Herrenknecht Deutschland

02/08/2024

Would you swim in the Seine? Probably not, despite the Olympic fever :-).

Some great efforts were made: the Département Val-de-Marne, south east part of Great Paris Area, commissioned a new stormwater tunnel with an inside diameter of 1.80 meters and a length of almost 1,500 meters. Where previously wastewater and rainwater flowed together, only treated rainwater will now be discharged into the Seine.

The ambitious construction project involved a total of three launch shafts and five drives for the new tunnel. Contractor Valentin Environnement, together with co-contractor Eiffage Génie Civil Réseaux (supplier Bessac) opted for AVN microtunnelling boring machines.

The AVN machines were specially modified to meet the requirements of the geological conditions in the Paris Basin and developed together with the contractors. To counter the effects of the swelling clay, they were equipped with an enlarged overcut of 45 mm, for example. This adjustment meant the clay did not radially jam the machine even when the volume increased. The clogging characteristics of the clay were also taken into account with special designs for the cutting wheels, i.e. a high opening ratio. This way it is possible to reduce the surface area on which the clay can stick.

Additionally, the nozzles in the cone crusher were modified to flush away the clogged clay by means of water pressure. The holes in the cone were also adapted to the geology. They allow the excavated material to be siphoned off in the form of a slurry.

These modifications, just to name a few, enabled consistently high performance during the advance: on average, an advance rate of 40 mm/min was achieved. Peaks of up to 100 mm/min were possible in certain sections.
Congratulations to the teams!

31/07/2024

Passed!!
The highly complex Mixshield S-1395, a Herrenknecht development, passed the factory acceptance!
The machine has a diameter of 4.9m, is 190 meters long and weighs a total of 700 tonnes.
On its way under the Elbe River, it will encounter varied geology.
The tunnel will accommodate six 525 kV underground cables and the associated building, safety, control and monitoring technology as well as rails for the tunnel vehicles required for maintenance and repairs.
The grid expansion project of the two transmission system operators TenneT and TransnetBW will transport electricity over 700 kilometers from Brunsbüttel in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany, to Großgartach in Baden-Württemberg, southern Germany, once completed.
The TBM is sealed against the water pressure 20 meters below the Elbe river with a multiple sealing system. It is not only excavating but is also lining prefabricated concrete segments.
Read more here: https://www.herrenknecht.com/en/newsroom/pressreleasedetail/tunnelbohrmaschine-fuer-elbquerung-von-suedlink-uebergeben/

Congratulations to the teams! Join us in wishing them every success in the next steps!

24/07/2024

Congratulations to Catherine, Eileen, Peggy and Marlene! The four tunnel boring machines (TBMs) have successfully completed their journeys, building rail tunnels for the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project. The new metro railway will become the transport spine for Greater Western Sydney, connecting communities and travellers with the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport and the growing region.
Double Shield TBM Peggy (⌀6.96 m) made a smashing entrance at the newly named Bradfield Station at the beginning of June. Double Shield TBM Eileen (⌀6.96 m) reached Bradfield on May 29, completing the 5.5-kilometre tunnel from Airport Business Park to Bradfield. EPB Shield TBM Catherine (⌀6.95 m) finished her 4.3-kilometre tunnelling journey from Orchard Hills to St Marys on May 20. EPB Shield TBM Marlene (⌀6.95 m) made her final breakthrough at the end of June.
The TBMs have excavated 1.86 million tonnes of material and installed 69,966 concrete segments to line the new tunnels.
Congratulations to the tunnelling contractor team CPB Contractors Ghella for this significant achievement.

18/07/2024

Celebrating 50 years of the Elbtunnel!
Between 1997 and 2000 Herrenknecht was part on this amazing project too with Mixshield TRUDE! It excavated the 2.56 km long fourth tube of the Elbtunnel
The challenge called for the expertise of Herrenknecht engineers, who faced high water pressures of up to 5.5 bar and varying ground conditions with cover depths of just seven to 13 meters.
TRUDE was the world’s largest tunnel boring machine at the time, with a diameter of 14.20 meters. Conventional tool changes were impossible, leading Herrenknecht to develop special cutting wheel spokes accessible under atmospheric conditions. The active center cutter could advance up to 600 mm ahead in front of the cutting wheel, thereby improving tunnelling through the extremely cohesive soil. Additionally, the SSP system (Sonic Softground Probing) was first used with TRUDE to detect large obstacles, like boulders, in the tunnelling path.
The project and the technology used set new standards for mechanized tunnelling for years to come. Today, the TRUDE cutting wheel can be found in the courtyard of the "Museum der Arbeit" in Hamburg!

