What is the difference between tunnel boring machine and Roadheader?
What is the difference between tunnel boring machine and Roadheader?Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) and Roadheader are two types of mechanical equipment used for tunnel construction, but they have significant differences in their working principles, application scenarios, and applicable conditions.
1. Working principle
-TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine):
TBM is a large-scale tunnel excavation equipment that uses cutting tools on the cutterhead to rotate and cut rock or soil to excavate tunnels. TBM can form a complete circular tunnel section and provide support during excavation, such as shotcrete and installation of prefabricated pipe segments, to ensure the stability of the tunnel structure.
-Roadheader:
Roadheader is a tunnel boring machine with a telescopic arm, equipped with a rotating cutting head at the front end, which cuts rock or soil through the extension and rotation of the mechanical arm. It is usually used for tunnel excavation with small or irregular cross-sectional shapes. Roadheader has the advantage of high flexibility and is suitable for tunnels with complex or variable cross-sections.
2. Application scenarios
-TBM:
TBM is commonly used for long-distance, large-diameter tunnel engineering, such as subway, railway, highway tunnels, etc. Due to its ability to provide stable excavation speed and high-quality tunnel lining, TBM is widely used in projects that require long-distance excavation and high-quality tunnel structures.
-Roadheader:
Roadheader is usually used for tunnel projects with shorter distances, irregular cross-sectional shapes, or small diameters, such as mining tunnels, pipeline installation tunnels, or branch tunnels in underground engineering. Due to its flexibility and maneuverability, Roadheader is suitable for scenarios that require frequent changes in excavation direction or work in narrow spaces.
3. Applicable conditions
-TBM:
TBM is suitable for tunnel engineering with relatively uniform geological conditions, such as soft soil, clay, sandy soil, or homogeneous rock. Different types of TBMs are suitable for different geological conditions, for example, EPB (mud water pressure balance) TBM is suitable for soft soil, and hard rock TBM is suitable for hard rock.
-Roadheader:
Roadheader is suitable for tunnel engineering with variable geological conditions, complex cross-sectional shapes, or frequent adjustment of excavation direction. It is commonly used in coal mines, metal mines, and engineering projects with variable geological conditions.
4. Construction efficiency
-TBM:
The construction efficiency of TBM is usually high, especially in long-distance excavation where it has significant advantages. However, the preparation time for TBM is relatively long, and both start-up and shutdown are time-consuming, making it more suitable for large-scale projects.
-Roadheader:
Roadheader has high maneuverability and flexibility, but due to its slow cutting speed, its efficiency is low in long-distance tunnel excavation. It is more suitable for short distance or projects that require frequent adjustments.
TBM and Roadheader have their unique advantages and applicability in tunnel construction. TBM is more suitable for large-scale, long-distance, and relatively stable geological conditions in tunnel engineering, while Roadheader is more suitable for short distance tunnel construction with complex geology and variable cross-sections.