Record-breaking TBM on way to Silvertown Tunnel

Aaron Morby 4 years ago
Share

The largest tunnel boring machine to be used in the UK has passed factory tests and is being shipped in pieces from Germany to the Silvertown Tunnel project in East London.

The diameter of the TBM measures 11.91m – equivalent to almost three double decker buses – dwarfing other recent tunnelling machines.

First machine pieces have begun to arrive on site from maker Herrenknecht’s works keeping the programme of assembly on track for the TBM launch next Spring.

A joint venture between BAM Nuttall, Ferrovial Construction and SK Ecoplant, known as Riverlinx Construction, is delivering the 1.4km twin-lane road tunnel under the River Thames, linking North Greenwich and Silvertown.

How TBMs measure up


  • Silvertown diameter (11.9m); weight 1,800 tonnes
  • Crossrail project (7.1m); 526 tonnes
  • Northern line extension (6.03m); 310 tonnes
  • Thames Tideway project (8.85m); 780 tonnes.
  • Largest HS2 TBM (10.3m); 2,000 tonnes
  • Channel Tunnel (8.8m); 1,100 tonnes

The TBM will set off from the Silvertown launch chamber, piling for which is now completed and is currently being excavated.

It will then be rotated and relaunched from the Greenwich Peninsula, to excavate the second tunnel, completing a total drive of 2.2km.

The ability to turn the TBM around is an important feature of its bespoke design which also incorporates the need for it to navigate its way through the stiff clay layers and boulders in this part of London.

When finished, it will have excavated nearly 600,000 tonnes of material, extracted by barges along the river to keep construction traffic to a minimum during the project.

Juan Jose Bregel, Project Director, Riverlinx CJV: “It gives me and the delivery team an enormous sense of pride to have reached this important milestone for the Silvertown Tunnel project.

“Not only seeing the works really taking shape in preparation for launch at the two main sites at Silvertown and Greenwich but feeling the excitement of what is still to come as the pieces of the TBM arrive to be reassembled and launched in the first quarter of 2022.”

 

Latest news

80 energy projects unlocked as Ofgem backs grid expansion

£24bn energy networks deal gets green light from regulator
5 hours ago

Pinewood submits £1bn data centre plan

Studio giant adds green and learning spaces to tech hub blueprint
6 hours ago

Record results after TClarke goes private

Britain's biggest M&E contractor flourishes after de-listing
6 hours ago

Dalkia lands £200m nuclear maintenance deal

1,000 nuclear FM staff to join M&E contractor
5 hours ago

Construction comeback to outpace wider economy

Arcadis forecast fueled by spending review optimism
1 day ago

First steel goes up on giant car battery site

Severfield gets to work on McAlpine Somerset site
23 hours ago

Permasteelisa wins cladding deal on Bovis city tower

Facade specialist lands package at 60 Gracechurch Street
5 hours ago

Fox buys recycled asphalt specialist Fisher

Acquisition adds major recycled asphalt capacity in north west
23 hours ago

Major Building Safety Regulator shake-up to end tower delays

HSE stripped of control and top fire chiefs brought in to fast-track stalled schemes
1 day ago

Hinkley trio sign Sizewell civils deal

Balfour,Bouygues and Laing O'Rourke form Civil Works Alliance for new power station
1 day ago

£3.9bn data centre plan for Ravenscraig steelworks

Green energy to power massive new steel to silicon AI campus
1 day ago

Breakthrough on HS2’s second longest tunnel

8.4 mile Northolt to Old Oak Common drive completes
1 day ago

Neilcott on fast-track to debt-free employee ownership

£22.5m loan nearly paid down after big profit year
1 day ago

TfL kicks off race for £700m Tube station upgrade

South Kensington and Elephant & Castle top the pipeline list
1 day ago

Corbyn Plant Hire fleet goes under the hammer

Kit to be sold off by sister firm to collapsed groundworks contractor
1 day ago

Government wields procurement stick on late payment

New rules would block slow payers from bidding on big public jobs
4 days ago

Hercules buys power line labour firm for £15.7m

Labour supply specialist snaps up Advantage NRG to tap booming electricity upgrade market
4 days ago

Universal bid to fast-track planning for theme park

Entertainment giant eyes 2026 start at Bedford site
4 days ago

Developer Breck to transform former Ibstock brick factory

Ravenhead works to become 300-home development
4 days ago

SP Energy Networks awards contracts worth £1.4bn

First round of awards under £5.4bn national electricity grid upgrade programme
5 days ago

Travelodge to convert Liverpool Street office building

Office-to-hotel conversion in City of London
4 days ago

Plans lodged for 1m sq ft City of London office

Barbican landmark building will reuse 40% of existing structure
5 days ago

PTSG acquires roofing specialist HD Sharman Group

Premier Technical Services Group expands building maintenance division
4 days ago

Balfour Beatty lands £833m carbon capture power plant job

Work to start later this year on Teesside carbon capture gas-fired power station
5 days ago

Svella agrees deal to save Cubby Construction

Solvent purchase set to save 214 jobs and protect supply chain
5 days ago

J Coffey holds line on margins despite £52m revenue slide

Pre-tax profit down 14% but firm eyes strong pipeline to bounce back
5 days ago

Consultants called up for £2.3bn NHS SBS panel reboot

Market asked for views ahead of next-gen procurement rollout
5 days ago

Hochtief launches new UK data centre division

German business model to be introduced for UK construction
6 days ago

Construction skills body launches with 100,000 worker target

Industry to work closer with Jobcentres to find new talent
5 days ago

Kier lands £42m Midlothian school and community hub

Contractor strengthens presence in Scotland with big education job
5 days ago