Read more here:
https://www.herrenknecht.com/en/references/referencesdetail/4th-elbe-river-tunnel-hamburg/

17/07/2024

For Markus Moser at Herrenknecht, it's 'keep on moving' every day, after all, he is responsible for the brain of our tunnel boring machines: the PLC programme. And it always has to be up to date.

12/07/2024

What do PLC programming and Star Trek have in common? Daniel Deibel, who is responsible for the PLC electrics of our HK Vertical systems, will tell you.

10/07/2024

The Herrenknecht subsidiary in Thailand reached a significant milestone with the successful Factory Acceptance Test for the Mass Transit Tunnelling Project “MRT Purple Line Project: Tao Pun-Rat Burana (Kanchanapisek Road) Section.”
This achievement was marked by an official ceremony on 28th June 2024, reflecting the hard work and dedication of all parties involved.

Two 6.55m Herrenknecht tunnel boring machines will help to extend the existing metro line system in Bangkok with a tunnel length of 3,201m each.

We wish the entire team of Unique Engineering and Construction Public Company Limited a smooth and successful project.

08/07/2024

Congratulations to GCR Mongolia for reaching the bottom of shafts at the Oyu Tolgoi project in May 2024! The project utilized four Shaft Drilling Jumbos, manufactured by Herrenknecht with impressive diameters ranging between 10.6 and 11 meters. The shafts, numbered 3 & 4, are among the largest ventilation shafts in the world, and the recent breakthrough marks the successful completion of the main sinking phase.
Oyu Tolgoi, located in the southern Gobi Desert, is one of the most significant copper and gold deposits globally.

Learn more about Shaft Drilling Jumbo here:
https://www.herrenknecht.com/en/products/productdetail/shaft-drilling-jumbo-sdj/

05/07/2024

Data recording deep in the mountain or underground? For Markus Schäfer and his team, no hurdle is too great to ensure that our customers can keep an eye on the drilling progress at all times.

03/07/2024

The desk becomes the control centre: get to know our PLC team, who programme our machine software and are responsible for the safety of man and machine, in our new HK YOU episode.

01/07/2024

We’ve recently had the privilege in delivering a new Herrenknecht RBR600VF to a valued Australian client. It was a pleasure working closely with the mine owner, contractor, and the wider Herrenknecht team to ensure the Raise Boring Rig was delivered to all parties’ expectations.
Upon the Rig’s arrival to site, the RBR600VF was set up to complete its first raise, a 5m diameter x 580m deep ventilation shaft. Having now just completed the reaming process of this first shaft, feedback from the client was that “the RBR600VF performed exceptionally for the project in both the piloting and reaming phases of the hole. The drillers were impressed with the performance of the RBR600VF and the ease of operation with the advanced rig console. The technical support from Herrenknecht from commissioning to operations was fantastic”.
The RBR600VF is a powerful rig, capable to reaming shafts with a depth of up to 1,200 meters and diameters of up to 7 meters. Setup with three variable frequency controlled electric motors with a total power of 540kW, the drive achieves a maximum torque in reaming mode of 568kNm and a peak break out torque of 776kNm. The four hydraulic cylinders generate a thrust force of 10,000kN, enabling the rig to cut hard rock with ease.

24/06/2024

Have you ever wondered how many truckloads are needed to transport a tunnel boring machine?

The Double Shield TBM "Wilma" has an impressive diameter of 10,370 millimeters and a weight of around 2,700 tons (both figures include the back-up). With a length of about 183 meters and approximately 80,000 individual parts, it takes up to 170 truckloads to transport the machine!

The heaviest component, the cutterhead center for the "H53 Pfons – Brenner" section, was recently transported from the Herrenknecht factory in Schwanau to Austria. This part alone weighs around 97 tons!

Some machine components being transported are up to 6.60 meters wide. This means three cars could fit side by side within the width of one of these components.

After three months of construction in the assembly cavern, in August "Wilma" will begin its journey towards Innsbruck.

