germany
Venue: Messe München

Meet us in Munich, where The Robbins Company will be exhibiting at BAUMA, the largest construction machinery trade show in the world. Join us at Hall C2, stand 403 between April 8 through 14 for presentations on current projects and cocktail hours, all being held within our booth.

Tuesday, April 9
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm CET
“Avoid Disasters in TBM Tunneling: Proven Strategies” presented by Robbins President Lok Home

Thursday, April 11
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm CET
“A Powerful Solution for Renewable Energy: Hydro Tunneling” presented by Cutters Product Manager Sindre Log

If you would like to join one or both of our events, email Sarah Brooks at brookss@robbinstbm.com to RSVP.

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2019年美国国际非开挖技术展

Event Name: NASTT No-Dig
Dates: March 17-21, 2019
Location: Rosemont, Illinois, USA
Venue: Donald E. Stephens Convention Center

The Robbins Company will be attending NASTT’s No-Dig Show March 17 through 21. Be sure to visit booth 921 to learn more about Robbins Small Boring Units (SBUs)—the most cost effective and time efficient way to bore through hard rock.

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“Namaste”尼泊尔：我如何学会慢生活，感恩隧道

In Nepal, the greeting ‘Namaste’, while pressing both palms together in front of the chest, signifies both ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’. It implies a circular concept of time that I rather like—I certainly think I will be coming back to this country of high mountains, valley forests, and yes, tunnels.

The Adventure Begins

When I first learned that I would be visiting Nepal to see a swift-moving tunnel project making an impact in a local community, I was pretty jazzed. I also took it upon myself to overpack. The Bheri Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project (or BBDMP for short) is a 12 km long tunnel that travels below protected forest considered part of the Bardia National Wildlife Reserve. This is an area home to tigers, rhinos, Asian elephants, leopards, and more. And, most worryingly for me, mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes love me. I’m not entirely sure why they love me so much, but let’s just say that if there’s a mosquito within a 2 km radius it will find me. Thus, I decided to be prudent and go all out when packing. I purchased a whole new set of safari clothes, the most potent bug spray I could find in copious amounts, and much, much more. I stuffed everything into two suitcases and set off on my journey.

A full 24 hours of traveling later (the journey from Seattle, USA to Kathmandu is no joke, folks), and I arrived in the Kathmandu airport…with no checked luggage. Through a gross miscalculation (what a way to learn a lesson!) I also had not packed hardly anything in my carry-on bag. I had no clothing with me, and more importantly, no bug spray. What was I to do?

Rolling with It

After discovering that my bags were several days away, I decided to forego any hope of reuniting with them during my trip. Instead, I rolled with it. After a one-hour local flight from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj, we arrived at our destination. Nepalgunj is a frenetic, dusty town located around 8 km from the Indian border and one hour from the BBDMP site. The culture is heavily influenced by India, and we had many meals of delicious spicy curry and fried bread. The streets were lined with small shops and marketplace stalls, but to my dismay, no department stores.

After a quick Google search my coworkers and our guests with us for the site visit headed to the nearest approximation, known as Rani Mart (Rani means ‘queen’ in Hindi). To my surprise, I purchased a whole new wardrobe and everything I needed for 1/10^th of the price I would have paid for it in the U.S. (though the sizing on the tags was quite a bit larger!) I was feeling very pleased with myself.

A Little Perspective

The next day we were ready to visit the jobsite. I couldn’t help but notice the rolling blackouts that plagued the city and the vast stretches of farmland requiring huge water resources. The people in the surrounding area make do with limited resources in ingenious ways—I was intrigued to see, for example, that every outlet requires you to flip an on-switch before the current becomes available. Perhaps we Americans could save significant energy if we made a setup like this a national standard.  Local hotels, including one we stayed at, use solar panels for their power and air conditioning, and harvest rain water in order to reduce their usage.

All of this made me realize how much the BBDMP will impact the surrounding areas. This was confirmed in a meeting we had with Nepal’s Department of Irrigation (DOI), the project’s contractor China Overseas Engineering Group Co. Ltd. (COVEC), and consultant Geodata. The tunnel is sourcing water from the Bheri River to the Babai River, traveling through mountainous Himalayan geology known as the Siwalik Range. The water, as the project’s name suggests, is for multiple purposes. The estimated annual benefit in Nepalese Rupees is $2.9 billion for irrigation, and $4.3 billion for hydropower, making a total of $7.2 billion in benefits once the project becomes active.

The completed tunnel will irrigate 51,000 Ha of land and provide 48 MW annual generating capacity. That’s not to mention the environmental benefits: The Babai River currently swells each monsoon season and then runs extremely low in drier seasons. It is connected directly to the groundwater table, which is being aggressively depleted. With a regulated flow during all seasons, the groundwater table will see less depletion year-round.

The impact, in other words, is huge. Learning all of this made my obsession with my missing luggage seem inconsequential in comparison. I had my bug spray and some clothes. That was all I needed.

