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Tunnel boring machine

A tunnel boring machine (TBM), also known as a "mole", is a machine
used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of
soil and rock strata. They may also be used for microtunneling. They can
bore through anything from hard rock to sand. Tunnel diameters can range
from one metre (3.3 ft) (done with micro-TBMs) to 17.6 metres (58 ft) to
date. Tunnels of less than a metre or so in diameter are typically done
using trenchless construction methods or horizontal directional drilling
rather than TBMs.

Tunnel boring machines are used as an alternative to drilling and blasting A tunnel boring machine used to
(D&B) methods in rock and conventional "hand mining" in soil. TBMs have excavate the Gotthard Base Tunnel,
the world's longest rail tunnel
the advantages of limiting the disturbance to the surrounding ground and
producing a smooth tunnel wall. This significantly reduces the cost of
lining the tunnel, and makes them suitable to use in heavily urbanized
areas. The major disadvantage is the upfront cost. TBMs are expensive to
construct, and can be difficult to transport. The longer the tunnel, the less
the relative cost of tunnel boring machines versus drill and blast methods.
This is because tunneling with TBMs is much more efficient and results in
shortened completion times, assuming they operate successfully. Drilling
and blasting however remains the preferred method when working through
heavily fractured and sheared rock layers.

A tunnel boring machine that was

used at Yucca Mountain nuclear

Contents waste repository

History
Description
Hard rock TBMs
Soft ground TBMs
Micro-tunnel shield method
Back-up systems
Urban tunnelling and near surface tunnelling
See also
Notes
References
Further reading
External links

History
The first successful tunnelling shield was developed by Sir Marc Isambard
Brunel to excavate the Thames Tunnel in 1825. However, this was only the
invention of the shield concept and did not involve the construction of a

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complete tunnel boring machine, the digging still having to be

accomplished by the then standard excavation methods.[1]

The first boring machine reported to have been built was Henri-Joseph
Maus's Mountain Slicer.[2][3][4][5][6] Commissioned by the King of Sardinia
in 1845 to dig the Fréjus Rail Tunnel between France and Italy through the
Alps, Maus had it built in 1846 in an arms factory near Turin. It consisted
of more than 100 percussion drills mounted in the front of a locomotive-
sized machine, mechanically power-driven from the entrance of the tunnel.
The Revolutions of 1848 affected the funding, and the tunnel was not Cutting shield used for the New Elbe
completed until 10 years later, by using less innovative and less expensive Tunnel
methods such as pneumatic drills.[7]

In the United States, the first boring machine to have been built was used
in 1853 during the construction of the Hoosac Tunnel in northwest
Massachusetts.[8] Made of cast iron, it was known as Wilson's Patented
Stone-Cutting Machine, after inventor Charles Wilson.[9] It drilled 10 feet
into the rock before breaking down. (The tunnel was eventually completed
more than 20 years later, and as with the Fréjus Rail Tunnel, by using less
ambitious methods.[10]) Wilson's machine anticipated modern TBMs in the
sense that it employed cutting discs, like those of a disc harrow, which were Top view of a model of the TBM
attached to the rotating head of the machine.[11][12][13] In contrast to used on the Gotthard Base Tunnel
traditional chiseling or drilling and blasting, this innovative method of
removing rock relied on simple metal wheels to apply a transient high
pressure that fractured the rock.

Also in 1853, the American Ebenezer Talbot also patented a TBM that
employed Wilson's cutting discs, although they were mounted on rotating
arms, which in turn were mounted on a rotating plate.[14] In the 1870s,
John D. Brunton of England built a machine employing cutting discs that
were mounted eccentrically on rotating plates, which in turn were mounted
eccentrically on a rotating plate, so that the cutting discs would travel over
Looking towards the cutting shield at
almost all of the rock face that was to be removed.[15][16] the hydraulic jacks

