TBM Koumba breakthrough at the Pont de Rungis station
On 17/09/2020 the GIE NGE GC / Impregilo Joint Venture with the TBM Koumba achieved another milestone for the Grand Paris Express project in Paris. The Herrenknecht diameter 8,800m EPB machine, the first of three TBMs driving the South Line 14 extension nearby the Orly airport, reached the future Pont de Rungis station. After 15 months it completed the 4.056 m section between Morangis and Thiais: click here for the breakthrough video. In the next 3 weeks the 1400 t machine will be dismantled and extracted from the box station. The TBM will be then forwarded to its German manufacturer, pending a new mission!
TBM Allison reached Kremlin-Bicetre Hopital station
On 24/09/2020 the TBM Allison brokethrough the south wall of the future Kremlin-Bicetre Hopital station. When maintenance and moving of the TBM to the other side of the station are completed, it will restart towards Maison-Blanche Paris XIIIe and complete its journey.
TBM Allison, launched in June 2019 from the Jean Prouve at L'Hay-les-Roses, has driven 3.2km of its northern section of the tunnel for the extension to the south of line 14. In 3 weeks the TBM will be shifted to the other side of the box station. By early 2021, the last 1300 m tunnel towards the Maison-Blanche Paris 13th district station will have been tunnelled. Its disassembling, extraction and evacuation from the site will mark the end of the 14 km tunnel digging for the Line 14 South extension.
TBM Claire will reach Chevilly Trois-Communes station
As part of the extension of line 14 to Orly Airport, work on the future Chevilly Trois-Communes station is continuing. The station is ready to receive the TBM Claire, whose arrival is expected on September 28, 2020.
The TBM, coming from Thiais, will enter through the south entrance of the station box before being pulled over 120 m to the other end of the station and finishing its digging its last 660 m towards the Jean Prouve shaft. It will be extracted after finishing this 4.2 km tunnel section. The moving and maintenance work of the TBM will require the deployment of teams for 24 hours a day from Monday to Saturday for a period of one month.
For further information please click here and fr/127 for the tunnelbuilder archive. Also visit https://www.societedugrandparis.fr and https://prolongementligne14-orly.fr/. 39/20.
GrandParisExpress - Named 19th and 20Th TBMs
On 17/09/2020 and 18/09/2020 two new TBMs were christened for the Grand Paris Express project.
Houda, 7th TBM for Line 16
The 7th TBM of Line 16 was named Houda, as a nod to Houda Dada, the Line 16 project manager at the Societe du Grand Paris. The TBM, designed by Creg, acquired by the Joint Venture We Build-NGE GC and currently being assembled, will shortly start to dig the 5.8 km tunnel between Europe at Aulnay-sous-Bois and Mare at Sevran.
Florence, 1st TBM for Line 17
The 1st TBM for Line 17 was named in the presence of authorities at the Flandres shaft in Bonneuil-En-France. Its name is in honor of Florence Coquand, deputy director of the lines project at the Societe du Grand Paris. The TBM, manufactured by Herrenknecht, will start in the fall 2020 to dig the 3.4km section towards the future Le Bourget Aeroport station and then to the Rolland structure (Lot 1).
The TBM Florence was assembled on the surface and then it will be lowered in 3 pieces down into the shaft by a gantry/Big Lift. This TBM - acquired by Demathieu Bard, belonging to the consortium Avenir - has already been used on line 15 South to dig the 2.2 km section between Champigny operating center and the Sentiers des Marins structure.
For further information please click here and fr/127 for the tunnelbuilder archive. Visit https://www.societedugrandparis.fr. 39/20.
