The Yangtze-to-Hanjiang River Water Diversion Project totals 123 km in length
Three hard rock TBMs for the Yangtze-to-Hanjiang River Water Diversion Project, developed and manufactured by China Railway Engineering Equipment Group Co., Ltd. (CREG), recently came off the assembly line. Ten hard rock TBMs will be used in this project, which will have a total tunneling length of 123 km. Three more TBMs will be provided by CREG for this project in the coming months.
This Yangtze-to-Hanjiang River Water Diversion Project’s wide tunnel diameter and deep overburden are some of its defining features. Strong rockburst, mud and water infiltration, faults, rock deformation, high temperatures, and hazardous gasses are just a few of the difficulties that arise during construction.
The first hard rock machine was the CREC 1463 single shield TBM. With its 12.23-meter diameter and approximately 160-meter length, this TBM offers the benefits of intelligent tunneling and probe drilling. The machine is outfitted with technologies such as a cutter condition monitoring system and a complete geological forecast system.
The second machine to leave the manufacturing line was the double shield TBM, CREC 1468. This approximately 180-meter-long, 11.93-meter-diameter TBM has a cutter condition monitoring system, a TBM jamming warning system, and the self-developed TBM SMART system. The optimal tunneling parameters for efficiency and safety can be determined by this SMART system, which can also autonomously assess machine health and geological conditions.
CREC 1466, a third single shield TBM, has a diameter of 12.23 meters and its overall length is 227 meters. It is capable of accommodating a maximum gradient of 10% and a minimum curve radius of 800 meters. By using a double-speed reducer, shield structure resistance reduction design, and TBM jamming warning and assessment system, potential construction hazards are significantly reduced.
In order to redirect water from the Three Gorges Reservoir to the Danjiangkou Reservoir, the Yangtze-to-Hanjiang River Water Diversion Project is a follow-up water source project of the South-to-North Water Diversion Middle Route Project. By connecting the Yangtze River Basin, the Hanjiang River Basin, and North China’s Beijing and Tianjin, the project’s implementation will create a new water network pattern and ensure water resources for the Hanjiang River Basin and North China’s Beijing and Tianjin. It will also allow the South-to-North Water Diversion Project and the Three Gorges Project to be linked.