The first TBM that tunneled a substantial distance was invented in 1863
and improved in 1875 by British Army officer Major Frederick Edward Blackett Beaumont (1833–1895); Beaumont's
machine was further improved in 1880 by British Army officer Major Thomas English (1843–1935).[17][18][19][20][21] In
1875, the French National Assembly approved the construction of a tunnel under the English Channel and the British
Parliament allowed a trial run to be made; Major English's TBM was chosen for the project. The cutting head of
English's TBM consisted of a conical drill bit behind which were a pair of opposing arms on which were mounted
cutting discs. From June 1882 to March 1883, the machine tunneled, through chalk, a total of 6,036 feet (1.84 km).[6]
A French engineer, Alexandre Lavalley, who was also a Suez Canal contractor, used a similar machine to drill 1,669 m
(5,476 ft) from Sangatte on the French side.[22] However, despite this success, the cross-Channel tunnel project was
abandoned in 1883 after the British military raised fears that the tunnel might be used as an invasion route.[6][23]
Nevertheless, in 1883, this TBM was used to bore a railway ventilation tunnel — 7 feet (2.1 m) in diameter and 6,750
feet (2 km) long — between Birkenhead and Liverpool, England, through sandstone under the Mersey River.[24]

During the late 19th and early 20th century, inventors continued to design, build, and test TBMs in response to the
need for tunnels for railroads, subways, sewers, water supplies, etc. TBMs employing rotating arrays of drills or
hammers were patented.[25] TBMs that resembled giant hole saws were proposed.[26] Other TBMs consisted of a
rotating drum with metal tines on its outer surface,[27] or a rotating circular plate covered with teeth,[28] or revolving

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belts covered with metal teeth.[29] However, all of these TBMs proved expensive, cumbersome, and unable to excavate
hard rock; interest in TBMs therefore declined. Nevertheless, TBM development continued in potash and coal mines,
where the rock was softer.[30]

A TBM with a bore diameter of 14.4 m (47 ft 3 in) was manufactured by The Robbins Company for Canada's Niagara
Tunnel Project. The machine was used to bore a hydroelectric tunnel beneath Niagara Falls. The machine was named
"Big Becky" in reference to the Sir Adam Beck hydroelectric dams to which it is tunneling to provide an additional
hydroelectric tunnel.

An earth pressure balance TBM known as Bertha with a bore diameter of 17.45 metres (57 ft 3 in) was produced by
Hitachi Zosen Corporation in 2013.[31] It was delivered to Seattle, Washington, for its Highway 99 tunnel project.[32]
The machine began operating in July 2013, but stalled in December 2013 and required substantial repairs that halted
the machine until January 2016.[33] Bertha completed boring the tunnel on April 4, 2017.[34]

The world's largest hard rock TBM, known as Martina, (excavation diameter of 15.62 m (51 ft 3 in), total length 130 m
(430 ft); excavation area of 192 m2 (2,070 sq ft), thrust value 39,485 t, total weight 4,500 tons, total installed capacity
18 MW; yearly energy consumption about 62,000,000 kWh) was built by Herrenknecht AG. It is owned and operated
by the Italian construction company Toto S.p.A. Costruzioni Generali (Toto Group) for the Sparvo gallery of the Italian
Motorway Pass A1 ("Variante di Valico A1"), near Florence. The same company built world's largest-diameter slurry
TBM, excavation diameter of 17.6 metres (57 ft 9 in), owned and operated by the French construction company
Dragages Hong Kong (Bouygues' subsidiary) for the Tuen Mun Chek Lap Kok link in Hong Kong.

Description
Modern TBMs typically consist of the rotating cutting wheel, called a cutter head, followed by a main bearing, a thrust
system and trailing support mechanisms. The type of machine used depends on the particular geology of the project,
the amount of ground water present and other factors.

Hard rock TBMs

In hard rock, either shielded or
open-type TBMs can be used.
Hard rock TBMs excavate rock
with disc cutters mounted in
the cutter head. The disc
cutters create compressive
stress fractures in the rock,
causing it to chip away from the

The support structures at the rear of tunnel face. The excavated rock
a TBM. This machine was used to (muck) is transferred through
excavate the main tunnel of the openings in the cutter head to a
Yucca Mountain nuclear waste belt conveyor, where it runs
repository in Nevada. through the machine to a
system of conveyors or muck
cars for removal from the
Hydraulic jacks holding a TBM in
tunnel. place

Open-type TBMs have no shield, leaving the area behind the cutter head
open for rock support. To advance, the machine uses a gripper system that pushes against the tunnel walls. Not all
machines can be continuously steered while gripper shoes push on the walls, as with a Wirth machine, which only
steers while ungripped. The machine will then push forward off the grippers gaining thrust. At the end of a stroke, the

