{"id":128391,"date":"2018-07-31T09:01:03","date_gmt":"2018-07-31T07:01:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.ferrovial.com\/local-news\/tideways-first-tunnelling-machines-lowered-53-metres-into-the-ground\/"},"modified":"2018-07-31T09:01:03","modified_gmt":"2018-07-31T07:01:03","slug":"tideways-first-tunnelling-machines-lowered-53-metres-into-the-ground","status":"publish","type":"local_new","link":"https:\/\/newsroom.ferrovial.com\/en-gb\/local-news\/tideways-first-tunnelling-machines-lowered-53-metres-into-the-ground\/","title":{"rendered":"Tideway\u2019s first tunnelling machines lowered 53 metres into the ground"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Ferrovial Agroman and Laing O\u2019Rourke joint venture, delivering the central section of London\u2019s new super sewer, has successfully lowered its first two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) at its Kirtling Street site near Battersea Power Station in London. The two machines are the first two TBMs that have been lowered at the whole Tideway project. The TBM shaft is 53 metres deep and measures in at a diameter of 31 metres, equivalent to the dome of St Paul\u2019s Cathedral.<\/p>\n

The lowering of both TBM cutterheads – which weigh in at over 850 tonnes each- was a lengthy and complex process and each took approximately eight hours to lower each TBM. To see a time-lapse video of the process, please click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n

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Once lowered, the machines were placed into launch adits, otherwise known as starter tunnels, before work to complete the build of the TBMs, which will be over 100 metres long when fully built, begins in earnest.<\/p>\n

When fully assembled, each TBM will weigh in at 1300 tonnes, and will be the project\u2019s largest, of six, tunnelling machines. The TBMs will remain underground for almost two years as they dig the tunnels.<\/p>\n

Generally, most TBMs are buried in the ground when they finish their work, however, ours will be removed and sold on.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n

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\n This is a major milestone for the project and an impressive piece of work where Ferrovial Agroman has once again proven its capacity to deliver the most complex technical challenges. Huge congratulations to our teams on completing this stage of the project safely <\/blockquote>\n\n