Mitsubishi-Duro Felguera Readies Giant TBM for M-30 in MadridIt is a giant machine which features a 15,010 mm nominal diameter and a 15,045 mm maximum diameter, a 14 m-long 3,600-tonne EPB shield, a 146 m-long 1,300-tonne back-up (with seven gantries), a thrust system with 57 cylinders capable to deliver a necessary force of 187,510 kN, a nominal force of 277,000 kN and a maximum force of 317,000 kN, an articulation system with 46 cylinders, a main drive with 28 motor reducers of 358 kW each for a total of 10,024 kW, a cutterhead rotation at variable speed (1.05 to 2.43 rpm) controlled by variable frequency drive, a nominal cutting torque of 1.05 rpm (87,500 kNm) and a 15,000 kW installed power. The cutting tools consist of 44 17" triple cutter dics, 226 teeth, 472 picks, 8 wear sensors and 4 overcutters. The hydraulic segment erector with double grip uses a vacuum type pick-up device. Its rotation speed is 0.15 to 1.2 rpm and its rotation torque is 1,500 kNm. There is a fine adjustment system with laser for the accurate positioning of segments. The muck haulage system is an enormous screw conveyor built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Kobe, Japan (1.5 m in diameter, 22 m long and driven by 6 engines) and one belt conveyor. A laser system measures the volume of the muck on the belt. Visit www.gdfsa.comThese are the impressive figures of the new MHI-Duro Felguera TBM unveiled on 20th September, 2005 at a workshop in the Asturian town of Barros. The members of a delegation from the City of Madrid - among whom Manuel Arnaiz Ronda, general manager for infrastructure -, Calle 30, the promoter of the upgrading of the M-30 in Madrid, and the JV of builders watched open-mouthed the machine. This enormous TBM, which cost is over EUR40 million, is the biggest equipment machinery ever produced in Spain. Dragados and FCC will use it to bore the south tunnel on the south bypass, that will connect Santa Maria de la Cabeza with the A-3, running under Vallecas bridge. The assembly began a year ago and tests at the workshop are programmed for the first week of October. Right after the trials, the transportation to Madrid will commence. Due to the size of the machine, the transport of the parts will take approximately 15 days by road, except for the main bearing, which will be transported by ship from Gijon's port of El Musel to Alicante given its enormous size. The assembly of the TBM at the site will begin in early November, so that it can start its job at the end of the year or the beginning of 2006 in the vicinity of Arganzuela, where a 120 m-long 60 m-wide 35 m-deep start box has been prepared. The machine will dig a tunnel of about 4 km, with a minimum monthly speed of 360 m. Click es/104. Visit www.dragados.com, www.fcc.es, www.urbanismo.munimadrid.es and http://212.145.146.11/zona_m30/welcome.html 40/05.