The First Nepalese TBM

With such a landmark project for the region, its proponents were willing to look to the latest technology during the planning phase. Our local representatives, MOSH Tunnelling, had been working since the 1990’s to bring a TBM to Nepal, a country known for its Drill & Blast tunneling. While TBMs had been considered multiple times, each time conventional tunneling had been chosen.

When the BBDMP was fast-tracked as one of the country’s “National Pride Projects” feasibility studies showed that Drill & Blast excavation could take as long as 12 years. The DOI needed a faster option, and they found it in TBMs. They began working with MOSH Tunnelling and Robbins to bring what would be the first Nepalese TBM ever into the country—a 5.06 m diameter Robbins Double Shield. The process for the DOI to acquire funding for the project and select a contractor through international competitive bidding took seven years, spanning from 2007 to 2015, when project commencement officially began.

Fast forward to our site visit in November 2018 and the project is far exceeding expectations. Tunneling has topped out at 1,202 m in one month with an average of around 740 m per month. The knowledgeable COVEC team have traversed a major fault zone, the Bheri Thrust, with no problems, and overcome a stuck TBM shield with a bypass tunnel constructed in just five days. Overall, the TBM is far ahead of schedule and the results are of national importance.

The local community, national media, and government are all watching how the TBM excavation plays out at BBDMP. Given the strong performance, they are now considering TBMs for a host of future multipurpose water projects. It’s the kind of result that opens up a whole new marketplace.

Into the Forest

After a great site visit, we chose to relax for one day at a spectacular local lodge that offered jeep safaris into the Bardia Wildlife Reserve. Currently home to nearly 90 tigers (a number that is rapidly increasing through conservation efforts) we were hopeful of perhaps seeing one of the striped cats in the forest. Our guide was knowledgeable, our jeep sturdy and our driver adept as we traversed bumpy roads and forded a few streams on our safari drive. We saw mischievous macaques, tree-dwelling langurs, a host of brightly colored birds, and various deer. We saw several enticing tiger prints…but the tiger itself remained elusive. Obviously, this means that I must go back!

A Lesson Learned

After traversing a tunnel, traipsing through the forest, and some swift sight-seeing in Kathmandu on our last day, I felt I had come full circle. I was ready to head home, but with an eye towards future opportunities to return to Nepal, whether for business or vacation. I will be back. But next time, you can rest assured, I will only bring what I can fit in my carry-on.

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顽强的掘进机和团队克服困难贯通亚特兰大供水隧道

2018年10月4日，见证了直径3.8米的罗宾斯主梁式硬岩掘进机完成了它的史诗之旅。在当地说唱歌手和活动家“杀手迈克”之后，被称为“Driller Mike”的掘进机克服了沿着弯曲的8.0公里隧道的极其坚硬的岩石条件，以支持美国佐治亚州亚特兰大市的供水。

新隧道使亚特兰大供水计划更接近于将城市的水容量提高到30至90天，具体取决于日常使用情况。 “我们的项目进度非常激进，但项目团队一直在努力克服与隧道开挖相关的问题，”PC Russell合资公司的项目负责人兼风险施工经理（CMAR） Bob Rie表示 。

尽管面临挑战，但项目团队的独特结构仍然归功于项目的整体成功。 “我为我们的团队感到自豪。他们有障碍，挑战和挑战，但他们团结在一起并没有放弃，他们取得了成功。 PC Russell JV的隧道负责人Larry Weslowski表示，团队有很好的领导和监督。

该项目仅是美国第三个使用CMAR结构的大型施工项目。 PC 施工 / HJ Russell合资公司被选为该项目的CMAR，然后为该隧道采购了罗宾斯主梁式掘进机。设计施工包括隧道和竖井的设计方是由Stantec，PRAD 集团公司和River 2 Tap公司组成的JP2，指定了项目采用硬岩掘进机掘进。然后将掘进机的操作和组装分包给Atkinson / Technique 合资公司。

在罗宾斯的帮助下，在大型贝尔沃采石场（Bellwood Quarry）工地使用现场首次安装调试方案（OFTA）组装了坚硬的掘进机。 “工作人员按照规范组建所有部件，以使工程保持进度。这是一个挑战，但在此过程中没有消极性，“Weslowski说。尽管夏季气温达到43摄氏度和100％湿度，但掘进机已在2016年10月前蓄势待发。

硬质花岗岩从一开始就挑战了19英寸滚刀。 “地质非常坚硬，需要8个小时才推进1.5米。单轴抗压强度介于117和310 兆帕之间。掘进一开始就非常艰难。” Weslowski表示，但他补充说，一旦学习难关得到克服，“他们就开始打破项目纪录。我们取得了最佳日掘进38.4米。这个速度还在不断加快。” 其他挑战包括隧道掘进过程中遇到的涌水。 “我们确实遇到了需要修复的地下水污染。这项补救工作顺利完成，“ Huie说。

随着隧道工程的完工，亚特兰大市流域管理部3亿美元的项目正在进行中，以满足其2019年9月的计划总完工日期。该项目将把闲置的贝尔沃采石场变成一个91亿升的原水储存设施，连接查塔胡奇河和各种水处理设施。

 

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