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rear legs of the machine are lowered, the grippers and propel cylinders are retracted. The retraction of the propel
cylinders repositions the gripper assembly for the next boring cycle. The grippers are extended, the rear legs lifted, and
boring resumes. The open-type, or Main Beam, TBM does not install concrete segments behind with other machines.
Instead, the rock is held up using ground support methods such as ring beams, rock bolts, shotcrete, steel straps, ring
steel and wire mesh.[35]

In fractured rock, shielded hard rock TBMs can be used, which erect concrete segments to support unstable tunnel
walls behind the machine. Double Shield TBMs have two modes; in stable ground they grip the tunnel walls to
advance. In unstable, fractured ground, the thrust is shifted to thrust cylinders that push against the tunnel segments
behind the machine. This keeps the thrust forces from impacting fragile tunnel walls. Single Shield TBMs operate in
the same way, but are used only in fractured ground, as they can only push against the concrete segments.[35]

Soft ground TBMs

In soft ground, there are three main types of TBMs: Earth Pressure Balance
Machines (EPB), Slurry Shield (SS) and open-face type. Both types of
closed machines operate like Single Shield TBMs, using thrust cylinders to
advance forward by pushing off against concrete segments. Earth Pressure
Balance Machines are used in soft ground with less than 7 bar of pressure.
The cutter head does not use disc cutters only, but instead a combination
of tungsten carbide cutting bits, carbide disc cutters, drag picks and/or
hard rock disc cutters. The EPB gets its name because it uses the excavated
material to balance the pressure at the tunnel face. Pressure is maintained Tunnel boring machine at the site of
in the cutterhead by controlling the rate of extraction of spoil through the Weinberg tunnell Altstetten-Zürich-
Archimedes screw and the advance rate. Additives such as bentonite, Oerlikon near Zürich Oerlikon
polymers and foam can be injected ahead of the face to increase the railway station
stability of the ground. Additives can also be injected in the
cutterhead/extraction screw to ensure that the spoil remains sufficiently
cohesive to form a plug in the Archimedes screw to maintain pressure in
the cutterhead and restrict water flowing through.

In soft ground with very high water pressure or where ground conditions
are granular (sands and gravels) so much so that a plug could not be
formed in the Archimedes screw, Slurry Shield TBMs are needed. The
cutterhead is filled with pressurised slurry which applies hydrostatic
pressure to the excavation face. The slurry also acts as a transport medium Urban installation for an 84-inch
by mixing with the excavated material before being pumped out of the sewer in Chicago, IL, USA
cutterhead back to a slurry separation plant, usually outside of the tunnel.
Slurry separation plants are multi-stage filtration systems, which remove
particles of spoil from the slurry so that it may be reused in the construction process. The limit to which slurry can be
'cleaned' depends on the particle size of the excavated material. For this reason, slurry TBMs are not suitable for silts
and clays as the particle sizes of the spoil are less than that of the bentonite clay from which the slurry is made. In this
case, the slurry is separated into water, which can be recycled and a clay cake, which may be polluted, is pressed from
the water.

Open face TBMs in soft ground rely on the fact that the face of the ground being excavated will stand up with no
support for a short period of time. This makes them suitable for use in rock types with a strength of up to 10MPa or so,
and with low water inflows. Face sizes in excess of 10 metres can be excavated in this manner. The face is excavated
using a backactor arm or cutter head to within 150mm of the edge of the shield. The shield is jacked forwards and
cutters on the front of the shield cut the remaining ground to the same circular shape. Ground support is provided by
use of precast concrete, or occasionally SGI (Spheroidal Graphite Iron), segments that are bolted or supported until a
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full ring of support has been erected. A final segment, called the key, is wedge-shaped, and expands the ring until it is
tight against the circular cut of the ground left behind by cutters on the TBM shield. Many variations of this type of
TBM exist.

While the use of TBMs relieves the need for large numbers of workers at high pressures, a caisson system is sometimes
formed at the cutting head for slurry shield TBMs.[36][37] Workers entering this space for inspection, maintenance and
repair need to be medically cleared as "fit to dive" and trained in the operation of the locks.[36][37]

Herrenknecht AG designed a 19.25 m (63 ft 2 in) soft ground TBM for the Orlovski Tunnel, a project in Saint
Petersburg, but it was never built.

