HIGH EFFICIENCY AND LOW ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT TUNNELING SYSTEM

Abstract

 The system consists in a mixed use of mechanical drilling / milling, waterjet erosion-cutting, abrasive chainsaw together with clamps, transportations systems and tunnel liner machines.
The system is designed to create wide tunnels and openings in homogeneous semi-hard and hard rocks, ideally used for railways or roads and in the same time is able to quarrying raw material as rock slabs and blocks that can be used as construction material.

Description

[0001] The invention is used for tunnel construction in semi-hard and hard rocks with homogeneous geology characteristics.

[0002] This tunneling system is applicable to the construction of railway, highway, urban underground traffic and other kinds of tunnel engineering.

[0003] The systems utilized so far for tunneling open the channel in the rocks by scraping , excavating, crumbling and than scoop out and flushing a huge quantity of debris and muck.

[0004] The system in use for excavating tunnel are:

1. the TBM (tunneling boring machine, a.k.a. "mole"), is a machine used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section. TBMs typically consist of the spinning cutting wheel, followed by a main bearing, a thrust system and trailing support mechanisms.

2. roadheader, (a.k.a boom-type roadheader) that consists of a boom-mounted cutting head, a loading device, and a crawler travelling track to move the machine forward into the rock face. The cutting head can be a general purpose rotating drum mounted in line or perpendicular to the boom, or can be special function heads

3. Drilling and blasting (D&B) methods (controlled use of explosives)

4. Conventional "hand mining".

[0005] The new high efficiency tunneling system is in fact a complex combination of existing tunneling techniques with quarrying technologies.

[0006] Instead of boring the full section of channel, the new system create a small opening all around the external section.

[0007] The first step is to create a fascia all around, using drilling, waterjet cutting, boom type roadheaders and hand mining.

[0008] This fascia opening are needed to allows the use of Chainsaw and Abrasive Wire Saw in the next step of cutting: these tools produce a straight cuts without braking rocks with results of a smooth surface. Shape of cutting is arranged in order to produce rock blocks.

[0009] Rock blocks cut can now be extracted by clamping and transportation system out of the tunnel and be used as raw construction material.

[0010] Tunnelling system has following operating sequence:
Operating Sequence

A. Installation of rails and equipment

B. Coring Operation 1 m length

C. Retrieve the engines and Hydraulic Pistons D Milling of section 2

D. Positioning of sliding rods/pipes 5

E. Moving Cutting Wire Machine

F. Wite Cutting Blocks

G. Remove Cutting Wire Machine

H. Positioning Block Lifter

I. Remove Cut Blocks

J. Slide bottom section 5 onto support 6

K. Suction of all mud / debris

L. Cement

[0011] The benefits of this system are:

1. Reduced debris

2. Reduced muck and excavation fluids

3. Reduced environmental impact

4. Production of raw construction/decorative material

Claims

1. Tunneling system with reduced muck, reduced excavation fluids and extra low debris

2. Tunneling system with ability to quarrying raw rock slabs and blocks during channeling process

3. Tunneling system with reduced environmental impact
The system consists in a mixed use of mechanical drilling / milling, waterjet erosion-cutting, abrasive chainsaw together with clamps, transportations systems and tunnel liner machines.
The system is designed to create wide tunnels and openings in homogeneous semi-hard and hard rocks, ideally used for railways or roads and in the same time is able to quarrying raw material as rock slabs and blocks that can be used as construction material.

Drawing