19/06/2024

Mid-June, it was our pleasure the welcome the Philippine Tunnelling Society (PTS), official member of the ITA, at our facilities in Thailand.
Mark Wallace, President of PTS and Director of Infrastructure for ARUP, led the delegation.
The tour was an opportunity to present our workshop facilities, capabilities, and latest innovations from the traffic and utility tunnelling product lines.
Thanks to all involved for making it a useful and memorable visit.

14/06/2024

30 years ago, together with Hochtief we achieved a still valid record to date at the EUROPIPE project: the largest and longest tunnel pipejack ever attempted from a single drive shaft.

The slurry TBM successfully bored in one go 2,6km at the north coast of Germany.

The tunnel provided the landfall connection on the German side for a new natural gas export pipeline from Norway.
The tunnel lies some 6 to 8m below the surface and was needed to protect the coastal mud flats in the area which are part of an environmental sanctuary and national park. At high tide, the sea rises to about 15m above the tunnel exerting a potential 1.5 bar hydrostatic pressure at the tunnel level.
Today, still impressed we look back at this adventure!!!

10/06/2024

Five years ago, the final shaft depth was reached at the Woodsmith Mine project, UK , with a VSM (Ø9.85m).
The machine reached 115.2m and established a world record.
This is the deepest shaft ever drilled underwater with a VSM.

This experience has significantly boosted the development of our technology for deeper shafts.
In total to date, 111 shafts have been sunk worldwide in 14 countries across four continents, covering a total of 5.580 linear shaft meters built, with the largest diameter being 12.9 m.

This year, VSM is turning 20, so stay tuned on this channel to discover more projects!
https://www.herrenknecht.com/en/products/productdetail/vertical-shaft-sinking-machine-vsm/

07/06/2024

Early May, a EPB shield with a 3.78m diameter broke through in the Paris region.
Just in time for the Olympics!!!
The TBM was used to bore a 3.5 km tunnel aimed to transport wastewater to the water treatment plant from the Greater Paris Sanitation Authority (SIAAP). This is another step contributing towards improving the quality of the river Seine, where the triathlon athletes will soon swim.
Some of our challenges were the narrowness of the reception shaft and tunnelling below the river Seine axes, with now and then a minimal cover/overburden of 6 meters.
Thanks to our long-time partner JV Eiffage/NGE for their trust.

Credit: Eiffage & David Demieres

06/06/2024

"Shanhe" is ready for assembly. The Mixshield tunnel boring machine is designed for the extreme conditions of the upcoming undercrossing of the Yellow River. A two-storey road tunnel with three lanes in both directions is to be built in the eastern Chinese city of Jinan.
This Mixshield TBM, one of the largest ever built with a diameter of 17.5 meters, will tackle high groundwater pressure and a challenging geological environment. A machine of this diameter has only been used twice before in the history of tunnelling - the largest in 2015 in Hong Kong, also a Herrenknecht Mixshield (∅ 17.63 meters).
The project aims to enhance connectivity for Jinan´s 9 million residents, improving traffic flow and supporting the ecological and economic development of the Yellow River Basin.
We wish Jinan Urban Construction Group Co. and China Railway 14th Bureau Group Co. every success with the project.

Read more here:

https://www.herrenknecht.com/en/newsroom/pressreleasedetail/mega-project-in-china-175-meter-tbm-shanhe-is-ready-for-construction-site/

31/05/2024

The Thailand Underground and Tunnelling Group (TUTG) of the Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT), in collaboration with Thailand, hosted a technical symposium in Bangkok last week.
With 80 distinguished authorities, academics, contractors and young engineers in Bangkok and over 335 online participants, the event showcased cutting-edge advancements in mechanized underground construction. Local speakers discussed Thailand's underground infrastructure plans, while our Herrenknecht experts introduced our innovative solutions.
We also presented our new production and service base in Rayong, near Bangkok: all attendees were invited to visit the impressive 9,500 sqm workshop on the next day. 110 visitors from Thailand and Australia were thoroughly impressed, marveling at the Ø6.6m TBM for Bangkok Metro and a Ø2.5m microtunnelling machine ready for underground cable tunnel works in Taiwan.
Thank you to all participants and the co-organizer TUTG, the Thai Authorities and all stakeholders from the tunnelling industry for your support. We look forward to future local collaborations!