Micro-tunnel shield method

Micro tunnel shield method is a digging technique used to construct small tunnels, and diminish in size of general
tunnelling shield. Micro tunnel boring machine is quite similar to general Tunnelling shield but on a smaller scale.
These Tunnel boring machine generally vary from 1 to 1.5 m (3.3 to 4.9 ft), too small for operators to walk in.

Back-up systems
Behind all types of tunnel boring machines, inside the finished part of the tunnel, are trailing support decks known as
the back-up system. Support mechanisms located on the back-up can include: conveyors or other systems for muck
removal, slurry pipelines if applicable, control rooms, electrical systems, dust removal, ventilation and mechanisms
for transport of pre-cast segments.

Urban tunnelling and near surface tunnelling

Urban tunnelling has the special requirement that the ground surface be undisturbed. This means that ground
subsidence must be avoided. The normal method of doing this in soft ground is to maintain the soil pressures during
and after the tunnel construction. There is some difficulty in doing this, particularly in varied strata (e.g., boring
through a region where the upper portion of the tunnel face is wet sand and the lower portion is hard rock).

TBMs with positive face control, such as EPB and SS, are used in such situations. Both types (EPB and SS) are capable
of reducing the risk of surface subsidence and voids if operated properly and if the ground conditions are well
documented. When tunnelling in urban environments, other tunnels, existing utility lines and deep foundations need
to be addressed in the early planning stages. The project must accommodate measures to mitigate any detrimental
effects to other infrastructure.

See also
Boring
Channel Tunnel
New Austrian Tunnelling method
Roadheader
Subterrene
Tunnel
Tunnelling shield
Trenchless technology

Notes
1. Bagust 2006, p. 65.

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2. Drinker 1883, pp. 191-194 (https://books.google.com/books?id=HxkxAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA191#v=onepage&q&f=fa

lse).
3. Bancroft 1908, p. 58.
4. West 1988.
5. Maidl et al. 2008.
6. Hemphill 2013.
7. Hapgood, Fred, "The Underground Cutting Edge: The innovators who made digging tunnels high-tech",Invention
& Technology Vol.20, #2, Fall 2004 (http://www.mindfully.org/Technology/2004/Underground-Boring-Machines1se
p04.htm) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20050315045158/http://www.mindfully.org/Technology/2004/Unde
rground-Boring-Machines1sep04.htm) 2005-03-15 at the Wayback Machine
8. Maidl et al. 2008, p. 1.
9. Smith, Gary. "FINDING AID FOR THE HOOSAC TUNNEL COLLECTION at the NORTH ADAMS PUBLIC
LIBRARY" (https://web.archive.org/web/20040115130100/http://naplibrary.com/HTHistoricNotes.html). Hooac
Tunnel Historical Notes. North Adams Public Library. Archived from the original (http://www.naplibrary.com/HTHist
oricNotes.html) on 15 January 2004. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
10. Howes, M. "Hoosac Tunnel History - Abridged Timeline" (http://www.hoosactunnel.net/historytimeline.php).
Retrieved 14 July 2011.
11. Bancroft 1908, p. 65.
12. Charles Wilson, "Dressing stone," U.S. Patent 5,012 (https://www.google.com/patents/US5012) (issued: March
13, 1847).
13. Charles Wilson, "Machine for tunneling rocks, etc.," U.S. Patent 14,483 (https://www.google.com/patents/US1448
3) (issued: March 18, 1856).
14. Ebenezer Talbot, "Machine for tunnelling or boring rock," U.S. Patent 9,774 (https://www.google.com/patents/US9
774) (issued: June 7, 1853).
15. West 1988, pp. 239-242.
16. John D. Brunton, "Improved machine for sinking shafts," U.S. Patent 80,056 (https://www.google.com/patents/US
80056) (issued: July 21, 1868).
17. West 1988, pp. 243-247.
18. David William Brunton and John Allen Davis, Modern Tunneling: With Special Reference to Mine and Water-
supply Tunnels (New York, New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1914), p. 182. (https://books.google.com/books?id=HZ
9BAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA182#v=onepage&q&f=false)
19. Frederick Edward Blackett Beaumont, U.K. Patent no. 1,904 (issued: July 30, 1864). (See: Patents for Inventions.
Abridgments of Specifications relating to Mining, Quarrying, Tunnelling, and Well-sinking (London, England: Office
of the Commissioners of Patents for Inventions, 1874), p. 247. (https://books.google.com/books?id=jXNUAAAAYA
AJ&pg=RA1-PA247#v=onepage&q&f=false))
20. F.E.B. Beaumont, U.K. Patent no. 4,166 (issued: Dec. 2, 1875). (See: Patents for Inventions. Abridgments of
Specifications. Class 85, Mining, Quarrying, Tunnelling, and Well-sinking (London, England: Patent Office, 1904),
p. 169. (https://books.google.com/books?id=UdhOAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA169#v=onepage&q&f=false))
21. Thomas English, U.K. Patent no.s 4,347 (issued: October 25, 1880) and 5,317 (issued: December 5, 1881);
"Tunneling-machine," U.S. Patent 307,278 (https://www.google.com/patents/US307278) (filed: June 4, 1884 ;
issued: October 28, 1884).
22. Wilson, Jeremy; Spick, Jérôme (1994). Eurotunnel: The Illustrated Journey. New York, NY, USA: Harper Collins.
p. 14–21. ISBN 0-00-255539-5.
23. Terry Gourvish, The Official History of Britain and the Channel Tunnel (Abington, England: Routledge, 2006),
Chapter 1, § 2: The commercial possibilities: Lord Richard Grosvenor, Sir Edward Watkin and the 'Manchester to
Paris Railroad'.
24. West 1988, p. 248.

