UK
Ireland
Scotland
London
Construction News
08/05/2012
Crossrail's First Tunnel Boring Machine Breaks Ground
Crossrail's first giant tunnel boring machine (TBM), Phyllis, has broken ground at Royal Oak to construct the first section of tunnel between Royal Oak and Farringdon.
Keith Sibley, Crossrail Area Director West said: “"unnelling for Crossrail has now commenced. Phyllis is now beginning to slowly disappear below ground and will steadily ramp up to the planned average tunnelling rate of around 100 metres a week."
Following the official unveiling of 1,000 tonne Phyllis, Crossrail’s first tunnel boring machine (TBM) travelled 400 metres to Royal Oak Portal including under Hampden Street footbridge which was jacked up to allow the 7.1 metre diameter machine underneath.
The arrival of the TBM at the portal in mid-March allowed for remaining major works to get underway to support tunnelling.
A major piece of work has been the construction of the launch structure which allows the TBM to propel itself forward. The total force required for the TBM to move forward is equivalent to the force needed to lift over 2,900 London taxis. A steel seal has been fitted around the portal entrance to support the ground during the early stages of tunnelling.
Work has also been underway to install the major conveyor system behind the TBM to remove more than one million tonnes of excavated material from the cutter head to the portal entrance. A total of 24 kilometres of conveyer belt will be used to construct the western tunnels.
Rail sidings have been constructed to allow freight trains to access Westbourne Park to transport the excavated material to Northfleet from where it will be shipped to Wallasea Island to create a nature reserve.
A narrow gauge railway has been also laid to provide for small locomotives to transport materials and supplies into and out of the tunnel.
Work has also been continuing at the Old Oak Common concrete segment plant. Over 8,000 segments have now been produced and stockpiled for the western tunnels.
A further tunnelling machine, Ada, will subsequently be launched from Royal Oak. Once the first machine has progressed sufficiently, the second tunnel boring machine will be brought down to the portal headwall.
When the second tunnel boring machine has reached Paddington, both machines will then progress forward through the Paddington station box to Bond Street and then onwards to Farringdon. The tunnels between Royal Oak and Farringdon will be completed in late 2013.
Eight tunnel boring machine will be used to construct 21 kilometres (13 miles) of Crossrail’s twin bore tunnels running between Royal Oak in west London and Pudding Mill Lane and Plumstead in east London.
(CD)
Keith Sibley, Crossrail Area Director West said: “"unnelling for Crossrail has now commenced. Phyllis is now beginning to slowly disappear below ground and will steadily ramp up to the planned average tunnelling rate of around 100 metres a week."
Following the official unveiling of 1,000 tonne Phyllis, Crossrail’s first tunnel boring machine (TBM) travelled 400 metres to Royal Oak Portal including under Hampden Street footbridge which was jacked up to allow the 7.1 metre diameter machine underneath.
The arrival of the TBM at the portal in mid-March allowed for remaining major works to get underway to support tunnelling.
A major piece of work has been the construction of the launch structure which allows the TBM to propel itself forward. The total force required for the TBM to move forward is equivalent to the force needed to lift over 2,900 London taxis. A steel seal has been fitted around the portal entrance to support the ground during the early stages of tunnelling.
-- Advertisement --
Work has also been underway to install the major conveyor system behind the TBM to remove more than one million tonnes of excavated material from the cutter head to the portal entrance. A total of 24 kilometres of conveyer belt will be used to construct the western tunnels.
Rail sidings have been constructed to allow freight trains to access Westbourne Park to transport the excavated material to Northfleet from where it will be shipped to Wallasea Island to create a nature reserve.
A narrow gauge railway has been also laid to provide for small locomotives to transport materials and supplies into and out of the tunnel.
Work has also been continuing at the Old Oak Common concrete segment plant. Over 8,000 segments have now been produced and stockpiled for the western tunnels.
A further tunnelling machine, Ada, will subsequently be launched from Royal Oak. Once the first machine has progressed sufficiently, the second tunnel boring machine will be brought down to the portal headwall.
When the second tunnel boring machine has reached Paddington, both machines will then progress forward through the Paddington station box to Bond Street and then onwards to Farringdon. The tunnels between Royal Oak and Farringdon will be completed in late 2013.
Eight tunnel boring machine will be used to construct 21 kilometres (13 miles) of Crossrail’s twin bore tunnels running between Royal Oak in west London and Pudding Mill Lane and Plumstead in east London.
(CD)
Latest Construction News
05/02/2025
Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) and ECF, a joint venture between Homes England, Legal & General, and Muse, have selected Vinci as the preferred contractor for Phase 1 of Stockport 8, a £350 million residential development west of Stockport town centre.
The decision follows a competi
05/02/2025
Vistry Group has finalised contracts for a significant housing development in Hinckley, Leicestershire, securing outline planning permission to deliver 475 new homes in the area.
The development, located east of Stoke Road and north of Normandy Way in the town's northern region, has a projected val
05/02/2025
Wilten Construction has been awarded a second Design and Build contract at Gateway 14 by client Gateway 14 Ltd and Jaynic.
The project involves the development of a state-of-the-art, three-storey Skills and Innovation Centre spanning 35,000 sq ft in the heart of Gateway 14. Designed to achieve BREE
05/02/2025
Knowsley Council has approved a major housing development in Kirkby, giving the green light to 800 new energy-efficient homes in the town's centre.
The decision also secures £7.7 million in Section 106 contributions from developer Barratt David Wilson Homes, further boosting local investment.
The
05/02/2025
Keepmoat Homes has announced plans to invest over £50 million in three new housing developments across Calderdale, aiming to deliver more than 200 new homes.
The developments, undertaken in partnership with Calderdale Council, form part of the North Halifax Transformation Programme, a local authori
05/02/2025
Essential renewal work at Skerne Road level crossing in Driffield has been completed. Over a six-day period, engineers replaced decades-old equipment, installing a state-of-the-art operating system, replacing the level crossing deck, and resurfacing the road.
The newly installed operating system is
05/02/2025
Construction firm GRAHAM is currently carrying out essential restoration work at the National Railway Museum in York, replacing the Grade II listed roof structure at Station Hall.
Originally built between 1875 and 1877 as a goods station, Station Hall now houses the museum’s six royal carriages.
05/02/2025
Mezzanine floors are commonly associated with additional storage or expanded floor space, but did you know they can also have a profound impact on employee productivity and morale? At Doity Engineering, we specialise in designing and installing mezzanine floors for
05/02/2025
Construction work is commencing on a new solar array at Weeton Barracks in Lancashire that will generate over one third of the site’s energy needs.
The work has been funded under the British Army’s Project Prometheus, a scheme that is increasing renewable energy across the army estate through inst
05/02/2025
The regeneration of Hartlepool's waterfront has reached a significant milestone with a £631,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The funding will support the development phase of the 'Tides of Change' project, aimed at transforming the visitor experience at the Museum of Hartlepool a
