Robbins Double-shield TBM Breaks Through Quarry Tunnel in ItalyA 150 m-long Robbins double-shield TBM broke through on 31st May, 2005 the tunnel linking the raw material quarries with the Italcementi Nuova Calusco cement plant in Calusco d'Adda, Bergamo province in the Italian region of Lombardy. The tunnel is part of the EUR150 million modernisation works that began at the Calusco cement plant in April 2001, involving also the relocation of facilities and the replacement of four old kilns with a new one. The use of the latest technologies for the construction of the Nuova Calusco plant has enabled Italcementi to lower emissions by 50% to 90% in respect of standards.The underground tunnel links the Colle Pedrino limestone quarry situated in Palazzago municipality and the Monte Giglio marl quarry with the new plant, which opened in April 2004. The tunnel is 9.6 km long and 4.3 m ID. It is used for fully automated transport operations. It is lined with 26,400 concrete segments. A total of 180,000 cu m of excavated muck has been removed. The best progress covered by the TBM on a 24-hour period is 39 m. A conveyor belt inside the tunnel moving at a speed of 2.5 m/second and 9 km/h will convey 600 metric tons of material per hour. This will have evident benefits for local traffic, eliminating approximately 10,000 trucks a year from the road between Pontida and Calusco and a cable car. The tunnel was built by consortium Monte Giglio, including SELI, Strabag and Del Favero. Tunnelling began in July 2001 and it took 46 months to build it. Read E-News Weekly 9/2003. Visit www.italcementigroup.com/newsite/notizia_tunnelCalusco.htm, www.robbinstbm.com, www.selitunnel.com/TBM/TBMROBBINS1661-283.htm to see the details of the TBM and www.rbl-france.com 25/05.