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25. See:
Bancroft 1908, pp. 66, 125, 127, 146
Thales Lindsey, "Improved machine for tunneling rock," U.S. Patent 55,514 (https://www.google.com/patents/
US55514) (issued: June 12, 1866).
Pedro Unanue, "Tunneling machine," U.S. Patent 732,326 (https://www.google.com/patents/US732326) (filed:
December 23, 1901; issued: June 30, 1903).
Russell B. Sigafoos, "Rotary tunneling machine," U.S. Patent 901,392 (https://www.google.com/patents/US90
1392) (filed: May 18, 1907; issued: October 20, 1908).
George A. Fowler, "Tunnel driving machine," U.S. Patent 891,473 (https://www.google.com/patents/US89147
3) (filed: July 30, 1907 ; issued: June 23, 1908).
26. See:
Bancroft 1908, pp. 66, 85, 106
Charles Wilson, Machine for excavating tunnels," U.S. Patent 17,650 (https://www.google.com/patents/US176
50) (issued: June 23, 1857).
Reginald Stanley, U.K. Patent no. 1,449 (issued: February 1, 1886); "Tunneling-machine" (issued: August 7,
1894).
Jonas L. Mitchell, "Tunneling-machine," U.S. Patent 537,899 (https://www.google.com/patents/US537899)
(filed: April 3, 1893 ; issued: April 23, 1895).
27. See:
William F. Cooke and George Hunter, U.K. patent no. 433 (issued: August 10, 1866). Available online at:
AditNow (http://www.aditnow.co.uk/documents/personal-album-54/Tunnelerpatent2.pdf).
Patents for Inventions. bridgments of Specifications relating to Mining, Quarrying, Tunnelling, and Well-sinking
(London, England: Office of the Commissioners of Patents for Inventions, 1874), p. 275. (https://books.google.
com/books?id=jXNUAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA275#v=onepage&q&f=false)
Maidl et al. 2008
28. See:
Bancroft 1908, pp. 146, 165
John P. Karns, "Tunneling-machine," U.S. Patent 848,107 (https://www.google.com/patents/US848107) (filed:
November 29, 1905; issued: March 26, 1907).
Olin S. Proctor, "Tunneling-machine," U.S. Patent 900,951 (https://www.google.com/patents/US900951) (filed:
February 17, 1908; issued: October 13, 1908).
29. See:
Bancroft 1908, p. 145
William A. Lathrop, "Machine for cutting headings," U.S. Patent 816,923 (https://www.google.com/patents/US8
16923) (filed: August 31, 1903; issued: April 3, 1906).
30. For example:
In Germany, the Eisener Bergmann (iron miner) was developed in 1916 by Schmidt, Kranz & Co. for potash
mines; its boring head consisted of a large rotating roller that was fitted with cutters See: Maidl et al. 2008
In the U.S., the McKinlay Entry Driver, a track-mounted TBM or "continuous miner", was invented in 1918 for
use in coal mines. Its boring head consisted of metal tines on two, side-by-side rotating arms. See: Thomas
W. Garges (November 13, 2003) William N. Poundstone lecture: "Underground Mining Technology Evolution",
p. 8. Available online at: Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, West Virginia
University (http://www2.cemr.wvu.edu/~wwwmine/poundstonelec/GargesThomastxt.pdf)
31. "Shield Tunneling Machines" (https://www.hitachizosen.co.jp/english/products/products024.html). Retrieved
21 July 2017.
32. "Alaskan Way Viaduct - Home" (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/Viaduct/). www.wsdot.wa.gov. Retrieved
21 July 2017.
33. Weise, Karen. "Bertha the giant drill is ready to rumble in Seattle" (https://web.archive.org/web/20160309015129/
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-06/bertha-the-giant-drill-is-ready-to-rumble-in-seattle).
Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-06/berth
a-the-giant-drill-is-ready-to-rumble-in-seattle/) on 2016-03-09. Retrieved 21 July 2017 – via www.bloomberg.com.

