Terratec, the Australian-based TBM manufacturer, has secured an order to supply 4 new 6.56m diameter TBMs EPB for Istanbul’s Umraniye-Atasehir-Goztepe Metro Line from the Turkish tunnelling JV of Gulermak, Nurol & Makyol. This will see a total of seven TERRATEC EPBMs working simultaneously on the Istanbul Metro by the middle of 2018. The robust TERRATEC TBMs have versatile mixed-face cutterheads with an opening ratio of about 35% that have proven to work extremely effectively in Istanbul’s mixed geology – which includes low-strength sandstones, siltstones, limestones and shales – as well as other state-of-the-art features such as VFD electric cutterhead drives, soft ground cutting tools that are interchangeable with 17’’ roller disc cutters, high torque screw conveyors and active articulation systems.

The new TBMs will be used by the Gulermak, Nurol & Makyol JV on the €600 million Umraniye-Atasehir-Goztepe Metro contract, which was awarded in April 2017. The 13kmlong line, along with 11 new stations and NATM-built connections, will form a second north to south rail corridor under the densely-populated Anatolian side of the city and will be located entirely underground at an average depth of about 30m. The TBMs are currently in production and will begin Factory Testing in the final weeks of 2017.

Earlier this year, Terratec opened a new large-diameter TBM facility that will deliver

more than 12 new machines in the second half of 2017 and beginning of 2018, including

the four new EPBMs for Istanbul. Read the press release. Visit www.terratec.co. 34/17.