Chinese Contractor Sets New Record with TBM on Georgia's KK Highway Tunnel

A Chinese contractor has accomplished an extraordinary achievement by setting a new record for tunneling with a boring machine on Georgia's KK Highway Tunnel. This tunnel, stretching for thousands of meters in length, represents a significant milestone in engineering and construction. With a travel time exceeding an hour, the tunnel promises to enhance transportation efficiency and connectivity in the region.

(Photo : China.org.cn/China.org.cn )

Construction of Georgia's KK Highway Tunnel

On Tuesday, April 23, in Kvesheti, Georgia, the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, delivered a speech during a ceremony commemorating the completion of a significant tunnel on the Kvesheti-Kobi road stretch. The China Railway Tunnel Group completed these tunnels, which considerably improved the connection throughout the country.

As mentioned, the passageway, situated in the northern part of Georgia, includes emergency tunnels and a main tunnel 9,000 meters in length. After it is put into service, the time it takes to travel along the Kvesheti-Kobi road segment will be cut down from one hour to twenty minutes. From Xinhua and Cao Yang

According to China Railway Tunnel Group, the tunnel was bored ahead of time because of their efforts. The Gudauri Tunnel, located on the North-South KK Highway in Georgia, also had a maximum monthly progress of 426 meters because of this. This achievement was reported to set a new benchmark for constructing large-diameter TBM tunnels, surpassing the previously acknowledged industry high of 320 meters per month.

Moreover, the Caucasus TBM, which measures 182 meters long and weighs 3,900 tons, was utilized during the project. With a total power output of 9,900 kilowatts, it can produce a maximum thrust of 22,600 tons. Based on the corporation, it is reportedly one of the largest of its kind, with an excavation diameter of 15.08 meters.

On the other hand, throughout the construction process, the team working on the project made environmental protection a top priority by continually monitoring noise and vibrations within the building. As a demonstration of a commitment to sustainable growth, immediate action was taken to address any problems that exceeded environmental norms on the premises.

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What is a Tunnel Boring Machine?

Massive equipment known as Tunnel Boring Machines, or TBMs, are used to construct tunnels. This technology enables toll-free underground passage beneath urban or suburban areas, thereby mitigating the ecological damage in rural regions. As stated, every single TBM is composed of thousands of components, such as a rotating cutter head, a screw conveyor, conveyor belts, extraction pipes, and an erector tunnel segment.

These assist the TBM in performing its two primary responsibilities, which are the excavation and construction of the tunnel. In addition, when the tunnels are being dug, the enormous cutter heads at the front of the TBM spin and cut away at the ground. During the digging process, the dirt is transported up a screw conveyor and out of the TBM via a slurry pipe or on a conveyor belt. Accordingly, digging might reach up to 15 meters every day on average for this machine.

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