29/05/2024

Congratulations to the WestEnd Connectors Construction on the second and final breakthrough at the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension Project. After approximately 25 month of mining, two 6.58m EPB shields completed both tunnels of the alignment for Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario. The extension of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT will run 9.2 kilometers from the future Mount Dennis LRT station to Renforth Drive and will operate mainly underground. Once complete, it will create a continuous rapid transit line that stretches from Scarborough, through midtown Toronto, and into Mississauga. Seven stations are being added along the route.
This new infrastructure will reduce significantly local traffic load.

10/05/2024

Recently Herrenknecht's TBMs, Elsie and Phylis, have achieved their breakthroughs in Vancouver. Working tirelessly on the Broadway Subway project, they've extended the SkyTrain track by 4.2 km each. The EPB Shields with a diameter of nearly 6 meters, each as long as five blue whales (150 meters) and weighing as much as 333 elephants (1 million kilograms), were paving the way for smoother, more efficient transportation in the city.
In one of North America's fastest-growing cities, the Broadway subway project is crucial for addressing the evolving economic, social, and cultural demands.
Congratulations to Broadway Subway Constructors General Partnership for this achievement.

08/05/2024

Genuine Herrenknecht spirit at our plant 8: Like the machines Abbas assembles, he knows no obstacles and is fully committed to his own breakthrough. His rocky road to Herrenknecht is behind him, and a steep climb to the top lies ahead. Be inspired by our award winner from Pakistan, who never gives up and knows no obstacles.

29/04/2024

We are delighted to announce the addition of a new location to our network!
Tunnelling Systems Indonesia (HKI) has recently opened its doors, with a focus on establishing an official presence in the country and entering the local market with our full range of products. The facility will serve as a sales office and warehouse, providing temporary storage for machines and facilitating Acceptance Tests when required.

During the inauguration, Ben Hayes, Director of HKI, warmly welcomed over 80 guests. The event featured a traditional rice cake ceremony and a live demonstration of the AVN tunnelling system.

Thanks to all the participants for their presence and support. We're looking forward to our new challenges.

24/04/2024

Even as a young boy, Jan loved being outdoors, and today his workplace at is his outdoor playground, as a mechanic for our separation systems.

A job with a real sustainability factor! And Jan's way to get there is also sustainable: starting as a temporary worker during the pandemic, he is now a permanent employee and is also allowed to work mechanically. He is responsible for assembling a new prototype and is taking it to the jobsite in the south of France.
A story about dreaming by doing. And thinking out of the box.

Want more? Check the long version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn16tlX6c3I

22/04/2024

Twenty years ago, designed and manufactured its first VSM (Vertical Shaft Sinking Machine). Initially developed for tunnelling launch and target shafts, our technology has gradually expanded to cover new application fields, as for inner-city or mining infrastructure. Increasing demands for safety, automation, sustainability, and profitability have driven this development forward.

Today, VSM equipment is available for shafts with up to 20 m outer diameter and up to 450 m depth.
In 2004, the first VSM was used for the Kuwait Shuwaikh sewer project in Kuwait City, where it has successfully sunk five launch and target shafts under groundwater for the Utility Tunnelling machines involved (pic 1).

In total, 111 shafts have been sunk worldwide in 14 countries across four continents, covering a total of 5.580 linear shaft meters built, with the largest diameter being 12.9 m.
The technology has proven itself to be fast, flexible, safe, and environmentally friendly. It features reduced noise and CO2 emissions compared to conventional methods. Thanks to these attributes and its compact design, which is ideal for working in limited spaces, the VSM has become particularly well-suited for inner-city jobsites.

Used in Barcelona, Singapore, Paris and Moscow among others, a VSM machine has recently been used for tunnelling shafts in Shanghai (pic 2) with excellent performance: one 39 m deep shaft was completed in only 12 days.

19/04/2024

Do you know SILKE?

We are happy to introduce this new foam system named SILKE.

In order to simulate the production of different foams for Earth Pressure Balance Shields in the laboratory for geotechnics and tunnel construction at the TH Cologne - University of Applied Sciences, developed a new foam system. It is based on the process technology of shield machines and can be used in the future for experiments by students in the teaching and research areas of geotechnics and tunnelling.

The produced foam can be used to change the properties of conditioned soils in a targeted manner. In this way, these soils can be adjusted in a defined manner. For this reason, future research will examine whether and how the addition of specified foam affects, for example, the abrasiveness or wear of excavation tools or how the conditioned soils behave with regard to their geotechnical properties, especially for recycling.

