A 4.39m-diameter Terratec EPBM has broken through on the Ninth Ninth Bangkok Water Supply Project in Thailand.
The breakthrough was achieved June 23 and marks completion of a challenging 3.76km tunnel drive under a major highway – delivered with surface settlement maintained within controlled limits despite complex geological conditions.
EPB TBM S105 was custom-engineered to tackle the geotechnical challenges of the project alignment. Featuring a soft ground cutterhead with a spoke-type arrangement, injected tungsten carbide cutting tools, and a maximum cutterhead rotation of 2.4RPM, the machine was tailored to manage Bangkok’s notoriously variable soil conditions, including fine sand, clay, and high groundwater pressure.
The machine was on 14 February 14, 2023.
Terratec S105 is one of three EPBMs supplied for the Ninth Bangkok Water Supply Project. The Metropolitan Waterworks Authority project is designed to expand and upgrade the city’s potable water distribution network. The project, managed by contractor Italian-Thai Development PCL, includes more than 9km of tunnelling in total.
Designed to work within the constraints of densely populated urban areas, TBM S105 was equipped with active articulation, tail skin grouting, and automated bentonite and foam injection systems to ensure minimal surface impact.
