TBM Jinghua is the first China-made 16 m-level shield machine. Manufactured by China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Corporation Limited (CRCHI), the TBM came off the assembly line on September 27th 2020 at the CRCHI Changsha headquarters. With an excavation diameter of 16.07m, this 4,300-tonne, 150m-long slurry TBM is the first of its kind to have been made in China.
TBM Jinghua made breakthrough of the west line tunnel of Beijing East Sixth Ring Road Reconstruction ProjectThe Beijing East Sixth Ring Road Reconstruction Project extends from the south (starting at the Beijing-Harbin Expressway) to the north (ending at Luyuanbei Street). It is designed with a speed limit of 80 km per hour and has a total length of approximately 16 km. The underground section of the project is about 7.4 km long - all of which is constructed using the TBM. The tunnels have a separated twin-tunnel configuration, each divided into three layers. The upper level serves as a smoke extraction channel, the middle level accommodates a three-lane expressway, and the lower level serves as an evacuation and rescue channel. With a maximum depth of 75 meters, it is the deepest underground tunnel in Beijing.
The TBM tunnel construction on this project faced numerous challenges, including the use of a mega large diameter machine over a long distance at an ultra-deep depth in a highly sensitive environment. The machine was equipped with a host of innovative technologies and numerous independent core technologies to ensure rapid and safe tunnelling through complex geological conditions, mainly composed of sandy soil, water-rich and high-density sand, interactive layers of silt and cohesive soil.
Manufactured by CRCHI, the TBM Jinghua was off the assembly line on September 27th, 2020 at CRCHI Changsha headquartersSince the launch of the Jinghua TBM in May 2021, the TBM crews reported an outstanding performance with a maximum daily advance rate of 24 meters and a maximum monthly advance rate of 542 meters. On September 25th, 2022, the TBM reached the intermediate air shaft with precise breakthrough and no problems.
The Beijing East Sixth Ring Road Reconstruction Project is a landmark project in the construction of the city’s sub-center. After opening to traffic, the project will promote the integration of Tongzhou District and the administrative office area of the sub-center, significantly improve Beijing’s transportation services, promoting the integration of transportation in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, and the creation of a comprehensive transportation system.
