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EP-4737681-A1 - EQUIPMENT FOR CONSTRUCTING TUNNELS

EP4737681A1EP 4737681 A1EP4737681 A1EP 4737681A1EP-4737681-A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to equipment for constructing tunnels, in particular lined microtunnels, comprising a boring machine adapted to bore the ground to create the tunnel, shielded service modules, and a main thrust unit. The main thrust unit is associated with a segment erector device, both likewise shielded, the main thrust unit and the segment erector being arranged behind all of the aforementioned shielded service modules, so that the thrust unit is located at the end of the shielded section opposite the boring machine.

Inventors

  • Benato, Andrea
  • Bresciano, Paolo Leonardo
  • Vanossi, Massimo

Assignees

  • I.CO.P. S.p.A.
  • Benato, Andrea
  • Bresciano, Paolo Leonardo
  • Vanossi, Massimo

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20251030

Claims (10)

  1. Equipment (1) for constructing tunnels, in particular lined microtunnels, comprising the following components: - a boring machine (110), adapted to bore the ground to create the tunnel (T), - at least one shielded service module (120,130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190), - a main thrust unit (200), and - a segment erector device (220), associated with the thrust unit, both being shielded, said equipment being characterized in that said main thrust unit (200) and said segment erector (220) are both arranged behind all the above-mentioned shielded service modules (120,130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190), so that said thrust unit (200) is at the opposite end of the shielded section with respect to the boring machine (110).
  2. The equipment (1) according to claim 1, comprising at least one service module (120,130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190) which includes pumping means (132, 133) for pumping towards the outside of the tunnel (T) the waste material extracted during the boring.
  3. The equipment (1) according to claim 1 or 2, comprising at least a service module (120,130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190) which includes a telescopic thrust unit.
  4. The equipment (1) according to claim 3, comprising two telescopic thrust units in respective shielded service modules (120, 160), in which one of said telescopic thrust units is arranged in a service module (120) immediately behind the boring machine (110).
  5. The equipment (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising at least a service module (120,130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190) which includes a rescue chamber configured to house persons operating in the tunnel (T) in the event of an emergency.
  6. The equipment (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising at least one service module (120,130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190) which includes one or more of the following apparatus: hydraulic control units, current transformers, switchboards, ventilation devices, winding devices for electric cables, and fluid pumping systems for lubricating the shields of the shielded modules.
  7. The equipment (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a transport system (300), configured to transport objects and persons between an entrance of the tunnel (T) and the main thrust unit (200), said transport system (300) comprising a single track, fixable in the crown of the tunnel, and a plurality of transport modules (330, 340, 350) mounted sliding on said track and kept raised with respect to the floor of said tunnel.
  8. The equipment (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising storage means (400) configured to accommodate a certain number of prefabricated segments (Sp) used for the construction of a lining (Tr) of the tunnel (T), said storage means (400) comprising a plurality of cradles (410) arranged adjacent to one another on the floor of the tunnel (T), at the back of the main thrust unit (200).
  9. The equipment (1) according to claims 7 and 8, comprising a loading device (550) for loading the prefabricated segments (Sp), arranged between the storage means(400) and the main thrust unit (200), configured to collect prefabricated segments (Sp) from the cradles and take said prefabricated segments (Sp) to the segment erector device (220), said loading device (500) comprising a lifting device (510), mounted sliding on the track of the transport system, and a slide (550), arranged on the floor of the tunnel (T) below said gripping means, slidingly movable between the storage means cradle (410) nearest to the segment erector device (220) and said segment erector device (220).
  10. The equipment (1) according to the preceding claim, in which the slide (550) is configured to rotate a prefabricated segment (Sp) from a transport position, in which the axis of the arc of curvature of the prefabricated segment (Sp) is typically transverse with respect to the axis of the tunnel (T), to an assembly position, where said axis of the prefabricated segment (Sp) is parallel to said axis of the tunnel (T).

Description

The present invention relates to equipment for constructing a lined underground excavation, in particular equipment for constructing microtunnels. In the field, the term "tunneling" generally refers to techniques and methods for excavating to construct tunnels, i.e., underground passages that allow the transit of people, vehicles, water, gas, electrical cables or other infrastructure. Different tunneling techniques can be applied in various contexts, such as the construction of road, railway or subway tunnels, or the laying of underground pipelines. The main tunneling techniques currently adopted can essentially be divided into two categories: open-cut techniques and "no-dig" or "trenchless" techniques. The former involve excavating a trench along the entire tunnel path, installing the tunnel structure in the trench and then backfilling the trench with the removed material. Trenchless techniques allow the construction of tunnels without resorting to open-cut excavation and therefore avoid disturbing the surface ground, reducing or eliminating impacts on the pre-existing environment, whether natural (woodlands, areas of high environmental value, etc.) or man-made (existing infrastructure, areas of archaeological interest, urban settings, etc.). The present invention concerns equipment for tunnel construction that operates according to trenchless techniques. As noted above, the invention in particular relates to equipment for constructing so-called "microtunnels," i.e., tunnels with an external diameter of less than 3 meters. Among the main trenchless tunneling techniques, one of the most widely used-especially for microtunnels is the technique known as "pipe jacking." This technique uses a boring machine, commonly termed a TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine), which excavates the ground to create space for the tunnel. The boring machine (TBM) is equipped with a rotating cutting head with cutting tools that disaggregate the ground during rotation and advance. The operating sequence provides for advancing the excavation in the ground while simultaneously inserting pipe sections into the ground from outside and pushing them so that they form the tunnel lining. The boring and pipe-pushing sequence includes the following steps. First, a vertical shaft (the jacking shaft) is excavated, from which the excavation departs, and in which the pipe-pushing devices-generally hydraulic cylinders-are installed. The machine is then lowered into the shaft and the actual excavation begins. The thrust for advancing the cutting head is provided by the hydraulic cylinders. The rock and soil disaggregated by the rotating cutting head are removed from the tunnel by a special system (slurry system). Once a boring section is completed, the hydraulic cylinders push prefabricated pipe sections (generally of reinforced concrete or steel) into the ground. The pipe is progressively pushed while the excavated material is removed through the cutting head. As the first pipe is pushed into the ground just behind the cutting head, a new pipe is inserted at the shaft entry, creating a continuous body until a reception shaft is reached. This technique is particularly appreciated for constructing microtunnels with diameters from 1 meter to 3 meters, because it allows the installation of pipelines at considerable speed without removing large quantities of soil. A limitation of this technique is the length of the tunnel that can be achieved, which generally struggles to exceed 800-1000 meters, depending on the type of ground, due to the increasing friction on the pipeline being pushed. Indeed, because the string of pipes inserted into the ground and the boring machine are pushed from the rear, the required forces increase with the length of the pipe string and depend on both ground conditions and the friction of the surrounding soil as well as the tunnel geometry itself. However, there is a limit to the applicable forces defined by the strength of the pipes themselves, which could otherwise collapse under excessive load. For these reasons, to construct longer microtunnels, pipe jacking has been combined in the past with the "segmental lining" technique, already widely used in medium- and large-diameter tunnel construction. More specifically, a first tunnel portion is bored and constructed by pipe jacking. Once the limit of that technique is reached, the string of pipes inserted into the ground is consolidated (generally by grouting the annulus between the pipe portions and the surrounding ground), and the excavation and lining of the remaining tunnel portion are carried out using the aforementioned segmental lining technique. More specifically, boring continues with the same cutting head but, unlike pipe jacking, once a boring section is complete, a new pipe portion is constructed immediately adjacent to the leading end of the pipeline already installed. This construction is performed by juxtaposing several prefabricated concrete segments to form a ring ele