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11/28/2019 Tunnel boring machine - Wikipedia

34. "Alaskan Way Viaduct - Recapping Bertha's breakthrough" (https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Viaduct/library/adv

isories-and-updates/recapping-berthas-breakthrough). www.wsdot.wa.gov.
35. Stack 1995.
36. Walters, D. "Sydney Airport Link Rail Tunnel Project, Des Walters: Under Pressure Underground" (https://web.arc
hive.org/web/20030924093233/http://www.descend.com.au/commercial/projects/2003413191.htm). Descend
Underwater Training Centre. Archived from the original (http://www.descend.com.au/commercial/projects/200341
3191.htm) on 2003-09-24. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
37. Bennett, MH; Lehm, J; Barr, P. "Medical support for the Sydney Airport Link Tunnel project" (http://archive.rubicon-
foundation.org/7673). Journal of the South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society. 32 (2). Retrieved 2008-10-08.

References
Bagust, Harold (2006). The greater genius?: a biography of Marc Isambard Brunel. Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 0-
7110-3175-4.
Bancroft, George J. (1908) "A history of the tunnel boring machine," Mining Science, p. 58, 65-68 (https://books.g
oogle.com/books?id=m-RAAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA65#v=onepage&q&f=false), 85-88, 106-108, 125-127, 145-146,
165-167
Drinker, Henry Sturgis. Treatise on Explosive Compounds, Machine Rock Drills and Blasting (New York, New
York: J. Wiley & Sons, 1883), pp. 191-194. (https://books.google.com/books?id=HxkxAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA191#v=
onepage&q&f=false)
Hemphill, Gary B. Practical Tunnel Construction (Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2013), Chapter 7:
Tunnel-boring machines: History of tunnel-boring machine.
Maidl, Bernhard; Schmid, Leonhard; Ritz, Willy; Herrenknecht, Martin (2008). Hardrock Tunnel Boring Machines.
Ernst & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-433-01676-3.
Stack, Barbara, "Encyclopaedia of Tunnelling, Mining, and Drilling Equipment", 1995.
West, Graham. Innovation and the Rise of the Tunnelling Industry (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University
Press, 1988), Chapter 11: Hard rock tunnelling machines.

Further reading
Barton, Nick (2000). TBM tunnelling in jointed and faulted rock. Rotterdam: Balkema.
Bilger, Burkhard (September 15, 2008). "The Long Dig: Getting through the Swiss Alps the hard way". The New
Yorker.
Foley, Amanda (May 2009). "Life on the Cutting Edge: Dick Robbins". Tunnels & Tunnelling International.

External links
2.M-30 EPB Tunnel Boring Machine – the largest built in the world (http://www.urbanscraper.com/search/label/TU
NELADORA)
Video on how a tunnel boring machine works (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRobbinsCo#p/u/15/J0YqpZCoYE
Q)
Herrenknecht TBM animation (https://www.herrenknecht.com/en/media/films-animations.html)

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