In addition to being used for R&D, the foam system will also be used in teaching. For example, the properties of soils conditioned with foam will be examined in detail as part of the modules of the master´s degree program "Geotechnics" in the context of mechanical tunnel construction and "pipe jacking".
The TH Köln has now planned an intensive use of the foam system in laboratory tests.

Die TH Köln nimmt eine neue Schaumanlage in Empfang. Sie kann zukünftig für Versuche von Studierenden des Lehr- und Forschungsgebiets Geotechnik und Tunnelbau genutzt werden. Konzipiert und gebaut wurde SILKE, so der Name der Anlage, von der Herrenknecht AG aus Süddeutschland.

17/04/2024

Do you think an existing tunnel can be enlarged, moreover during rail traffic?
Yes it can! It is relevant for upgrading old railway tunnels.

The Gaintxurizketa tunnel was successfully enlarged to 12m despite huge daily traffic between Spain and France.
This will facilitate access to Spain’s high speed network from its neighbor, and support the operation of 750m long freight trains along the future Atlantic Corridor.

New safety standards, electrification and higher design speeds are some examples that require larger tunnel cross sections. Many tunnels built in the first half of the last century do not meet these requirements.
has developed a cutting-edge Tunnel Enlargement System (TES) that enables the enlargement of existing railway tunnels with minimum impact on rail traffic. With TES, existing tunnels can be safely enlarged and refurbished.

On this project, it enabled regular passenger and freight trains to use a single track in the center of the trackbed which was protected from the excavation work by scaffolding and netting. No blasting was needed at all. It was a premiere in Spain.

Congratulations to the UTE Astigarraga-Irun (Dragados-Tecsa) and Adif teams!

15/04/2024

Congratulations to our VMT GmbH colleagues for this great success!

For 30 years, VMT has been supporting customers around the globe with its surveying systems and services for tunnel construction and industrial surveying. Over 2,700 successful tunnel drives worldwide document their performance and innovative strength in the areas of navigation technology, production and logistics management, process monitoring, and data management.
The VMT Group has been part of the Group since its creation.

It employs over 220 people worldwide - at its headquarters in Bruchsal (Southern Germany), in its subsidiaries in Shanghai, Seattle, and Melbourne, as well as in its representations in Singapore, New Delhi, and Madrid.

13/04/2024

Happy New Year to our customers, partners and employees in Thailand!
As Thailand gears up for the traditional Songkran period starting on April 13th, 70 employees of Herrenknecht (ASIA) Ltd. already kicked off the New Year celebrations in Rayong, Thailand.
Songkran symbolizes cleansing and renewal. It's a time when homes are tidied, temples are visited to offer prayers and offerings, and in some areas, religious processions take place. Originally, Songkran was about showing respect to elders by gently pouring water over their hands. Over time, this tradition evolved into epic water fights enjoyed by many across Thailand.
Wishing you all a fantastic New Year filled with joy, prosperity, and of course, some spirited water battles!

12/04/2024

The World Tunnel Congress will open next Friday.
Join us in Shenzhen and discover our speakers. The latest trends and innovations from our industry will be discussed with worldwide experts.

Herrenknecht Booth from Monday-Wednesday:

📍Hall 17
📍Booth Number A24

Save these dates:

📅 Saturday, April 20, 2024
🎤 Innovation in Mechanized Tunnelling - Large Diameter Tunnelling in Variable Ground Conditions with Dr. Karin Bäppler

📅 Monday, April 22, 2024
🎤 More efficient, cost-effective and reliable Slurry Treatment Plants for Mechanized Tunnelling Operations in the Asia-Pacific Region with Bai Kun

🎤 Mechanized Shaft Sinking with VSM: developing underground space for U-Park systems with Carter Zhang

📅 Wednesday, April 24, 2024
🎤 Creative Design for Herrenknecht TBM used in Jiangyin Jingjiang Yangtze River Crossing Tunnel Construction with Dr. Wang Hai

🎤 Development and Application of Supersized Tunnelling Technology for China’s Large-scale Construction of Underground Infrastructure with Dr. Hu Shengli

Get the full program overview here: https://www.wtc2024.cn/richeng.html
See you there!

10/04/2024

Get to know Hannes, our construction mechanic, and find out what makes being part of our trainee team so special to him.
See what you can do and see what can still be achieved: Hannes talks about the insights and perspectives his third year of his apprenticeship offers.
Because at , many paths are created.
# traineesatwork