TBM breakthrough at Guangzhou Haizhu Bay Tunnel project

‘Pioneer’ Slurry TBM has an excavation diameter of 15.07m

A super large diameter slurry TBM, named ‘Pioneer’ developed by China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Corporation Limited (CRCHI), was used in the project. This is said to be the first engineering application of the super-large diameter tunnel connecting passage TBM made by a China-based manufacturer. The TBM has an excavation diameter of 3,860 mm.

Haizhu Bay Tunnel project is the first super large diameter TBM tunnel in Guangzhou. The total length of the route is 4.35km, including the 2,102m TBM section. The project has the features of complex construction environment, multiple tunneling control factors and high construction difficulties.

The total investment of the Haizhu Bay Tunnel project is about 11.68 billion yuan (US$1.68 billion). In the future, the Haizhu Bay Tunnel will shorten the driving time from downtown to Guangzhou South Railway Station to 15 minutes. It is scheduled to open to traffic in 2025. 

The lengths of the total six connecting passages ranges from 14.8m to 18.1m. The main tunnel segments are C60 high-strength segments, the connecting passage is buried more than 45m in depth, and there is a large oblique angle with the main tunnel.

Assembley of the ‘Pioneer’ Slurry TBM began in February 20, 2023, and all the processes from the assembly to launching of the TBM were completed in less than three months. The TBM has an excavation diameter of 15.07m , a total length of 130m and a total weight of 4,300 tons. 

During the tunneling period, the maximum daily advance rate of the ‘Pioneer’ TBM is 16m and the maximum monthly advance rate is 324m.

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