On 18th October morning, China’s first largest fully-autonomous TBM, “Zhen Xing” cutter head was launched into the shaft successfully. The cutter head has a diameter of 15.03m and weighs a total of 620 tonnes. It will be used for the construction of Nanjing and Yanlu river crossing tunnels.
The TBM’s cutter head is divided into seven sections, which consist of a centre section and 6 side sections. All the components arrived in 1st September for assembly before hoisting down into the shaft using Zoomlion crawler crane. The most critical hoisting for the TBM would be the cutter head as it weighs more than 620 tonnes.
The Nanjing and Yanlu river crossing tunnelling project is said to be one of the most difficult projects in China, as well as the most difficult project across the Yangtze River. China Communications Construction Company’s project management team has been actively communicating and planning for the development of a lifting plan for installation of the cutter head.
The TBM “Zhen Xing” is developed by CCCC which has a diameter of 15.03m, the total length of 135m and total weight of 4,000 tonnes. The construction will be carried out at a depth of more than 70 metres underwater. It has to withstand eight times the standard atmospheric pressure and cross through five different fault zones.
To symbolize the milestone for this TBM, they have drawn a panda in the centre of the cutter head.
